Hours: Full-time 37 hours | Permanent
Draken believes in fair reward and recognition for our employees. As such, we offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package including up to 12% matching pension contributions, bonus incentives, discounted PMI, electric car scheme, tech vouchers, wellbeing programmes and much more.
The Role
At Draken, we deliver mission-critical aviation services to military and government customers worldwide. Operating in a highly regulated defence and aerospace environment, the effective and compliant movement of goods across international borders is essential to sustaining operational readiness.
We are seeking an experienced Transport, Shipping & Customs professional to support and coordinate transport, freight forwarding, and customs activities. This role focuses on the day-to-day execution and optimisation of international logistics operations, including customs compliance, shipment coordination, and import/export documentation.
You will play a key role in removing supply chain constraints, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting continuous improvement across our logistics operations. In addition, you will provide operational support to ongoing logistics contracts and projects, working alongside the Procurement team where required to ensure services continue to meet operational needs.
Key Responsibilities
This is a hands-on, operational role where you’ll lead and optimise our international logistics activities day-to-day. You’ll play a key role in keeping our supply chain moving and resolving issues quickly when challenges arise.
You’ll be responsible for:
- Managing and improving relationships with freight forwarders and customs brokers
- Overseeing customs activity, including UK CDS reporting, reconciliations, and query resolution
- Supporting export documentation (commercial invoices, packing lists) in line with export control requirements
- Coordinating import clearance instructions to ensure timely, compliant delivery of goods
- Acting as the escalation point for shipment delays or customs holds — identifying root causes and resolving issues quickly
- Working closely with internal teams (engineering, procurement, finance) and external partners to keep everything aligned
- Managing risk and cost across transport and customs activities
- Driving continuous improvements in processes, reporting, and automation
Experience / skills / qualifications
We’re looking for someone who understands the complexity of international logistics and thrives in a fast-paced, regulated environment.
You’ll have:
- Experience in transport, shipping, or customs (typically 5+ years)
- Strong knowledge of UK and international customs processes, including CDS
- Experience managing freight forwarders and customs brokers
- A solid understanding of import/export compliance and trade regulations
- Experience working in a complex or regulated environment (aerospace/defence highly desirable)
- Strong problem-solving skills, particularly in resolving supply chain disruptions
- Confidence working with stakeholders across different functions
- Knowledge of Incoterms, rules of origin, and tools such as ATA Carnets
Why Join Draken Europe?
This role offers an opportunity to influence and strengthen critical logistics capabilities in a mission‑focused organization. At Draken, you’ll work at the centre of global defence operations, helping ensure that our people and platforms are supported wherever they are deployed.
Our employee values
Draken is committed to eliminating unlawful and unfair discrimination and we celebrate the differences that a diverse workforce brings. A range of perspective and talent supports our values and drives our success, with a mix of voices generating better discussions, business decisions and outcomes for all.
At all our sites internationally, every member of the Draken team is accountable to ensure that we are all treated fairly and with respect.
We are also an Armed Forces friendly organisation, and as part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, welcome applications from veterans and services spouses and partners who met the criteria in our job specifications.
In line with our Disability Confident Commitments, we provide reasonable adjustments to facilitate our interview process, please liaise with us if any reasonable adjustments are required.
