Head of Origination, Sales & Trading

Shell; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy company in Greater London seeks a high-performing leader to head its Commodity Derivatives Trading. The successful candidate will oversee a global team, drive client engagement, and ensure disciplined trading activities across commodities. The role demands extensive experience in trading and exceptional leadership skills, offering a competitive compensation package.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Long-term incentive structure

Global leadership platform

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in commodity trading, structured origination, or commercial sales.
• Proven track record of leading global or multi-regional teams in a high-performance environment.
• Deep understanding of commodity markets, derivatives, and structured products.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute global strategy for sales, origination, and flow trading.
• Drive origination of complex commodity transactions with corporate and financial clients.
• Oversee trading activities ensuring disciplined risk-taking.

Skills

Strategic insight

Commercial acumen

Leadership excellence

Client-facing skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Finance, Economics, Engineering or related field

MBA or CFA preferred

Job description

We are seeking a high-performing and commercially driven leader to head our global Commodity Derivates Trading (CDT) Sales, Origination & Trading business. This high-impact role will oversee a cross-regional team responsible for growing financial flows, deepening client relationships, and executing trading strategies across commodity markets. The successful candidate will bring a blend of strategic insight, commercial acumen, and leadership excellence to shape the future of our global trading franchise.

What you’ll be doing

• Strategic Leadership – Define and execute the global strategy for sales, origination, and flow trading across commodities and regions. Lead a high-performing team spanning commercial origination, structured solutions, and proprietary trading across London, Rotterdam, US, and Singapore trading hubs. Align regional execution with global objectives, ensuring consistency, innovation, and value creation.
• Commercial Origination & Client Engagement – Drive origination of complex, structured commodity transactions with corporate, industrial, and financial clients. Drive adoption and growth of digital sales platform across counterparty portfolio. Build and maintain strategic relationships with key counterparties and market participants. Partner with local CDT sales teams to identify growth opportunities and deliver tailored risk management solutions.
• Trading & Risk Oversight – Oversee trading activities across energy, metals, and agricultural derivatives, ensuring disciplined risk-taking. Monitor global market trends and macroeconomic developments to inform trading and origination strategy. Ensure adherence to risk limits, compliance standards, and regulatory frameworks across all desks.
• Team Development & Culture – Inspire, mentor, and develop a diverse global team of commercial professionals and traders. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Champion Shell Business Principles across all regions and functions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Work closely with Finance, Risk, Legal, Compliance, and Contracts to ensure seamless execution and governance. Work closely with Options and Systematic Trading Team. Represent the function in executive forums and contribute to enterprise-wide strategic initiatives. Lead cross-border deal teams and coordinate global execution for flow transactions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Finance, Economics, Engineering, or related field; MBA or CFA preferred.
• Extensive experience in commodity trading, structured origination, or commercial sales.
• Proven track record of leading global or multi-regional teams in a high-performance environment.
• Deep understanding of commodity markets, derivatives (linear and non-linear), and structured products.
• Strong client-facing skills with a history of delivering innovative, value-added solutions.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management capabilities.

What we offer

• A global leadership platform with influence across markets and regions.
• Exposure to complex, high-value transactions and strategic partnerships.
• Competitive compensation and long‑term incentive structure.

Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer.