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Logistics Co-ordinator - TSS & Customs

Location: Belfast
Salary: £30,000-£35,000 per annum
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Ashton Recruitment is recruiting on behalf of our client for an experienced Logistics Co-ordinator with hands-on Trader Support Service (TSS) experience to join their operations team.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a strong background in transport, logistics and customs who has personally used TSS as part of their day-to-day role.

The successful candidate will coordinate third-party transport, manage inbound deliveries and support the smooth and cost-effective movement of goods. A key part of the position is managing customs requirements, so practical experience using TSS and working with HMRC customs processes is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage Trader Support Service (TSS) requirements relating to the movement of goods

• Complete and maintain customs documentation through relevant HMRC systems

• Prepare, record and monitor bonded goods movements

• Maintain accurate customs records and documentation for audit and compliance purposes

• Liaise with customs agents, freight forwarders and relevant agencies to resolve customs queries

• Plan and coordinate third-party transport for collections and deliveries

• Ensure goods are collected and delivered within agreed operational deadlines

• Book third-party hauliers and manage collections and delivery schedules

• Source competitive transport rates and negotiate with haulage providers

• Compare transport providers based on cost, availability and service

• Build and maintain strong relationships with transport and logistics partners

• Monitor transport performance and resolve delays, failed collections or delivery issues

• Manage the inbound goods booking diary and coordinate warehouse delivery slots

• Maintain accurate transport costs, records and supporting documentation

• Arrange CHEP pallet movements and maintain relevant pallet records

• Produce transport and performance reports

• Identify opportunities to improve transport efficiency and reduce costs

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Hands-on experience using the Trader Support Service (TSS)

• Experience completing or supporting customs requirements for the movement of goods

• Working knowledge of HMRC customs processes

• Previous experience within logistics, transport planning, freight or supply chain

• Experience coordinating third-party hauliers

• Experience arranging collections and deliveries

• Strong understanding of transport operations

• Strong organisational and planning skills

• Excellent attention to detail, particularly when dealing with customs documentation

• Commercial awareness with the ability to compare transport rates and manage costs

• Strong communication and relationship-management skills

• Ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced environment

• Competent using Microsoft Office, particularly Excel

Desirable

• Experience with bonded goods or bonded movements

• Experience using additional customs software or HMRC online systems

• Knowledge of import and export procedures

• Grocery, FMCG or food distribution experience

• Experience with warehouse booking systems

• CHEP or pallet-management experience

The Ideal Candidate

You'll be a highly organised and proactive logistics professional who understands both the transport and customs sides of moving goods.

Most importantly, you'll already have practical experience using TSS and be comfortable working with customs documentation and HMRC requirements.

You'll be confident coordinating third-party hauliers, managing changing delivery requirements, comparing transport costs and resolving problems quickly to keep goods moving efficiently.

If you have hands-on TSS experience alongside a background in transport, freight or logistics, we'd particularly like to hear from you.

Ashton Recruitment is acting as a Recruitment Agency.

Ashton Recruitment is recruiting on behalf of our client for an experienced Director of Insurance Operations - Life & Pensions to provide strategic and operational leadership across a large-scale regulated financial services operation.

Director of Insurance Operations - Life & Pensions

Location: Romford, Essex
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Reporting to the COO, the successful candidate will be accountable for the effective, compliant and customer-focused delivery of Life & Pensions operations across onshore and offshore locations.

This is a senior leadership position with responsibility spanning customer servicing, policy administration, claims, complaints, client relationships, operational governance, commercial performance, transformation and business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across end-to-end Life & Pensions operations
• Lead large operational teams across multiple locations
• Oversee customer servicing, policy administration, claims, annuities, maturities, transfers, bereavement services and complaints
• Ensure contractual SLAs, quality standards, productivity targets and customer experience objectives are achieved
• Monitor operational performance, capacity, workload distribution and service quality
• Drive continuous improvement and operational efficiency
• Lead annual and long-term transformation and improvement programmes
• Maintain strong operational governance and control frameworks
• Ensure regulatory requirements are embedded throughout operational processes
• Oversee operational incidents, breaches, customer detriment and regulatory reporting
• Maintain effective audit trails and evidence of operational controls

