International Shipping Specialist

Alliance Personnel are seeking a detail-oriented and organised International shipping and Customs Specialist to join one of our clients based in Birmingham.

Duties:

• Own global outbound logistics: Plan and execute daily shipments (parcel, pallet, LTL/FTL, air, courier). Balance speed, cost, and reliability across lanes and service levels.
• Carrier strategy & rate management: Build and manage a panel of carriers/forwarders (e.g., DHL, FedEx, UPS, DPD, Royal Mail, freight forwarders). Run RFPs, negotiate contracts/SLAs, implement lane guides, and conduct QBRs.
• Trade compliance leadership:
• Classify products with correct HS codes; maintain the master data and justification notes.
• Apply Incoterms® 2020 correctly (e.g., DDP/DDU/DAP/FCA) per customer/channel.
• Calculate and validate duties, taxes, and tariffs; manage IOSS for EU D2C, de minimis thresholds, and duty relief/drawback where eligible.
• Ensure accurate country of origin and preferential origin proofs (e.g., EUR.1, statements on origin) where applicable.
• Oversee EORI registrations and broker powers of attorney.
• Regulatory documentation & filing: Prepare, verify, and archive all export/import documents: commercial invoices, packing lists, commodity codes, COO, MSDS/SDS, CoAs, shipping labels, and prior notices (e.g., US FDA Prior Notice for foods/supplements). Manage customs broker instructions and queries.
• D2C shipping excellence: Optimize pick-pack-ship SLAs, label generation, tracking communications, and returns flows. Reduce “where is my order” (WISMO) tickets via proactive exception handling.
• Partner & collaborator liaison: Act as primary contact for global partners/customers on shipping, delivery windows, compliance needs, and route-to-market requirements.
• Systems, data & automation: Own TMS/label platforms – ShipStation integrations with WMS/Shopify/ERP. Build dashboards for cost per shipment, on-time, damage/loss, and customs hold rates.
• Risk & quality control: Minimize damages, temperature/handling risks (where applicable), OTIF misses, and customs delays through packaging specs, carrier SOPs, and pre-clearance workflows. Manage cargo insurance and claims.
• Process & continuous improvement: Write SOPs, train teams, run root-cause analyses, and deliver measurable savings and SLA gains.
• Budgeting & forecasting: Own freight budget, accruals, and variance analysis. Forecast capacity for peak events, new product launches, and major partner orders.

What you’ll bring

• 5+ years in international shipping/logistics with hands-on trade compliance ownership.
• Expert knowledge of HS classification, Incoterms® 2020, duty/VAT frameworks, IOSS, de minimis, country of origin, and customs procedures (UK/EU/US at minimum).
• Proven track record running carrier RFPs, building a carrier panel, and negotiating material savings.
• Strong documentation: commercial invoices, packing lists, COO/origin statements, licenses/certificates, FDA Prior Notice (or equivalent food/supplement filings), and broker instructions.
• Proficiency with shipping/TMS tools and ecommerce/WMS stacks (e.g., Shopify, Metapack, ShipStation, Easyship, Linnworks, Descartes, or similar). Solid Excel/Google Sheets skills for analysis.
• Calm, collaborative communicator—great with partners, carriers, and internal teams (Ops, Quality, Supply Chain, CS).
• Nice-to-have: CILT/IoE&IT, IATA/FIATA, or customs compliance certification; experience with UK CDS entries and ICS2 readiness.

Working hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm, office based

PERM