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 St Helens
As towns go, St Helens is relatively new, only being formally declared a town in the middle of the 1800s as a result of the rapid growth and joining together of a number of small villages and hamlets. It’s fair to say that St Helens had a good Industrial Revolution, with good coal mining, chemical works, salt mining, lime and alkali extraction and copper smelting going on in the area. But all this was overshadowed by St Helens’s reputation as a glassmaking town, with several huge factories contributing to the success.
Glassmaking and coal mining survived as a large employers up until the 1980s and early 1990s, but it these associations have more or less left the town now, except for Pilkington, which remains in the town.
St Helens now exists as a mainly residential town, with retail and entertainment playing a large part. As well as a thriving town centre there are several retail outlets and supermarkets for big-name brands. It’s also in the commuter belt for both Liverpool and Manchester, and is well served by road and rail. The blend of industry and residential trade does create the opportunity for Customs Declarant vacancies to appear in St Helens, and we have found several of these or related placements in recent years.
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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.
Employers: we only put the most experienced managerial and executive level experts on our books, so when you use Cast UK you’re guaranteed the symptoms talent you need. Speak to one of our recruiters on 0333 121 3345 so we can find the perfect candidates.
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