Trade Finance Specialist - Middle East

GEA; Dubai; On-site; AED 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

GEA is seeking a Trade Finance Specialist to manage the company’s trade finance instruments across the Middle East. The role ensures secured payment terms, compliant documents, and smooth banking arrangements in collaboration with Sales, Legal, Order Management, and Logistics teams.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in trade finance, strong knowledge of LC/CAD/bank guarantees under ICC rules, and experience working with Middle East customers and banks. English is required; Arabic is a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in trade finance, treasury, or export/import finance.
• Hands-on experience with letters of credit, CAD, and bank guarantees under ICC rules (UCP 600, URDG 758, URC 522).

Responsibilities

• Negotiate LC terms and bank guarantees with customers.
• Review LC clauses and align with internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepare and submit LC and CAD documents to banks.
• Coordinate issuance of guarantees with banks and internal teams.
• Serve as point of contact for banking communications.
• Manage contracts and invoices for agents and distributors.

Skills

Negotiation

Attention to detail

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Timely decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance

CDCS certification

Tools

MS Excel

Bank portals

Trade platforms

Job description

Responsibilities / Tasks

The Trade Finance Specialist manages the company's trade finance instruments, including letters of credit (LC), cash against documents (CAD) and bank guarantees, across the Middle East region. The role protects the company's commercial and financial interests by making sure that payment terms are secured, documents are compliant and banking arrangements run smoothly. It works closely with Sales, Legal, Order Management, Logistics and external banking partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Negotiating the letters of credit & bank guarantees Terms with the customers
• Reviewing LC clauses & aligning with the internal as well as external stakeholders
• Preparation & submission of LC and CAD documents to the bank
• Coordinate the issuance of guarantees with banks & internal stakeholders.
• Point of contact for Banking Communication.
• Managing the contracts & invoices for company’s agents and distributors.

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely issuance and amendment of LCs and guarantees.
• Document submission accuracy, measured by the rate of bank discrepancies.
• Timely collection and realisation of payments under LC and CAD terms.
• Compliance with internal policies, bank requirements and audit standards.

Your Profile / Qualifications

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, International Trade, Business Administration or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in trade finance, treasury, or export/import finance.
• Hands-on experience with letters of credit, documentary collections (CAD) and bank guarantees under ICC rules (UCP 600, URDG 758, URC 522).
• Experience working with banks and with Middle East customers, agents and distributors is an advantage.
• Professional certification such as CDCS (Certified Documentary Credit Specialist) is an advantage.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong knowledge of trade finance instruments, international payment terms and Incoterms.
• Excellent attention to detail, with the ability to check LC clauses and documents accurately and spot discrepancies.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills, internally and externally.
• Good understanding of contracts, commercial terms and compliance requirements, including sanctions and KYC.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and in bank portals and trade platforms.
• Clear written and verbal communication in English; Arabic is an advantage.
• Ability to prioritise and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.