Waitrose & Partners

13 hours ago

Customs Compliance Lead

✓ Verified Job

Canonical indexed version, validated from employer's careers page.

Source: Company careers pageValidated by: Fursa AI

Last checked: 13 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Lead end-to-end UK trade compliance for the John Lewis Partnership, serving as the authoritative point of contact for HMRC across John Lewis and Waitrose brands. Own customs and excise governance including CFSP entries, classification/valuation, AEO oversight, excise movements via EMCS, and duty deferment account controls. Advise senior stakeholders on legally compliant, duty-efficient sourcing to protect margin and cash flow, while building a future-fit Customs & Excise capability with scalable processes and technologies.

Location: London

Workplace: Hybrid

Employment Type: Full time · Permanent

Job Function: Legal, Risk & Compliance

Seniority: Sr. Manager level

Key Responsibilities

•Own all Customs activities including CFSP customs entries, classification, valuation, and evidencing controls to meet Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) standards.
•Ensure correct commodity code linkage and CFSP submission, and manage month-end closure in line with HMRC timelines.
•Manage and report on Assists calculations, including duty & VAT liabilities (e.g., RFID, GIL label), and collate annual statements of intent from buyers.
•Oversee Waitrose Customs & Excise deferment accounts, controls, and release of payments to HMRC.
•Act as principal point of contact for HMRC on Customs and Excise queries and advise on strategic decisions to improve margin and cash flow.

Travel: Low travel

Pay and Benefits

Salary: GBP 68,800 - 122,000 annually

Key Requirements

•Substantial hands-on experience managing complex end-to-end import, export, and excise compliance in high-volume retail or FMCG environments, with detailed knowledge of UK Customs tariffs, CFSP, AEO governance, and excise regulations (including BWS and food/non-food imports).
•Practical operational expertise using EMCS (Excise Movement and Control System) to manage goods under duty suspension, duty-paid movements, and release for consumption.
•Extensive experience with UK Excise Duty regulations and operational compliance in retail, FMCG, or logistics, with specific emphasis on Beers, Wines, and Spirits (BWS).
•Strong financial and analytical capability using trade data (e.g., MSS, customs entries, audit reports) to drive duty savings and optimize cash flow through duty deferment account management.
•Direct experience obtaining, maintaining, and auditing HMRC Excise authorisations (e.g., Excise Warehouse and Registered Consignee/Consignor status).

Experience:RetailFMCGLogistics

Skills:CommunicationNegotiationAnalysisGovernanceStakeholder management

Certifications:UK Customs Academy Level 4/5Institute of Export & International Trade

Tech Stack:HMRCCFSPAEOEMCSMSSCDSERPWMSDMSIntrastatRFIDGILExcise WarehousePVAIPAFFSBCP

Company Brief

Waitrose & Partners

Waitrose & Partners is a UK supermarket chain offering groceries, fresh produce, and premium food products through its network of stores and online shopping. It is part of the John Lewis Partnership and emphasizes quality, customer service, and ethical sourcing.

Industry: Omnichannel Retail

Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)

Revenue: USD 1B+

Growth: Established Company

Headquarters: Bracknell, United Kingdom

Founded: 1904

Website LinkedIn

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Waitrose & Partners

13 hours ago

Customs Compliance Lead

✓ Verified Job

Canonical indexed version, validated from employer's careers page.

Source: Company careers pageValidated by: Fursa AI

Last checked: 13 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Location: London

Workplace: Hybrid

Employment Type: Full time · Permanent

Job Function: Legal, Risk & Compliance

Seniority: Sr. Manager level

Key Responsibilities

•Own all Customs activities including CFSP customs entries, classification, valuation, and evidencing controls to meet Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) standards.
•Ensure correct commodity code linkage and CFSP submission, and manage month-end closure in line with HMRC timelines.
•Manage and report on Assists calculations, including duty & VAT liabilities (e.g., RFID, GIL label), and collate annual statements of intent from buyers.
•Oversee Waitrose Customs & Excise deferment accounts, controls, and release of payments to HMRC.
•Act as principal point of contact for HMRC on Customs and Excise queries and advise on strategic decisions to improve margin and cash flow.

Travel: Low travel

Pay and Benefits

Salary: GBP 68,800 - 122,000 annually

Key Requirements

•Substantial hands-on experience managing complex end-to-end import, export, and excise compliance in high-volume retail or FMCG environments, with detailed knowledge of UK Customs tariffs, CFSP, AEO governance, and excise regulations (including BWS and food/non-food imports).
•Practical operational expertise using EMCS (Excise Movement and Control System) to manage goods under duty suspension, duty-paid movements, and release for consumption.
•Extensive experience with UK Excise Duty regulations and operational compliance in retail, FMCG, or logistics, with specific emphasis on Beers, Wines, and Spirits (BWS).
•Strong financial and analytical capability using trade data (e.g., MSS, customs entries, audit reports) to drive duty savings and optimize cash flow through duty deferment account management.
•Direct experience obtaining, maintaining, and auditing HMRC Excise authorisations (e.g., Excise Warehouse and Registered Consignee/Consignor status).

Experience:RetailFMCGLogistics

Skills:CommunicationNegotiationAnalysisGovernanceStakeholder management

Certifications:UK Customs Academy Level 4/5Institute of Export & International Trade

Tech Stack:HMRCCFSPAEOEMCSMSSCDSERPWMSDMSIntrastatRFIDGILExcise WarehousePVAIPAFFSBCP

Company Brief

Waitrose & Partners

Industry: Omnichannel Retail

Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)

Revenue: USD 1B+

Growth: Established Company

Headquarters: Bracknell, United Kingdom

Founded: 1904

Website LinkedIn