Regulatory & Customer Outcomes

• Ensure compliance with FCA, PRA, Consumer Duty, DISP, GDPR, Operational Resilience and SM&CR requirements
• Champion fair and positive customer outcomes across the operation
• Ensure appropriate support is provided to vulnerable customers
• Monitor service failures, customer harm indicators and operational risks
• Ensure customer communications are fair, clear and not misleading
• Provide executive oversight of complaint handling operations
• Monitor complaint volumes, root causes, uphold rates and remediation activity
• Ensure complaints are handled in line with FCA DISP requirements and Financial Ombudsman Service expectations
• Lead corrective actions arising from complaint trends and customer insight

Client & Commercial Leadership

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key clients
• Act as the senior operational representative at client governance and business review meetings
• Identify opportunities to expand services and strengthen client relationships
• Support revenue growth through new solutions and service development
• Deliver against agreed client satisfaction, retention and growth objectives
• Take accountability for revenue, profitability and margin performance
• Develop operational forecasts and business plans
• Lead cost optimisation programmes while protecting service quality
• Support commercial negotiations and new business opportunities
• Monitor account profitability and implement corrective action where required

Operational Risk & Resilience

• Act as first-line owner for operational risks within the business area
• Ensure risks are identified, assessed, controlled and escalated appropriately
• Maintain effective controls covering customer protection, regulatory compliance and data security
• Lead responses to audits, risk reviews and regulatory assessments
• Ensure control weaknesses and risk actions are resolved promptly
• Maintain robust business continuity and operational resilience arrangements
• Lead responses to significant incidents, technology failures and supplier disruption
• Ensure lessons learned from operational incidents are implemented
• Maintain oversight of outsourced providers, suppliers and third-party operational partners

People Leadership

• Lead and develop large operational teams across multiple locations
• Create a high-performance culture focused on accountability, integrity and customer outcomes
• Drive succession planning and leadership development
• Oversee workforce and capacity planning
• Build employee engagement and organisational capability
• Ensure appropriate training and competency standards are maintained
• Develop and mentor senior operational leaders

Transformation & Change

• Sponsor and lead major operational transformation programmes
• Drive digital transformation, automation and process optimisation
• Ensure operational changes are appropriately governed and risk assessed
• Ensure transformation delivers measurable customer, commercial and operational benefits
• Lead remediation programmes arising from regulatory, audit or operational findings

Management Information & Executive Reporting

• Deliver comprehensive MI covering operational performance, complaints, customer outcomes, financial performance, risk and transformation
• Present performance updates to executive leadership, clients and governance forums
• Use data and insight to identify risks, trends and improvement opportunities
• Produce accurate weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual performance reporting

Essential Criteria

• Degree or equivalent professional qualification
• Minimum 15 years' experience within Insurance, Financial Services or another regulated operational environment
• Significant senior leadership experience within Life & Pensions operations
• Experience managing large-scale operational teams
• Strong understanding of FCA regulation and Consumer Duty
• Good knowledge of DISP, operational resilience, GDPR and operational risk
• Proven experience leading major transformation and operational improvement programmes
• Strong commercial and financial management experience
• Proven track record managing senior client relationships
• Experience delivering commercial growth and improving account profitability
• Strong governance, risk and stakeholder management experience
• Strong people leadership capability
• Experience presenting at executive and client governance level

Desirable

• Experience within a BPO, outsourced financial services or third-party administration environment
• Professional qualification in insurance, operations, risk management or business leadership
• Experience leading combined onshore and offshore operations
• Previous responsibility for approximately 300 direct and indirect employees
• Experience working across multiple Life & Pensions clients
• Experience supporting new business bids and commercial negotiations

The Ideal Candidate

You will be a senior operations leader with extensive experience within Life & Pensions, insurance operations or outsourced financial services.

You will be comfortable operating at executive level while retaining responsibility for operational performance, regulatory compliance, customer outcomes and commercial delivery.

The role would particularly suit candidates currently working as an Operations Director, Director of Operations, Head of Insurance Operations, Head of Life & Pensions Operations, Customer Operations Director or BPO Operations Director.

You will need a proven track record of leading large teams, managing senior client relationships, delivering transformation and maintaining strong operational performance within a highly regulated environment.

If you have significant senior leadership experience within UK Life & Pensions operations and are looking for a high-impact operational leadership opportunity, we would be keen to hear from you.

If interested, apply directly or contact Michael on 028 9043 6543.

Ashton Recruitment is acting as a Recruitment Agency.