Head of Commodity Trading - Agricultural Derivatives

Farrer Capital Management; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Performance-driven bonus structure

Long-term incentive opportunities

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

A global agricultural commodity hedge fund is seeking a Head of Commodity Trading to lead their trading strategy in agricultural derivatives. The candidate will oversee a high-performing team, manage execution, and leverage market insights to optimize trading decisions. Strong experience in derivatives trading and leadership is required, along with a relevant degree.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in discretionary derivatives trading with strong P&L record.
• Deep expertise in futures, options, and OTC trading.
• Proven understanding of global agricultural fundamentals and macro drivers.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of trading strategy across agricultural derivatives markets.
• Manage and mentor an established, high-performing global research and trading team.
• Optimize trade expression, sizing, and timing based on liquidity and risk parameters.

Skills

Discretionary derivatives trading

Leadership in trading and research teams

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Finance, Economics, or related field

Job description

Overview

Head of Commodity Trading - Agricultural Derivatives. We are a privately owned global agricultural commodity hedge fund, specialising in fundamental commodity trading. We deploy discretionary relative value strategies grounded in deep fundamental research, macro insight, and market expertise to generate alpha from agricultural futures, options and OTC markets. This is a senior leadership role reporting directly to the Chief Investment Officer (CIO).

This position leads our global derivatives trading strategy focused on agricultural and energy markets, including China, and is geared toward building a scalable trading business.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of the firm\'s discretionary trading strategy across agricultural derivatives markets.
• Work with the CIO to align trading views with top-down investment themes and firm-wide objectives.
• Provide directional and relative value strategies based on the team\'s fundamental analysis and key market insights.
• Manage and mentor an established, high-performing global research and trading team.
• Foster collaboration across the team and functions, cultivating accountability, transparency, and performance.
• Oversee trading in listed agricultural futures, options, and structured derivative products on global exchanges.
• Evaluate macroeconomic, geopolitical, weather, and market-specific data to inform high-conviction trade ideas.
• Optimize trade expression, sizing, and timing based on liquidity, volatility, and risk parameters.
• Ensure robust risk oversight, including monitoring of exposures, drawdowns, and limit adherence.
• Collaborate with risk, compliance, and operations teams to uphold a strong control framework.
• Maintain disciplined portfolio construction and scenario testing practices.
• Leverage internal research, proprietary models, and third-party data to support decision-making.
• Partner with technology and analytics providers to enhance tools for discretionary trading and position management.
• Support the development of real-time dashboards, forecast models, and trade review systems.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in discretionary derivatives trading, with a strong P&L record in agricultural markets.
• Deep expertise in futures, options, and OTC trading.
• Proven leadership in managing trading and research teams within a hedge fund, trading house, or proprietary trading firm.
• Proven understanding of global agricultural fundamentals, macro drivers, and seasonal dynamics.
• Bachelor's or Master\'s degree in Finance, Economics, or a related field.

Preferred Attributes

• Strategic thinker with the ability to lead both from a high level and on day-to-day trade execution.
• Excellent analytical and decision-making skills under pressure.
• Experience operating across global markets and coordinating across time zones.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to represent the trading function with internal stakeholders and external partners.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Performance-driven bonus structure
• Long-term incentive opportunities (e.g., profit-sharing, equity)
• Comprehensive benefits and relocation support (if required)