Join Our Team
Customs Specialist 4 on/4 off
How does working for a rapidly growing business, with a vibrant work culture, where you feel invested in and supported sound? We have the role for you.
As a Customs Specialist, you’ll build a stable career in logistics while developing your skills on a team that values work/life balance and backs your success.
The impact you will have
You’ll keep freight moving smoothly outside core hours, turning complex rules into first-time clearances. You’ll keep trailers on schedule, prevent border delays with accurate customs documentation.
By following AEO best practice and maintaining audit-ready records, you’ll reduce delays and give customers confidence in our service.
A typical day
Working pattern: Shift is 4 on 4 off.
Either Starting at 1400 or 1500 Monday to Thursday, 1100 or 1500 Friday and 0800 or 1500 Saturdays and Sundays.
Location: Hybrid (office and home working due to hours).
Front and centre, you’ll run the trailer plan for a key accounts team, coordinating standard and express departures, tracking milestones, and keeping customers updated to avoid border delays.
Alongside this, you’ll create and submit accurate Descartes/CDS entries and resolve queries to keep shipments on schedule. You’ll pull together accurate documentation (invoices, packing lists, origin statements/certificates, licences), work closely with brokers and carriers, confirm DDP duty/VAT where needed, and keep audit-ready records while operating to AEO best practice.
Key duties
- Be the first point of contact for customs queries/customer services issues during your out-of-hours shift, coordinating compliant movements across Air, Sea and Road (UK & European).
- Create and submit import/export entries in Descartes/CDS, monitor acceptances/queries/errors, and resolve issues promptly to keep shipments on schedule.
- Coordinate standard and express road movements (and other modes), maintaining clear, timely customer communication to prevent border delays.
- Compile and check documentation (invoices, packing lists, statements/certificates of origin, licences); fix discrepancies fast and share with brokers, carriers and suppliers.
- Manage DDP activity by confirming import clearances and duty/VAT payments.
Submit import/export documentation to HMRC on time and keep audit-ready records. - Ensure compliance with classification, valuation and origin rules, and applicable tariffs, duties and taxes.
- Liaise with customs authorities and brokers/agents to secure timely clearance.
- Handle T1/T2 transit and ATA Carnets where applicable; escalate risks promptly.
- Operate to AEO requirements (procedures, controls, records, training).
- Keep concise records, track key shift KPIs, and complete a clean handover to the day team.
Is this role for you?
- Solid knowledge of UK customs processes, ideally multimodal: Air/Sea/Road.
- Hands-on experience with Descartes / CDS / Destin8
- Familiarity with imports/exports, ATA Carnets, and T1 (CTC) transit (advantageous).
- Flexible on hours: Shift is 4 on 4 off. Either 1400 – 23:45- or 1500 – 00:45 Monday to Thursday, 1100 – 20:45 or 1500 – 00:45 Friday and 0800 – 17:45 or 1500 – 0045 Saturdays and Sundays.
- Accuracy under pressure, strong organisation, and confident decision-making out of hours.
- Clear communication with customers, partners, and colleagues at all levels.
- Proficiency in Outlook, Word, and Excel; comfortable juggling multiple tasks
What do we offer?
Besides being a great place to work with a lovely bunch of people (well, we think so anyway!), here is what we have to offer you:
- Competitive salary
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
- Contributory pension with up to 6% employer contribution
- Life Assurance equal to four times basic salary
- 8 weeks full-pay enhanced parental leave
- Office-based, 9-5pm, inclusive of an hour’s lunch
And that's not all...
Dental Plan
A company-funded dental plan to support your oral health
Gym allowance
£25 per month towards a regular gym or fitness membership
Travel allowance
Get rewarded for travelling more sustainably with a monthly contribution for sustainable commuting
Breakfast at Baxters
A free breakfast provided in the office every Friday for all employees
Community focused
One paid volunteering day each year, plus paid time off to donate blood and a charity top-up scheme
A Bit About Baxter
Founded in 2014, Baxter Freight specialises in delivering tailored freight solutions worldwide. By combining practical logistics expertise with specialist consultancy, we help our customers achieve their commercial objectives while meeting environmental responsibilities.
Collaboration sits at the heart of everything we do – whether with our customers, suppliers, or incredible team, enabling us to handle a diverse range of goods, from car manufacturing parts to large modular buildings. Thanks to our experience and strong reputation, we innovate quickly and effectively, staying ahead of industry demands.
We believe our success is driven by people. That’s why we hire exceptional talent and foster a vibrant, inclusive culture that values creativity, expertise, and a healthy work–life balance.
Meet your team
Curious about who you’ll be working with? Meet the team who take the jargon and complexities out of customs.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Baxter Freight is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a diverse and inclusive team where everyone can thrive. We hire based on skills, experience, and values alignment, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
We recruit, train, promote, and reward individuals regardless of race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, disability, or age. Our goal is to ensure that every team member feels respected, valued, and empowered to contribute to our shared success.
Inclusive Recruitment at Baxter Freight
At Baxter Freight, we hire for skills, values, attributes, experience, required qualifications and potential, not background. Our recruitment process is designed to be fair, consistent and inclusive.
Our job descriptions focus on the skills, attributes, experience and values needed for each role. Some roles may require a specific qualification or a 2:1 degree, while others consider equivalent experience.
We aim to anonymise direct applications in the early stages to help reduce unconscious bias. To support fair shortlisting, please remove personal details such as your name, photo, date of birth, full street address, university or school name and societies or affiliations. Please ensure you include your postcode so we can consider a reasonable commute and work life balance and include your email address or phone number so our Recruitment Team can contact you about your application.
If you need any support or adjustments during recruitment process, please contact: careers@baxterfreight.com.
