Bond and Excise Compliance Manager

Bond and Excise Compliance Manager (Wines and Spirits)

South Hampshire. 52000 to 58000 DOE plus benefits. Monday to Friday, site-based.
Commutable from Southampton, Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Waterlooville, Eastleigh, Hedge End, Whiteley, Winchester, Chichester, Petersfield, Romsey and the Isle of Wight.

Compliance that the whole business relies on

There are bonded warehouses where compliance is a box to tick, and there are bonded warehouses where it is the foundation of the entire business. This is the second kind. Our client is an established, independently owned drinks supply business in South Hampshire, supplying cruise lines, airlines and international travel retail customers. Its HMRC-approved excise warehouse holds duty-suspended wines, spirits and other alcohol for the company, its wider group and a growing roster of third-party brands. The business can only trade while that approval is in place, so they are looking for a Bond and Excise Compliance Manager who will own excise compliance completely and who will be trusted by HMRC, colleagues and customers alike.

The role

You will be the compliance authority for the bond. You will hold the relationship with HMRC, including visits, audits and assurance reviews, and you will inherit a strong audit record that you will be expected to protect. You will make sure duty-suspended stock records are accurate and reconciled by owner and product, that alcohol duty is calculated correctly, that returns, duty payments and EMCS movements are right and on time, and that every cruise, airline, export and group order is released compliantly at the pace the business needs. In summer that pace is considerable, with ships turning round in Southampton every weekend and stock moving every few days. Winter is quieter, and it is when you will refine procedures, train your team and help connect the bonded system to a new group ERP platform.

The role reaches well beyond the warehouse floor. You will onboard new third-party bonded customers, set up their documentation and service terms, and then own those relationships, with clear KPIs and regular reviews. Many of these customers are brand owners who know their products far better than they know excise, so you will guide them through exports, import requirements and Incoterms in a way that is clear, commercial and helpful. You will also oversee a direct to consumer pick operation run from the bond, and you will lead and develop a team of two.

Essential experience

Because the postholder is responsible for the bond's HMRC approval from the first day, the following experience is essential. Please make sure your CV shows clearly where and how you gained it.

Experience working in an HMRC-approved excise (bonded) warehouse in the UK that holds duty-suspended wines and spirits. Experience of customs warehousing of non-excise goods, or of duty-paid alcohol only, does not meet this requirement.
Personal responsibility for duty-suspended stock records and reconciliation, including investigating and reporting losses and discrepancies.
Hands-on experience of EMCS movements and of excise returns and alcohol duty payments.
Working knowledge of Excise Notice 197 and warehousekeeper obligations.
A clear understanding of how alcohol duty is calculated on wines and spirits by strength under the rules introduced in August 2023.
Experience of HMRC visits, audits or assurance reviews.
Confidence in explaining excise and export requirements to colleagues and customers.

Desirable experience

Experience of releasing goods for ships' stores, aircraft supply, export or diplomatic supply, including C426; experience of the Duty Stamps Scheme for spirits; experience of third-party bonded customers; knowledge of Vision or a similar bonded system; experience of leading a small team; and a customs, excise or logistics qualification.

Who we would like to hear from

You may not currently hold this title. We would like to hear from Bonded Warehouse Managers, Bond Managers, Bond Supervisors, Excise or Customs Compliance Managers, Duty Managers, Bonded Stock Controllers, Inventory Managers in bonded sites, and Warehouse or Operations Managers whose site is an HMRC-approved excise warehouse holding wines and spirits. That experience may have been gained with a bonded warehouse operator, a wine or spirits importer, merchant, wholesaler or producer, a travel retail, cruise, ship or airline supplier, or a logistics provider running a wine and spirits bond.

You do not compromise on compliance, yet you understand that a ship will not wait, so you build controls that make compliant work fast work. You are as comfortable with a customer as with an auditor, you work with people rather than around them, and you are hands-on when the operation needs it.

What is on offer

The salary is 52000 to 58000 DOE, with a benefits package and a Monday to Friday working week with no weekend working. You will join a business that values doing things properly, with direct access to senior leadership and a growing third-party customer base that gives you room to shape the service. The role is based on site in South Hampshire, between Southampton and Portsmouth. Candidates prepared to relocate will also be considered.

Requirements for this role

Applicants must already have the right to work in the United Kingdom, as our client is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position. The successful candidate will be asked to complete pre-employment checks, including references and a basic criminal record check. We welcome applications from everyone who meets these requirements.

Next steps

This assignment is being handled in confidence by Martin Veasey Talent Solutions. To apply, please send your CV with a short note on your wines and spirits bonded warehouse experience and your HMRC responsibilities.