Industrious Recruitment is seeking a highly skilled and action-oriented Logistics Co-Ordinator with proven expertise in international freight operations, customs compliance, and export documentation. This role has full ownership of end-to-end logistics execution across road, sea, and air freight, ensuring compliant, cost-effective, and on-time delivery across UK, European, Far East, and Middle East markets.

The successful candidate must demonstrate advanced, hands-on mastery of International Commercial Trade Terms (Incoterms), with proven ability to apply, challenge, and optimise Freight Prepaid and Freight Collect structures across international shipments. This role requires commercial confidence to challenge freight pricing between sellers, buyers, and forwarders, alongside practical experience creating commercial invoices, managing Chamber of Commerce portals, calculating customs duties, and executing shipments through freight forwarder platforms.

This position plays a critical role in protecting the companys global supply chain integrity, financial accuracy, and customer satisfaction.

Main Responsibilities

Transport, Freight & Distribution Operations

Plan, execute, and control international shipments across road, sea, and air freight, managing volumes across domestic, European, and global routes.

Create, validate, and issue commercial invoices independently, ensuring full accuracy of:

Commodity codes (HS codes)

Country of Origin (COO)

Customs values

Incoterms (EXW focus)

Currency, freight, and insurance elements

Own the end-to-end export declaration process, covering all required customs export declarations, with full responsibility for data accuracy, regulatory compliance, and proactive resolution of any customs clearance issues..

Navigate and operate Chambers of Commerce portals, including:

Certificate of Origin (COO) application

Document legalization

Amendments and tracking

Liaise daily with freight forwarders (e.g. UPS, DHL, and other carrier portals) to:

Book shipments

Compare rates

Negotiate improved commercial terms

Optimise cost vs. transit time

Ensure Incoterms are applied correctly, with a strong operational knowledge.

Customs Compliance, Duties & Regulatory Control

Calculate and verify customs duties and charges, including:

Customs Duty

Excise Duty (where applicable)

VAT thresholds

Additional customs fees and surcharges

Ensure commodity codes are correctly assigned and validated, reducing risk of penalties, delays, or audits.

Maintain accurate Country of Origin declarations for all imports and exports, ensuring full compliance with customs authorities.

Monitor and apply international trade regulations, Incoterms, and customs legislation across all shipping lanes.

Act as the first point of escalation for customs queries, audits, holds, or discrepancies.

Manage post-Brexit UK-EU customs procedures, including import and export declarations, duty and VAT treatment, and border documentation.

Ensure compliance with post-Brexit regulatory requirements, including EORI (UK and EU), Incoterms application, and customs valuation rules.

Dangerous Goods & Special Shipments

Coordinate dangerous goods shipments, including lithium-ion batteries and regulated items, ensuring:

Correct classification

MSDS documentation

Carrier acceptance

Compliance with IATA, IMDG, and ADR regulations

Work proactively with forwarders to mitigate risks, delays, or noncompliance

Reverse Logistics

Manage and control returned goods processing, ensuring:

Correct classification

Customs reimport documentation (where applicable)

Inventory reconciliation

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with Production Planning to align shipment schedules with manufacturing output.

Communicate transparently with Sales, Purchasing, Finance, and Customer Service on:

Freight costs

Delivery timelines

Customs implications

Review Purchase Orders and freight invoices, validating transport charges and resolving discrepancies.

Traceability, KPIs & Continuous Improvement

Ensure full shipment traceability from order creation to final delivery.

Maintain and report on logistics KPIs, including:

Ontime delivery performance

Freight cost efficiency

Documentation accuracy

Proof of Export (POE) and Proof of Delivery (POD) acquisition

Actively manage and challenge external logistics suppliers, including third-party delivery companies and air freight providers, to negotiate improved commercial terms, reduce transport costs, and identify more competitive freight forwarding solutions.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

On-Time Delivery Rate (%)

Export & Import Freight Cost Variance

Accuracy & Timeliness of Shipping Documentation

Customs Compliance & Audit Readiness

Internal & External Customer Satisfaction Scores

Qualifications & Experience

Minimum 5 GCSEs (Grade C or above) including English and Mathematics (or equivalent).

Proven, hands-on experience in logistics, international shipping, or supply chain coordination.

Demonstrated experience exporting to Far East and Middle East markets