Customs Manager
It doesn’t matter how well a logistics or supply chain operation is planned in terms of getting fully laden vehicles between factories, warehouses and fulfilment centres if the customs aren’t all in order. If you’re moving goods from one country to another, it can be the weak link in the process, adding days, hours or weeks to journeys, or in the worst case, revealing exports that should never have been attempted.
Enter the customs team, whose job it is to stress test all ongoing and future logistics activities for a company to ensure that both export and import are legally compliant as regards customs. And at the head of that team is the customs manager. Their job is to oversee the team, which might cover multiple jurisdictions, to keep all that freight flowing freely between parties. In smaller organisations, the customs manager might be a one-person team, tasked with operating over multiple territories or dealing with diverse classifications of goods.
The skills required
When looking for customs manager jobs, you should be an experienced and fully accredited specialist in the field of import and export, perhaps in a specific sector or between certain jurisdictions. Some jobs require you to have a hands-on role checking consignments yourself to ensure they are compliant in terms of quality, weight, size or count. You’ll be expert in the customs declaration procedure in your field, and will know how to optimise supply chain and logistics within the remit of customs procedures.
Communication of often complex laws and protocols will be essential, as you may often be asked to explain the scope of certain customs rules if a company is looking to make strategic decisions based on the trading laws between two nations. Experience in customs compliance, tax or duty applications will be essential.
Customs Manager Jobs in Stourbridge
If you love the Birmingham conurbation and you’re travelling west, you’d better stop when you see signs for Stourbridge, because after the town you’ll be hit quite abruptly by the spread of green Shropshire countryside as far as the eye can see. The Bull ring, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Jasper Carrott will be distant memories.
If you stick around, though, you’ll be treated to a pleasant enough town, part of Birmingham’s commuter belt, with Wolverhampton to the north, Dudley to the north east and the centre of Birmingham 10 miles (16 km) to the east. Kidderminster is the next distinct town, 7 miles (12 km) south west. Stourbridge has a distinct suburban feel about it that somewhat hides the fact that it does have quite a strong industrial past, with a particular emphasis on glassmaking, which has all but shattered to nothing, albeit recently. The town still has a Festival of Glass every two years. Stourbridge does have its own shopping area, but it’s largely for everyday essentials, with a few bars and restaurants dotted around. Serious shoppers are still more likely to head into Birmingham.
Although not particularly industrialised, there are a few trading estates around the outskirts, and the town is well enough connected to the South West (via the M5 and rail links) and the rest of Birmingham for it not to matter. If you’re looking for Customs Manager work and you live in Stourbridge, there are occasional related jobs in the town, but looking north and east will probably produce better results.
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Customs managers at Cast UK
The world is changing fast, and it’s vital for importing and exporting businesses to know exactly what is allowable, and how to get the most out of the regulations. That’s why high performance customs managers are regularly sought.
If you’re running an import/export operation and need a customs manager, call 0333 121 3345 today – Cast UK will be able to put you in touch with experts in your sector.
Candidates looking for this kind of work should register with us using the link below, even if you haven’t seen a specific role today. We’ll be able to match you up with global businesses looking for your skills.
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