Customs Team leader (SSPS)

Customs Team Leader (SSPS)

Are you an experienced customs professional with deep knowledge of international trade compliance and UK customs regulations? Do you have the expertise to lead customs governance, optimise duty programmes, and ensure compliance across a global manufacturing and project-based environment? Partner with the Best At Baker Hughes, we are transforming the future of energy.

We are looking for an experienced Customs Team Leader to lead customs compliance, international trade governance, and regulatory strategy across our global operations. This is a highly visible leadership role where you will act as the business Subject Matter Expert for customs and international trade compliance, helping ensure the compliant movement of goods worldwide while supporting operational excellence, cost optimisation, and business continuity. Working closely with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, Engineering, Finance, Sustainability, Project Management, and external customs partners, you will drive customs strategy, manage regulatory relationships, and support critical business initiatives across multiple international markets.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead customs compliance activities covering imports, exports, temporary movements, project cargo, rental assets, and service operations.
• Act as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for customs and international trade compliance across the business.
• Develop, implement, and maintain customs policies, governance frameworks, internal controls, and compliance procedures.
• Manage customs authorisations, regulatory obligations, and relationships with HMRC and other relevant authorities.
• Oversee customs brokers and third-party logistics providers, monitoring service quality and compliance performance through key performance indicators.
• Ensure accurate customs declarations, tariff classifications, customs valuation methodologies, and rules of origin are correctly applied.
• Administer customs special procedures including Inward Processing Relief, Returned Goods Relief, Temporary Admission, Customs Warehousing, Transit Procedures, and other duty optimisation programmes.
• Support Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) compliance and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead CBAM compliance activities and collaborate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to meet reporting requirements.
• Manage quota utilisation, trade controls, licensing requirements, and compliance with sanctions and regulatory restrictions.
• Provide customs expertise for complex international projects, including oversized cargo, heavy lift movements, rental equipment, and temporary exports.
• Drive continuous improvement, customs optimisation, automation initiatives, and customs data quality improvements across the organisation.
• Demonstrate extensive customs and international trade expertise alongside the ability to influence stakeholders and lead compliance initiatives within a complex operational environment.

Required Experience

• Significant experience leading customs operations within manufacturing, energy, engineering, aerospace, defence, logistics, or project-based environments.
• Extensive knowledge of UK customs regulations, customs governance, and trade compliance requirements.
• Experience administering customs special procedures, including Inward Processing Relief (IPR), Returned Goods Relief (RGR), Temporary Admission, Customs Warehousing, and Transit Procedures.
• Experience managing HMRC audits, assurance visits, compliance reviews, disclosures, and customs authorisations.
• Excellent knowledge of tariff classification, customs valuation, rules of origin, and Free Trade Agreements.
• Understanding of CBAM requirements, tariff rate quotas, licensing requirements, and customs duty optimisation programmes.
• Experience supporting complex international logistics projects involving oversized cargo, heavy lift movements, chartered transport, rental equipment, and temporary imports and exports.
• Experience managing customs brokers, freight forwarders, and logistics service providers using performance and compliance metrics.
• Confident in stakeholder engagement, communication, analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Previous experience leading and developing customs or trade compliance teams.

Desired Qualifications

• Have a Degree in International Trade, Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or a related discipline.
• Institute of Export & International Trade qualification or equivalent.
• Hold a Customs Practitioner qualification or similar professional certification.
• Experience using Oracle, SAP, or other enterprise resource planning systems.
• Knowledge of export controls, sanctions compliance, and strategic trade management requirements.
• Experience working within a global manufacturing or project-focused organisation.

What We Offer

Work in a way that works for you. We recognise that everyone is different and that the way people want to work and deliver at their best varies. At Baker Hughes, we support flexible approaches where operationally appropriate and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Our people are at the heart of what we do. We value collaboration, integrity, innovation, and continuous improvement. We invest in our teams and provide opportunities to develop careers across a truly global organisation.

We prioritise rewarding those who embrace challenge, develop new skills, and contribute to making energy safer, cleaner, and more efficient.

About Baker Hughes

With over 250 years of experience in the energy industry, Baker Hughes is a leading provider of oilfield services, including drilling equipment, technology, and solutions. It operates in more than 120 countries, and is part of the Halliburton Group. Baker Hughes helps customers to develop and take advantage of new resources.

The Baker Hughes internal title for this role is: Logistics Team leader - Customs Operations At Baker Hughes, we are transforming the future of energy. With operations in over 120 countries, we are developing and deploying industry‑leading technologies and services to take energy forward. For more than a century, our inventions have revolutionised energy. Today, we are bringing our expertise to make oil and gas safer, cleaner, and more efficient. Our people are the trusted experts, relied on to solve customer challenges big and small. We invest in the health and well‑being of our workforce, train and reward talent, and develop leaders at all levels to bring out the best in each other. We believe in creating an environment of diversity and inclusion, without bias. We know we are better when all of our people are developed, engaged, and able to bring their whole authentic selves to work. We're makers, inventors, and leaders who aren't afraid of the tough challenges. We believe pushing boundaries will help to lead the way for a new energy future.