Middle office & Cost control Officer

Michael Page (Switzerland); Genf; Sur place; CHF 150 000 - 230 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Michael Page (Switzerland) is assisting an oil trading company in recruiting a Middle office & Cost control Officer. The role emphasizes trade capture, cost verification, reconciliation, and preparation of data for auditors.

Ideal candidates bring 10+ years in trade support or finance operations, strong ETRM experience, and deep knowledge of physical oil trade documents and related accounting flows.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in trade support, middle office, or finance operations within an oil trading company.
• Hands-on experience with ETRM systems.
• Familiar with physical oil trade documentation: bills of lading, charter parties, letters of credit.
• Good accounting understanding linking trade costs to journal entries, P&L and balance sheet.

Responsabilités

• Record all confirmed trades in the trading system accurately and on time.
• Collect and verify all trade-related invoices; ensure correct cost allocation.
• Reconcile trades, inventories, and costs between systems and internal records.
• Prepare data for external accounting firm and maintain an audit trail.
• Support audits and identify control weaknesses.

Connaissances

Attention to detail

Communication

Trade lifecycle knowledge

Excel skills

Outils

ETRM systems

ERP software

Description du poste

• Trade and Corporate accounting
• Trading House - Oil

About Our Client

For our client, an oil trading company, we are currently looking for :

Middle office & Cost control Officer

Job Description

Trade Capture & Verification

• Record all confirmed trades (physical cargoes, paper/derivative positions) into the trading system (ETRM) accurately and on time
• Match trade tickets against broker confirmations, contracts, and counterparty confirmations
• Flag and resolve discrepancies between the front office (traders) and the deal entered in the system

Expense & Cost Control

• Collect and verify all trade-related invoices: freight, demurrage, port charges, storage, inspection, insurance, financing/interest costs
• Check invoices against contractual terms (charter party, storage agreement, letters of credit) before approval
• Ensure costs are allocated to the correct trade/cargo/deal for accurate P&L attribution

Reconciliation

• Reconcile trade positions, inventory movements, and costs between the ETRM/trading system and internal records
• Reconcile counterparty statements, bank confirmations, and letters of credit against internal trade records
• Investigate and resolve breaks before month-end close

Handover to Accounting Firm

• Prepare and package verified trade and expense data (supporting documentation, invoices, contracts) for the external accounting firm
• Act as the point of contact for the accounting firm on queries related to trade data, invoices, or cost allocation
• Maintain an audit trail for every transaction and cost item submitted

Compliance & Controls

• Ensure trades and costs comply with internal risk limits, credit approvals, and company policy
• Support internal and external audits by providing documentation and explanations
• Identify and elevate control weaknesses or process gaps

The Successful Applicant

Experience

• 10+ years in trade support, middle office, or finance operations within an oil trading company (physical and/or paper crude/products trading)
• Strong, hands‑on experience with ETRM systems
• Deep familiarity with physical oil trade documentation: bills of lading, charter parties, letters of credit, quality/quantity certificates
• Good accounting understanding, including how trade and cost postings flow into journal entries, P&L, and balance sheet, sufficient to liaise credibly with the accounting firm

Skills

• Strong attention to detail and comfort reconciling large volumes of transactional data
• Solid understanding of trade lifecycle (deal capture → logistics → invoicing → settlement) and of the underlying accounting entries it generates
• Working knowledge of accounting principles and month-end close processes (accruals, provisions, cost allocation) as they apply to commodity trading
• Advanced Excel skills; comfort with ERP/accounting software interfaces
• Clear communicator able to work with traders, operations, logistics, and external accountants

What's on Offer

A permanent role in a medium size oil trading company