Customs and Compliance Specialist

Job Title: Customs & Compliance Specialist
Contract: Part Time, Permanent
Location: Warrington
Salary: £38,000 - £45,000 (Pro Rata'd)

The Procurement & Supply Chain Division at SF Recruitment are currently supporting an international manufacturing business to recruit for a newly created Customs and Compliance Specialist to join their business on a permanent basis.

This role is due to continuous growth across the business and requiring an expert to take full control and ownership of all cross-border Import / Export ensuring they are fully compliant with UK and EU trade regulations.

You will be responsible for:
- Acting as the first line of defence for customs compliance and shipment execution.
- Manage UK import/export operations with a strong focus on customs compliance
- Verify and approve Importer of Record, customs valuations, HS codes, Incoterms, and shipping documentation
- Ensure correct calculation and payment of duties, import VAT, and fees, including Postponed VAT Accounting (PVA)
- Review freight forwarder and customs broker invoices for accuracy and compliance
- Maintain centralised, audit-ready records for all shipments and customs declarations
- Act as the primary liaison with HMRC during audits and compliance reviews
- Identify and escalate unusual or high-risk trade scenarios to corporate trade or VAT teams
- Support export compliance for shipments to EU sister companies, ensuring correct documentation and avoiding mis-declarations
- Deliver practical guidance and training to logistics teams to embed compliance best practices

The successful candidate will need to have:
- A strong understanding of customs and compliance processes - understanding what documents and certifications are required for each case.
- Confidence when working with freight forwarders, customs brokers, and HMRC processes
- Strong understanding of HS codes, Incoterms, customs valuation, duty reliefs, and import VAT mechanisms
- Being audit ready - Familiar with managing records and supporting HMRC customs audits
- Detail-Oriented and meticulous in reviewing customs declarations, invoices, and shipment documentation
- Takes ownership, acts with integrity, and mitigates risk proactively
- Knowledge of import VAT recovery and EU trade rules

This is an onsite role and is open to candidates on a part time basis and is fairly flexible on how this can be split. However, for the first 3 months, there will be a requirement to work additional hours.
If you wish to progress an application, please click 'Apply Now' with a copy of your updated CV. I will be coordinating interviews ASAP.