Settlements Analyst - Physical Commodities

Richard James Recruitment Specialists Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Richard James Recruitment Specialists Ltd is seeking a Financial Operations analyst in London to support the Head of Settlements in end-to-end processes for Gas and Power desks. You will ensure timely, accurate settlements and help drive KPI achievement.

The role involves day-to-day workload completion, issue resolution, invoicing across trades, and collaboration with operations and risk teams to improve cash flow and balance sheet position.

Qualifications

• Experience of working in settlements ideally within a global commodities / energy company (essential).
• Knowledge of trading (essential).
• Knowledge of physical commodities (essential).
• Knowledge of straight-through processing from trading to accounting (desirable).

Responsibilities

• Complete day-to-day workload as prescribed by your manager.
• Resolve operational issues and escalate where appropriate.
• Build relationships to support information flow internally and externally.
• Manage end-to-end invoicing for physical trades, provisional/prepayment invoices.
• Process physical receivable/payable invoices and broker statements.
• Problem-solve invoice errors and amendments with other functions.
• Monitor receivables, cash application and debt management.
• Monitor intercompany balances and invoicing processes.
• Liaise with desks/operations and risk management to resolve settlements disputes.
• Resolve external queries and drive improvements in cash conversion cycle.
• Ensure counterparty, billing and settlements data align with policy.
• Support updates of FinOps processes and ongoing improvements.
• Meet KPIs and performance targets and contribute to reporting.

Skills

Settlements experience

Trading knowledge

Physical commodities knowledge

STP from trading to accounting

Job description

Our client is a successful, renowned Global Commodity Trading house. This role is based in the Finance team in London, which is the HQ for Oil and Gas trading activities.

As a Financial Operations analyst, you will be accountable for supporting the Head of Settlements in ensuring a timely, accurate and complete end-to-end settlements process for all London Gas and Power Trading Desks. You will support the team to ensure all settlements targets and KPI’s are met.

Responsibilities include:

• Completion of the day-to-day workload as prescribed by your manager.
• Ensuring resolution of any day-to-day operational issues and escalating where appropriate.
• Building relationships both internally and externally to create and support business information flow.
• Complete the end-to-end invoicing process, including:
• Physical Receivable Invoice Process (including provisional and prepayment invoices): Create, check and dispatch receivable invoices across physical trades and secondary costs
• Physical Payable Invoice Process (including provisional and prepayment invoices): Receive, validate and process payable invoices across physical trades and secondary costs
• Brokerage Payable Invoice Process: Receive, validate, and process broker statements
• Errors and Invoice Amendment: Problem solve process invoice errors and amendments with support from other functions, as required.
• Monitor receivables, including cash application and debt management.
• Monitor intercompany balances and invoicing processes
• Liaising with internal desks/teams, in particular operations and risk management, on the resolution of settlement disputes.
• Monitor and resolve queries from external parties escalating where required.
• Resolving settlements issues to improve our balance sheet position on all settlements runs – including working with Finance teams to continuously evolve ways of improving the cash conversion cycle.
• Follow team processes to ensure all counterparty, billing and settlement information is in line with company policy and up to date.
• Support and review regular updates of the internal processes within the FinOps area.
• Proactively contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within the scope of Finance Operations, to drive efficiency and improved performance.
• Meet KPI’s and performance targets allocated to your area.
• Provide review and commentary to team reporting and analytics such as month end open items reporting.
• Support the manager with periodic and ad hoc management reporting.
• Ad hoc duties as required.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Experience of working in settlements ideally within a global commodities / energy company (essential).
• Knowledge of trading.
• Knowledge of physical commodities (essential).
• Knowledge of straight-through processing from trading to accounting (desirable).