Trade Finance Specialist — Commodity Trading
Working environment: Chinese
We are seeking a hands-on Trade Finance Specialist to manage trade finance, documentation and seaborne physical trade operations, while maintaining and developing our banking facilities. Working in a lean Singapore team, you will collaborate closely with the General Manager, Finance, traders and external counterparties.
Key Responsibilities
1.Seaborne Physical Trade Operations & Contract Coordination
- Coordinate with suppliers and buyers on purchase and sales contracts for seaborne commodity trades, reviewing and clarifying commercial and operational terms in line with agreed deal recaps and internal approvals.
- Follow up on contract issuance, amendments and execution; ensure consistency across purchase and sales obligations, payment terms, shipment schedules, quantity and quality specifications, and documentary requirements.
- Coordinate shipment execution with suppliers, buyers, shipping agents, inspection companies and relevant operations teams, including shipping instructions, document requirements and loading and discharge arrangements.
- Monitor vessel and shipment status, communicate timely updates and escalates delays or other execution issues.
- Follow up on shipment quantities, quality results and contractual claims, coordinating with relevant parties to resolve discrepancies and support timely final settlement.
- Maintain accurate contract, shipment and settlement records, ensuring physical trade execution is aligned with LC and financing requirements.
2. Trade Finance Operations & Documentation
- Independently manage import and export trade finance transactions from contract review through LC issuance, amendments, document presentation, negotiation and settlement, with particular emphasis on back-to-back LC structures.
- Review commercial contracts and negotiate LC terms with banks, suppliers and buyers to ensure consistency with the underlying trade and financing arrangements.
- Prepare, check and coordinate complete sets of trade and shipping documents, including invoices, bills of lading and supporting certificates, in accordance with LC terms, UCP600 and ISBP.
- Manage the alignment of the underlying export LC and corresponding import LC, including amounts, shipment dates, expiry dates, presentation periods and documentary requirements; identify funding or documentary gaps early.
- Resolve discrepancies, payment queries and transaction issues promptly, coordinating with banks, counterparties, traders and operations teams.
3.Banking Relationships & Credit Facilities
- Act as the day-to-day contact for financing banks and maintain productive relationships with relationship managers, credit and trade operations teams.
- Drive facility applications, renewals and enhancements with the General Manager, coordinating business information, financial documents, KYC requirements and responses to bank queries.
- Identify and engage suitable banking partners to diversify financing support, subject to management approval and banks’ credit assessment.
- Negotiate facility and transaction terms, pricing, fees, security requirements and operational conditions within approved authority.
- Maintain a clear pipeline of financing initiatives, follow up proactively and keep management informed of progress, outstanding requirements and approval bottlenecks.
4.Facility Control, Funding & Reporting
- Monitor available limits, utilization, LC exposures, maturities and settlement obligations to support timely execution of physical trades.
- Coordinate funding and payment schedules with Finance and traders; flag potential liquidity gaps, facility constraints and overdue items in advance.
- Check bank charges and financing costs, maintain accurate transaction and facility records, and provide concise management reporting.
- Ensure adherence to approved facility terms, internal authorization controls and applicable compliance requirements; coordinate bank KYC and sanctions-related queries and elevate exceptions.
- Improve trade finance procedures, documentation controls and handover records to support reliable execution in a small team.
Requirements
- Diploma or degree in Banking, Finance, International Trade, Economics or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
- At least 3 years of relevant trade finance and/or commodity trade operations experience, with substantial hands-on responsibility for LC execution and documentary checking. Experience within a commodity trading house is strongly preferred.
- Hands-on experience coordinating seaborne physical commodity trades, including supplier and buyer contract communication, shipment follow-up and trade documentation.
- Practical experience handling back-to-back LCs and a sound understanding of UCP 600, ISBP and Incoterms.
- Demonstrated experience liaising directly with banks on facility applications, renewals, credit line utilization or financing terms—not solely processing documents under existing facilities.
- Ability to independently prepare and review trade documents, resolve discrepancies and manage time-sensitive transactions.
- Banking experience is an advantage, but must be complemented by a willingness and ability to handle corporate-side documentation and physical trade execution personally.
- Experience in iron ore, steelmaking raw materials or other dry bulk commodities is an advantage. CDCS certification is a plus, not essential.
- Strong communication, negotiation and follow-through skills; organized, detail-oriented and comfortable taking ownership in a lean team.
- Proficiency in English and Mandarin to review relevant trade documents and communicate with English- and Mandarin-speaking banks, counterparties and China-based trading and operations teams.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other standard office applications.
We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
Only Singaporean or SPR may apply.