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About the Role

This role serves as the Partnership’s authoritative expert and principal point of contact for HMRC, leading strategic and operational trade compliance for John Lewis and Waitrose Brands. You will drive import/export controls, AEO governance, manage complex Excise duty regimes, and oversee significant duty deferment accounts. Acting as a trusted advisor, you will ensure commercial importing and sourcing strategies are legally compliant, duty-efficient, and optimized to protect margins and cash flow while safeguarding stock availability. You will also lead the evolution of the Customs & Excise function, designing future-fit processes, embedding scalable technologies, and aligning controls with best practices. As a people leader, you will empower and develop your team to create a high-performing compliance capability.

Responsibilities

Responsible for all Customs activities including CFSP customs entries, classification, valuation, evidencing controls and governance processes to meet AEO standards.
Maintain up-to-date documentation of activities touching the international supply chain across John Lewis and Waitrose.
Ensure relevant product codes are linked to a commodity code for JL (import, intrastat, International Wholesale and International Online) and Waitrose (non-food imports and intrastat), meeting appropriate availability targets.
Ensure all CFSP entries are submitted and the month-end is closed off in accordance with HMRC timelines.
Manage and report on Assists calculations, including collating annual statements and calculating monthly RFID, GIL label duty & VAT liabilities.
Set up new systems and processes to make operations fit for the future.
Ensure all Customs activities for Waitrose, including the correct treatment of BWS and food and non-food imports.
Ensure all Excise movements are correctly recorded and declared to HMRC for Waitrose.
Oversee and control the Waitrose Customs & Excise deferment accounts and release payments to HMRC.
Obtain and maintain all necessary authorisations for John Lewis & Waitrose (AEO, Excise Warehouse, CFSP, PVA).
Act as a main point of contact for HMRC for any Customs and Excise-related queries.
Advise on strategic business decisions to improve margin and cash flow for the Partnership (implementation of new FTAs, mass excise duty payments).

Requirements

Substantial, hands-on experience managing complex end-to-end import, export, and excise compliance within high-volume retail or FMCG environments.
Detailed technical knowledge of UK Customs tariffs, CFSP, AEO governance, duty deferment systems, Free Trade Agreements, Rules of Origin, and Excise regulations (specifically 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, hands-on experience managing UK Excise Duty regulations and operational compliance within retail, FMCG, or logistics, with specific emphasis on Beers, Wines, and Spirits (BWS).
Strong financial and analytical capability with a proven track record of leveraging trade data to drive duty savings, optimise cash flow, and inform commercial/sourcing strategies.
Proven track record of managing and reporting on large-scale Duty Deferment Accounts.
Outstanding communication and negotiation skills, with a track record of acting as the principal contact for HMRC and external regulatory bodies.
Proven ability to translate complex legislative updates into actionable business advice for senior decision-makers.
Direct experience obtaining, maintaining, and auditing HMRC Excise authorisations (e.g., Excise Warehouse, Registered Consignee/Consignor status).

Skills

Customs Compliance
International Trade
UK Customs tariffs
CFSP
AEO governance
Duty deferment systems
Free Trade Agreements
Rules of Origin
Excise regulations
Beers, Wines, and Spirits (BWS)
Food/non-food imports
EMCS (Excise Movement and Control System)
Financial analysis
Trade data analysis
HMRC communication
Regulatory advice
Excise Warehouse authorisations
Registered Consignee/Consignor status
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) controls
IPAFFS
Defra guidelines
Border Control Post (BCP) processes
Customs Declaration Service (CDS)
Excise management software (DMS)
ERP/WMS integrations

Location

London Head Office campus in Pimlico
Occasional travel to Bracknell Head Office may be required
UK

Work Type

Hybrid working
3 days a week in the office
Permanent Role
Full-time

Experience Level

Up to 100K depending on experience
Partnership Level 5

Education Level

Professional qualification in Customs Compliance or International Trade (e.g., UK Customs Academy Level 4/5, Institute of Export & International Trade, or equivalent) - Desirable

Salary/Compensations

£68,800.00 - £122,000.00

Benefits

Flexible working

About the Company

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose.
We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world.
We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail.
We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify.
As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards.
We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.
We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong.
Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE.
Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.
As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Equal Opportunity

Some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates).
Financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.
We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working.