Customs Declarant
The role of customs declarant is a highly technical and detailed one, which is essential to maintaining the flow of goods in the logistics and freight forwarding sectors where cross-border goods shipments are being made. You’ll be checking consignments before they have left the factory or warehouse, whether that’s in person or via local teams charged with ensuring everything is in order.
As a customs declarant, you’ll find yourself dealing with customers, overseas departments of your own company and suppliers on a daily basis. You’ll also be dealing with the HMRC in the UK regularly, or the equivalent customs, duty and taxation bodies in foreign countries. In some roles, the job can be much deeper, visiting manufacturers and buyers to check up on their processes, stock and paperwork and making sure it’s compliant for the proposed contracts. Often, it is all done remotely, however, and this can open the role up to hybrid working arrangements for certain declarants.
The skills required
Primarily, you’ll be experienced in customs and duty procedures, but since that is a huge subject, some companies are looking for talent that’s experienced in a certain field, for example chemicals, pharmaceuticals or aviation. The number of years’ experience desired varies from business to business, but most are looking for at least 2 years, while others want as much as 5 years in the job.
You’ll be knowledgeable in customs classification, and should know your own jurisdiction’s rules inside out, while being a fast learner when it comes to getting to grips with the rules in other nations and specialised sectors. Your attention to detail and accuracy will be second to none, and you’ll be able to communicate complicated legal concepts succinctly and unambiguously.
Customs Declarant Jobs in Sussex
Sussex, a historic county in the south-east of England, is situated on the Channel coast and shares borders with Surrey, Kent and Hampshire.
It's also home to a number of large settlements - including Chichester, Brighton and Hove, Hastings, Eastbourne, Crawley and Bognor Regis - and offers a range of opportunities for those seeking Customs Declarant jobs.
Historically, the region has been known for agriculture and fishing, while the seaside resort towns were popular destinations for tourists, particularly during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
These days, tourism continues to play an important part in the local economy. Brighton, for example, is a favourite getaway for Londoners seeking a bit of sunshine and sea air on the weekends, while visitors from around the world come to see the Royal Pavilion and the pleasure pier.
Of course, there's much more to the region than leisure activities. For instance, Sussex has a strong hold on the financial industry, with credit card giant American Express having its European headquarters here.
The Thales Group, known for manufacturing electrical systems for the aerospace, security and defence markets also has a facility in Sussex.
Other companies in the area include The Body Shop, Doosan Babcock Energy and WesternGeco. Fischer yachts are built in Sussex and Nature's Way Foods produces pre-packaged salads and fruit. Meanwhile, various airlines have offices in the region, such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Thomson Airways.
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Customs declarants needed now
Nothing can be left to chance with customs declarations, so logistics and import/export businesses are always looking for the most experienced declarants, and very competitive salaries are available for the right candidates.
If you’re looking at customs declarant jobs and have the skills and the experience, why not leave your details with us by registering below? We will get in touch when a relevant opening becomes available – it could be a life-changing decision.
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