DHL Global Forwarding
Customs Supervisor
Requirements
Requires experience in leading teams or a strong willingness to develop leadership skills, preferably with knowledge of customs and compliance. Candidates must possess strong attention to detail, communication skills, and the ability to perform under pressure.
Job Description
DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) is part of the DHL Group. While the DHL Group employs more than 580,000 people globally, DGF has around 31,000 freight forwarding experts in more than 190 countries around the world, with around 1,000 of us based in the UK across 15 Sites. As the experts in Freight Forwarding since 1815, we are the global specialists in Air, Ocean and Rail Freight.
You name it, we’ve shipped it - from brown bears to aircraft engines, to lifesaving medicines and luxury cars! We are also proud to partner with some of the well-known global sporting series, movie franchises and music tours.
Our people are at the heart of what we do, and we’re committed to helping our Forwarders to realise their full potential, supported by our own development journey - Certified International Forwarder (CIF).
Our Values
Every day we are guided by our values: Passion, Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Teamwork.
We are extremely passionate about our people and what we do, which is why DHL Global Forwarding is recognised as a Top Employer and a Great Place to Work, because we are specialists in providing Excellence, Simply Delivered.
In addition to our values, we promote an open and honest feedback culture based on Respect & Results, whereby our employees embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, while ensuring that we never compromise our integrity and compliance.
Role Overview
To lead and develop a customs operational team within DGF, ensuring compliance with customs legislation, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and achievement of business objectives. The Customs Supervisor is responsible for the day-to-day management of people, performance, quality, customer relationships, and continuous improvement activities within their area of responsibility.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing customs team to deliver excellent service and operational results.
- Ensure customs declarations and supporting documentation are completed accurately, compliantly, and within agreed service levels.
- Monitor operational performance, productivity, quality, and compliance KPIs, implementing corrective actions where required.
- Manage complex customs queries, customer escalations, and operational issues in a timely and professional manner.
- Ensure compliance with HMRC regulations, customs legislation, and company policies and procedures.
- Conduct regular quality and compliance reviews, identifying risks and implementing preventative measures.
- Allocate resources effectively and manage workloads to meet customer and business requirements.
- Set clear objectives, conduct regular performance reviews and coaching sessions, and identify training and development needs.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, internal stakeholders, and external authorities.
- Produce and analyze operational reports, identifying trends and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
- Promote effective communication, collaboration, employee engagement, and a positive team culture across the operation.
- Experience leading or supervising teams, or a willingness to develop leadership skills.
- Customs and compliance knowledge preferred.
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong organisational and time management skills.
- Effective problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
- Ability to prioritise workloads and perform under pressure.
- A competitive salary
- Generous holiday entitlement
- Eligibility to participate in the Employee Incentive Bonus Scheme
- Pension scheme which includes life assurance
- Access to professional employee assistance and wellbeing programme
- A competitive package of voluntary benefits including retail, entertainment, gym membership, cycle to work scheme, contribution to eye care costs, and many more discounts
- Training and Development opportunities with a strong focus on internal promotion
REPORTS TO: Regional Customs Manager
What’s Next?
If you would like to be considered for this position, then please apply using the jobs board with a copy of your CV outlining your experience to date and suitability for the role.
DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows.
Our culture is focused on personal commitment – to our customers, to each other, to our communities and to the environment. We reward excellent work and we nurture the talents of our employees. This enables you as an employee to develop your expertise and your career in different areas or divisions – and even in other countries.
We are committed to creating a workplace that ensures mutual respect and is focused on results. We hire talented people from all backgrounds – irrespective of gender, disability, nationality, ethnicity, social background, religion and beliefs, age or sexual orientation and identity. Diversity enriches our workplace, drives our success, and helps us deliver excellence.
By submitting your application, you agree that DGF UK will process your personal data for the purpose of recruitment and selection. We handle all data in accordance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. To understand what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights, please read our full Privacy Policy.
Who is DHL Global Forwarding?
DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) is part of the DHL Group. While the DHL Group employs more than 580,000 people globally, DGF has around 31,000 freight forwarding experts in more than 190 countries around the world, with around 1,000 of us based in the UK across 15 Sites. As the experts in Freight Forwarding since 1815, we are the global specialists in Air, Ocean and Rail Freight.
