UK Trade and Customs Advisory Lead in Manchester

Leonid Group has been retained to hire a driven, strategic and market-facing leader to establish and grow our client’s Customs & Trade Advisory practice in the UK. This is not a conventional advisory role. It is a high-impact opportunity for an expert ready to shape the market, build visibility and drive meaningful business growth. The successful candidate will work closely with the Global Trade Advisory Lead and collaborate with the UK Business Development team to expand advisory services and strengthen market presence. This role is primarily outward-facing. A significant portion of time will be dedicated to engaging clients and prospects, building awareness, and promoting a differentiated trade management approach across the UK market.

Location: UK Remote

Responsibilities:

• Lead and grow the UK Trade Advisory practice, setting the strategic direction and growth roadmap.
• Execute the Group Advisory business development strategy within the UK market.
• Drive visibility and brand recognition of the Advisory practice, with a strong focus on digital presence (LinkedIn, webinars, thought leadership).
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and prospects, acting as a trusted advisor.
• Deliver high-quality consulting projects aligned with Group standards and strategic objectives.
• Ensure capability development and operational readiness to scale in line with Group Consulting standards and culture.
• Collaborate closely with the Global Trade Advisory Lead and UK Business Development team to convert opportunities into sustained growth.

What to Expect:

• A high-visibility leadership role with real market impact.
• Direct collaboration with the Global Trade Advisory Lead.
• A role heavily focused on business development and market expansion.
• Connection to an established international brand within the Group network.
• Competitive compensation with performance-based incentives.
• A flexible hybrid working environment.
• A collaborative culture valuing initiative, authenticity, and growth.
• The opportunity to be part of a supportive European team delivering high-quality customs services.

Qualifications:

• University degree (LLB required), preferably in Law, Economics, or International Trade.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Relevant industry qualifications in customs, trade, or international commerce is preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in UK customs and trade consulting.
• Proven client management and business development experience.
• Experience developing market visibility and recognition (including digital presence).
• Experience in logistics or supply chain environments is beneficial.

Knowledge:

• Strong understanding of UK and EU customs and trade compliance regulations.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) to support sales activity, reporting, and internal communication.

Skills:

• Strong communication and relationship-building capabilities.
• Excellent organisational and multitasking abilities.
• Proactive and confident, with the ability to take initiative and drive measurable results.
• Strong ownership mindset, consistently delivering against agreed targets.
• Commercially astute with the ability to identify and convert opportunities.

Mission:

• Be the full-service customs expert.
• Provide timely and accurate customs services through digital innovation.
• Deliver international customs support via local presence.
• Attract and engage the right people.
• Commit to the highest quality and compliance standards.
• Learn and improve continuously.

Leonid Group Corporate Governance is a talent advisory firm that specialises in the placement of Legal, Compliance, Risk, ESG and Sustainability and Audit professionals on an international scale across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. These are global disciplines with teams worldwide, and our network reflects this. We work with multinational corporations to help structure their departments with the best people, from the Global Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel to the Compliance Analyst and Trade Compliance Specialist.