Excise and Customs Manager - Operations

Tesco UK • Shire Park, Kestral Way, Welwyn Garden City • Permanent • Apply by 01-May-2026

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join a high‑performing Excise & Customs team as a Manager, with responsibility for the day‑to‑day management of UK import and compliance operations. The role spans activity carried out by external service providers and Tesco teams based in the UK and Bengaluru.

As one of the subject matter experts within the Tesco Group, you'll play a critical role in ensuring our Excise and Customs duty processes remain efficient, accurate, and fully compliant. You'll act as a primary point of contact for live operational processes, including the movement of goods through the border environment, customs declarations to HMRC, Plastic Packaging Tax obligations, and the associated control frameworks.

Working closely with internal teams and external partners, you'll also help identify and deliver Excise & Customs facilitation measures that generate profit, cash, and working‑capital benefits for the business.

What is in it for you

We're all about the little helps. That's why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you - both in and out of work. Click Here to find out more!

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 years' service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
• Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing

You will be responsible for

• Managing UK excise and customs compliance processes, ensuring accurate and timely submission of declarations, returns, and data to HMRC
• Overseeing excise and customs duty payments, including control processes, duty adjustments, over/under‑payment claims, and refunds
• Owning reconciliations, due diligence checks, and financial controls across excise and customs duty accounting, partnering with the India‑based tax team to support cash and working‑capital forecasting
• Investigating declaration errors or control issues through root‑cause analysis and implementing corrective actions with stakeholders
• Managing customs procedures and authorisations (internal and third‑party), including maintenance of Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status
• Acting as the key point of contact for excise and customs queries across the business, working with internal teams, service providers, and HMRC, including audits and information requests
• Developing, maintaining, and continuously improving documented processes and operating models
• Providing technical guidance, oversight, and coaching to Excise & Customs Executives in the UK and India
• Owning Plastic Packaging Tax controls end‑to‑end, from data collection through to return preparation, submission, and payment

You will need

• Curiosity, drive, and a proactive approach to problem solving
• Extensive excise and customs operational knowledge
• Ability to interpret tax legislation and policy and translate it into clear, actionable operational processes
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including working with third‑party service providers
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with a sound understanding of accounting principles
• Proven experience managing excise and customs taxes in a large retail or complex operating environment, including declaration software and customs/excise deferment accounts

About us

You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award-winning mobile network. Truth is, we're all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone's welcome. That's why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need support with your application, click here for more information. And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.