Job Title: Senior Customs Duty Refund Specialist
Location: United Arab Emirates (Remote)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Arrangement: 100% Remote — Work From Home
Level: Senior
About the RoleWe are seeking an experienced Senior Customs Duty Refund Specialist to manage and coordinate customs duty refund assessments, reconciliation activities, documentation reviews, and refund claim preparation. This role focuses on identifying eligible duty recovery opportunities, verifying customs payment records, reviewing import and export documentation, and ensuring refund claims are supported by accurate evidence and comply with applicable customs regulations. Working remotely, the successful candidate will collaborate with finance, procurement, logistics, tax, customs brokers, and trade compliance teams to improve duty recovery, resolve discrepancies, and strengthen customs refund controls.
Key Responsibilities
- * Review customs duty payments and identify potential refund, drawback, rebate, and duty recovery opportunities.
- Assess eligibility for customs duty refunds based on applicable customs legislation, trade agreements, and refund schemes.
- Analyze import declarations, customs payment receipts, commercial invoices, packing lists, and supporting shipment records.
- Reconcile customs duty payments against import transactions, purchase records, and financial accounting entries.
- Review product classifications, customs valuation details, country-of-origin information, and applicable tariff rates.
- Identify overpaid duties, duplicate payments, incorrect tariff applications, and other recoverable customs charges.
- Assess duty refund eligibility arising from returned goods, re-exported merchandise, incorrect declarations, preferential tariff adjustments, or other qualifying circumstances.
- Coordinate the preparation of customs duty refund applications and supporting documentation.
- Verify the accuracy and completeness of refund calculations, transaction references, and supporting evidence.
- Review customs broker statements, import records, duty assessments, and payment confirmations to validate refund amounts.
- Coordinate with suppliers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and internal departments to obtain missing information.
- Monitor refund application status, submission deadlines, review periods, and outstanding authority requests.
- Respond to documentation queries and coordinate additional evidence required for refund assessments.
- Maintain detailed refund registers, claim trackers, reconciliation records, and supporting documentation.
- Investigate rejected, delayed, partially approved, or disputed refund claims and recommend corrective actions.
- Prepare customs duty recovery reports, financial summaries, aging analyses, and management dashboards.
- Collaborate with finance teams to ensure approved refunds are accurately recorded and reconciled.
- Identify recurring customs payment errors and recommend improvements to classification, valuation, and declaration controls.
- Monitor changes in customs refund procedures, duty drawback schemes, tariff regulations, and relevant trade arrangements.
- Support internal audits, customs reviews, and external examinations involving duty payments and refund claims.
- Develop standardized refund calculation templates, validation checklists, and documentation procedures.
- Provide remote guidance to procurement, logistics, and finance teams on customs duty recovery requirements and supporting records.
Qualifications and Experience
- * Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, International Trade, Customs Compliance, Supply Chain Management, or a related discipline.
- Significant experience in customs duty refunds, duty drawback, customs reconciliation, trade compliance, or international logistics finance.
- Demonstrated experience reviewing customs declarations, duty payments, refund applications, and supporting documentation.
- Strong understanding of customs duty structures, tariff classifications, customs valuation, and import procedures.
- Knowledge of customs refund schemes, duty drawback mechanisms, re-export procedures, and applicable recovery conditions.
- Experience reconciling customs payment records with shipment documentation and financial accounting data.
- Ability to identify overpayments, incorrect duty assessments, duplicate charges, and refund eligibility opportunities.
- Familiarity with customs regulations, preferential tariff arrangements, and international trade documentation.
- Experience coordinating with customs brokers, freight forwarders, finance departments, and regulatory stakeholders.
- Strong numerical, analytical, and reconciliation skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including advanced formulas, pivot tables, and financial reconciliation techniques.
- Familiarity with ERP systems, customs management platforms, and digital document repositories.
- Ability to prepare accurate refund calculations, compliance reports, and management summaries.
- Excellent written communication and stakeholder coordination skills.
- High attention to detail, integrity, and confidentiality when handling financial and customs records.
- Ability to manage multiple refund claims, supporting documents, and regulatory deadlines.
- Professional certifications in customs compliance, accounting, taxation, or international trade are advantageous.
- Experience supporting customs audits, duty recovery reviews, or regulatory refund examinations is desirable.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fully remote environment.
What We Offer
- * A 100% remote, work-from-home position based in the United Arab Emirates.
- Competitive compensation aligned with experience and professional expertise.
- Opportunities to support customs duty optimization and international trade compliance.
- Collaboration with finance, procurement, logistics, and customs professionals.
- Professional development and opportunities to strengthen expertise in duty recovery and customs financial controls.
How to ApplyInterested candidates should submit an updated CV highlighting their experience in customs duty refunds, duty drawback, customs reconciliation, import documentation, and trade compliance.
Application Subject: Application – Senior Customs Duty Refund Specialist (UAE Remote)
- Candidates should confirm applicable employment arrangements, residency requirements, and work authorization before accepting an offer. Formal customs refund applications, duty drawback claims, customs declarations, and representations before government authorities must be submitted or handled by appropriately authorized individuals or licensed customs representatives where required. This position focuses on remote eligibility assessment, refund calculations, documentary verification, reconciliation, compliance monitoring, and claim coordination.
