About the job: Trade Finance Manager - [Singapore]
Our client, a global physical trading and structured trade finance firm with a presence in Dubai, Zurich, São Paulo, and Singapore, specializes in connecting producers and end-users of commodities such as dry-bulk steel raw materials, grains, biofuels, and oilseeds through an integrated model of origination, trading, and distribution. The Singapore office serves as the Asia-Pacific hub, facilitating trading, operations, and finance across key international markets. Known for their entrepreneurial spirit, agility, and collaborative environment, they offer a platform where initiative is rewarded and individuals can make a significant impact.
Role Overview:
As part of the Finance team, the Trade Finance Manager supports financial operations in trading activities across all regions, ensuring financial security in transactions. The role involves working closely with the Group CFO to identify and implement trade finance facilities that support and optimize trade flows. The ideal candidate has experience managing large trading volumes, thrives under pressure, and adopts a solution-oriented approach to complex financial challenges. Regular engagement with banking partners, traders, and internal teams is essential to structure and deliver cost-effective, innovative trade finance solutions.
Key Responsibilities:
- Weekly monitoring and mark-to-market valuation of stock positions.
- Ensure timely processing of payments and manage daily cash positions with banking partners.
- Arrange sales risk coverage through insurance or banking instruments as appropriate.
- Handle issuance and negotiation of Letters of Credit, Standby LCs, and Bank Guarantees under various financing structures.
- Negotiate and document facility agreements and trade finance instruments.
- Prepare and dispatch invoices and original documentation for collection under buyer LCs.
- Identify and structure cost-effective banking solutions for physical trading flows.
- Monitor and mitigate financial and credit risks linked to commodity trading.
- Collaborate with trading and operations teams to support new trade structures.
- Acquire and maintain bank lines; establish new banking relationships as needed.
- Participate in training and development of junior team members.
- Evaluate physical trades for risk exposure and facility eligibility.
- Provide regular reporting on credit, exposure, and financial risks.
- Review and approve commercial contracts and tenders with a finance risk perspective.
- Maintain strong communication channels across departments to monitor trade lifecycle.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Minimum 8 years of trade finance experience within a commodity trading company or financial institution.
- Strong knowledge of trade finance instruments and their application in physical trading.
- Attention to detail with the ability to synthesize complex information and see the bigger picture.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective stakeholder interaction.
- Proactive, commercially minded, with negotiation skills for favorable deal structuring.
- Experience managing complex trade structures, especially in metals, oil, or energy sectors.
- Ability to challenge proposals to improve structure, reduce risk, or lower costs.
- Calm, effective under pressure, and capable of working independently.
- Proven problem-solving skills with a track record of delivering practical solutions.
Key Stakeholders:
- Internal: CFO, Traders, Operations, Treasury, Compliance, Risk, Finance
- External: Banks, Counterparties, Insurance Providers
Job Position:
Language Skills:
- English mandatory
- Additional Asian languages, such as Mandarin, are highly advantageous