Customs and Global Trade Associate

IBFD is the leading international provider of cross-border tax expertise. An independent, non-profit foundation, IBFD has a long-standing history in supporting and contributing to tax research and academic activities. IBFD utilizes a global network of tax experts to serve Fortune 500 companies, governments, universities, international consultancy firms and tax advisers. IBFD’s core business is research, publishing (online and print) and education in international taxation. All IBFD products are accessible through IBFD’s Tax Research Platform, the powerful online engine behind efficient tax information and research. Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Amsterdam, IBFD also has a local presence in important markets such as Asia and China and North America.

The IBFD Knowledge Centre is home to most of the tax specialists within IBFD. It is a publications and research department with staff engaged in updating and reviewing IBFD’s publications, conducting research in international tax and lecturing on various tax topics. The Knowledge Centre is comprised of several Knowledge Groups focused either on particular geographic regions or on specialist international tax topics. The research staff of the Knowledge Centre is drawn from all over the world, mainly having expertise in the tax systems of various countries, as well as specialization in key areas of taxation.

The fast-developing international trade environment, international sale, carriage and control of products, tariff barriers, major disruptions to international supply chains, emerging ESG requirements, significantly enhanced use of technology and digital processes, and the dynamic customs and border regulations overall present an exciting career opportunity. Currently, we have a challenging position for a:

Customs and Global Trade Associate

The VAT Knowledge Group is part of the IBFD Knowledge Centre. This group is responsible for covering tax developments on indirect taxation, mainly VAT and customs and excise duties, across the world in news reports, detailed country tax guides and case law collections from an international and European perspective.

The successful applicant will be engaged as an Associate and will have tax technical and editorial responsibility for the assigned portfolio of publications. In this role, the Associate will work closely with other team members, but also with managers and staff of the various Knowledge Groups within the IBFD Knowledge Centre, as well as other departments within IBFD.

Main responsibilities

• Reviewing and editing the customs publications of the VAT Knowledge Group;
• Writing news reports on customs and other trade and regulatory developments;
• Writing case law summaries related to national and European courts;
• Monitor international and European customs law;
• Assisting with other publications on an ad hoc basis;
• Relationship building and relationship management (for authors, correspondents and allied organizations);
• Providing occasional support to other departments of IBFD, e.g. the Tax Services department;
• Participating in comparative research on international import and export trade matters.

Requirements

• A university degree in law, accountancy or related area (an LLM or other postgraduate degree in international tax is an advantage);
• At least 3 years of customs and trade professionals experience in consulting or in industry;
• A desire to pursue a career in the field of customs and international global trade.

Skills

• Excellent editorial and writing skills;
• Affinity with tax technology solutions;
• Sharp eye for detail;
• Native (or equivalent) command of the English language (knowledge of other languages will be an advantage);
• Excellent communication skills;
• Independent person who likes to work in a team;
• Curiosity and eagerness to learn.

Salary & fringe benefits

We offer a full-time (37 hrs) position with a starting gross monthly salary, depending on background and relevant work experience, of between €4,000 and €4,500. This is completed by an attractive package of fringe benefits, including:

• 8% holiday pay;
• 20 holidays;
• Flexibility with 5.44% Personal Budget (individual choice to buy up to 13 days extra paid holiday per year or receive an end-of-year bonus);
• Premium free pension;
• Free office lunches from Monday to Thursday;
• The possibility to work abroad for a maximum of 3 months per year; and
• Attractive training and development opportunities

Do you have any questions on the content of the role? Please contact Anuschka Bakker, Manager VAT, Transfer Pricing & Specialist Knowledge Group, at a.bakker@ibfd.org

For questions on the recruitment procedure you can contact Nina Willemse, HR Advisor, at recruitment@ibfd.org