You name it, we’ve shipped it - from brown bears to aircraft engines, to lifesaving medicines and luxury cars! We are also proud to partner with some of the well-known global sporting series, movie franchises and music tours.
Our people are at the heart of what we do, and we’re committed to helping our Forwarders to realise their full potential, supported by our own development journey - Certified International Forwarder (CIF).
Our Values
Every day we are guided by our values: Passion, Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Teamwork.
We are extremely passionate about our people and what we do, which is why DHL Global Forwarding is recognised as a Top Employer and a Great Place to Work, because we are specialists in providing Excellence, Simply Delivered.
In addition to our values, we promote an open and honest feedback culture based on Respect & Results, whereby our employees embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, while ensuring that we never compromise our integrity and compliance.
Role Overview
To lead and develop a customs operational team within DGF, ensuring compliance with customs legislation, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and achievement of business objectives. The Customs Supervisor is responsible for the day-to-day management of people, performance, quality, customer relationships, and continuous improvement activities within their area of responsibility.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing customs team to deliver excellent service and operational results.
- Ensure customs declarations and supporting documentation are completed accurately, compliantly, and within agreed service levels.
- Monitor operational performance, productivity, quality, and compliance KPIs, implementing corrective actions where required.
- Manage complex customs queries, customer escalations, and operational issues in a timely and professional manner.
- Ensure compliance with HMRC regulations, customs legislation, and company policies and procedures.
- Conduct regular quality and compliance reviews, identifying risks and implementing preventative measures.
- Allocate resources effectively and manage workloads to meet customer and business requirements.
- Set clear objectives, conduct regular performance reviews and coaching sessions, and identify training and development needs.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, internal stakeholders, and external authorities.
- Produce and analyze operational reports, identifying trends and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
- Promote effective communication, collaboration, employee engagement, and a positive team culture across the operation.
- Experience leading or supervising teams, or a willingness to develop leadership skills.
- Customs and compliance knowledge preferred.
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong organisational and time management skills.
- Effective problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
- Ability to prioritise workloads and perform under pressure.
- A competitive salary
- Generous holiday entitlement
- Eligibility to participate in the Employee Incentive Bonus Scheme
- Pension scheme which includes life assurance
- Access to professional employee assistance and wellbeing programme
- A competitive package of voluntary benefits including retail, entertainment, gym membership, cycle to work scheme, contribution to eye care costs, and many more discounts
- Training and Development opportunities with a strong focus on internal promotion
REPORTS TO: Regional Customs Manager
What’s Next?
If you would like to be considered for this position, then please apply using the jobs board with a copy of your CV outlining your experience to date and suitability for the role.
DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows.
Our culture is focused on personal commitment – to our customers, to each other, to our communities and to the environment. We reward excellent work and we nurture the talents of our employees. This enables you as an employee to develop your expertise and your career in different areas or divisions – and even in other countries.
We are committed to creating a workplace that ensures mutual respect and is focused on results. We hire talented people from all backgrounds – irrespective of gender, disability, nationality, ethnicity, social background, religion and beliefs, age or sexual orientation and identity. Diversity enriches our workplace, drives our success, and helps us deliver excellence.
By submitting your application, you agree that DGF UK will process your personal data for the purpose of recruitment and selection. We handle all data in accordance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. To understand what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights, please read our full Privacy Policy.
We are committed to creating a workplace that ensures mutual respect and is focused on results. We hire talented people from all backgrounds – irrespective of gender, disability, nationality, ethnicity, social background, religion and beliefs, age or sexual orientation and identity. Diversity enriches our workplace, drives our success, and helps us deliver excellence.
By submitting your application, you agree that DGF UK will process your personal data for the purpose of recruitment and selection. We handle all data in accordance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. To understand what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights, please read our full Privacy Policy.
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About DHL Global Forwarding
The Freight Forwarding experts since 1815. Our passion is to enable international trade. We simplify our customer operations and maximize their opportunities. Let's stay connected. DHL Global Forwarding is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group with more than 31,000 freight forwarding experts in more than 190 countries around the world. Our air, ocean and overland freight forwarding services include standardised transport as well as multimodal and sector-specific solutions, together with individualised industrial projects. Legal Notice: https://www.logistics.dhl/de-en/home/footer/legal-notice.html