Primary purpose of the role

Reporting to the UK Customs Manager, the Import Customs Managers role is to actively collaborate with various stakeholders to create a knowledgeable and disciplined department driven by a focus for optimising processes to provide the best service possible.
With a primary focus on clearances for road movements, the Import Customs Manager is charged with ensuring a quality clearance service is provided to network departments using a variety of import clearance methods.
A key purpose of the role is to develop and refine existing and new processes to ensure clearances are completed in a timely manner but also to ensure the development of new teams to promote cohesion and attainment of common goals.

Key Accountabilities

  • Proactively manage the multiple import clearance teams effectively in a dynamic and challenging environment
  • Actively collaborate with the UK Customs Manager on the structure and growth of the national customs team
  • Identify opportunities to optimise procedures to maximise synergies, utilise resources and remain cost focussed at all times
  • Ensure customs controls, policies and procedures are understood in a manner that can be applied to the departments everyday tasks and ensuring obligations are fully met
  • Actively promoting a risk mitigation culture within the department and ensuring compliance of standard operating procedures for Customs and AEO processes
  • Continually reviewing processes to strive for efficiencies without compromising the service level and/ or quality of work administered
  • Support the various import supervisors with query escalations to provide suitable and rapid resolution to the situation
  • To facilitate adherence to operational and service deadlines
  • Collaboration with internal customers to maximise synergies and promote cross team and branch interactions and communications
  • Direct liaison with the UK Customs Manager
  • Direct liaison with external customers where required
  • Direct liaison with Customs authorities such as HMRC and other agencies as and when necessary including, but not limited to, Border Force and DEFRA
  • Direct liaison with Head Office Kempten with regard to various customs matters when necessary
  • Actively collaborate with the supervisors to support and monitor the setting and evaluation of Key Performance Indicators for the various import teams
  • Support HMRC AEO audits where necessary
  • Support internal AEO monitoring activities where necessary
  • Promote the Dachser values in the team work ethic
  • Absence management and recording
  • Training records, staff coaching, monitoring and appraisal and the integration of teams

Decision Making Authority

  • Responsible for making day to day decisions to support operational activity

Resources
The incumbent will be responsible for a department consisting of numerous small/ medium sized teams located in Northampton.

Key Relationships

  • UK Customs Manager
  • Import Customs Supervisor
  • Import Customs department team members
  • European Network Departments
  • UK and Continental
  • Internal and External Customers

Focus

  • Immediate line management
  • Leadership in their development, allocation of work and duties, support & guidance with daily business, sharing best practice and information
  • To provide support, guidance and leadership in the absence of the supervisor. Sharing best practice and information
  • Coordination of day to day operational matters in relation to all relevant aspects of Customs activity
  • Providing guidance and information on Customs matters and requirements, to help to ensure sufficient attention to this area at the pre-acquisition stage of new business development
  • Query resolution

Performance Indicators

  • Managing risk exposure
  • Successful completion of department KPIs
  • Efficiency of the import customs department
  • Speed and effectiveness of query resolution
  • Compliance with Customs and AEO processes
  • Achievement of personal objectives and projects allocated to the role
  • Objectives identified as part of the Performance Review process
  • Attendance record and Absence management

Knowledge/Skills/Experience

  • People management experience
  • Experience in a customs related role
  • Background in transport/ logistics
  • Good educational background
  • Good knowledge of Third country customs regulations
  • Good comprehension of Customs procedures and formalities
  • Working knowledge of and familiarity with UK CHIEF system and proprietary software systems
  • Familiar with Microsoft Office programs and Datafreight
  • An awareness of global geography
  • Leadership skills with proven track record
  • Highly adaptable and able to work under pressurised situations
  • Self-motivated and ability to take responsibility to resolve issues efficiently and effectively
  • Excellent problem solving and analysis skills
  • Attention to detail and high levels of accuracy
  • Excellent communication skills – with the ability to adapt their style and language (verbal and written) to suit the customer, department or level that they are dealing with
  • Ability to create and maintain harmonious relationships with internal and external customers
  • Ability to influence and impact people across all levels in the organisation
  • A high customer service orientation with a passion for delivering quality
  • Supportive and coaching capabilities