Operations Manager – Americas

Job Juncture; Schaumburg (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Metals Steel Trading, based in Schaumburg, Illinois, seeks an experienced Operations Manager Americas to lead US operations. The role remains hands-on in trade execution while managing the wider Americas team, reporting into leaders in the US and India.

The ideal candidate will own end-to-end trading files, LC processes, and logistics coordination. The candidate will drive operational improvements, standards, and automation across the Americas business, collaborating with traders and

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of international trade operations and customer service.
• Hands-on experience managing physical trade transactions end-to-end.
• Knowledge of Letters of Credit (LCs), banking and trade finance processes.
• Experience with customs, import/export documentation and international logistics.
• Experience designing improved operational processes.
• Proven team management and people-development skills.
• Strong customer orientation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Attention to detail and ability to work under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving and timely decision-making abilities.
• Collaborative working style with multicultural distributed teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead US and India-US Operations teams across trade execution.
• Mentor and supervise the US and India-US operations teams.
• Own end-to-end trade files including contract review, LC issuance and banking docs.
• Act as escalation point for urgent/complex transactions with banks and logistics providers.
• Improve procedures through standardization and automation.
• Develop a customer-focused Operations function with strong commercial relationships.
• Train staff coordinating with stevedores and other logistics providers.
• Ensure monthly warehouse reports, ageing inventory and reconciliation.
• Coordinate with Finance to authorize vendor invoices for payment.
• Work with IT to improve systems and manage operational claims.
• Collaborate with Traders and regional teams to ensure smooth execution.

Skills

International trade ops

End-to-end trade execution

LCs & banking

Customs & logistics

Team management

Multicultural teams

Education

Bachelor's in Finance/Intl Trade/Business/Supply Chain

Job description

Metals Steel Trading | Schaumburg, Illinois, USA

About the Company

Job description:

Metals Steel Trading | Schaumburg, Illinois, USA

About the Company

Our client is a leading global trading and distribution organization with a strong presence across international metals and steel markets.

The Opportunity

Our client is looking for an experienced and proactive Operations Manager Americas to lead and support its US operations.

Based in Schaumburg, Illinois, the role has direct operational responsibility for the performance of the Americas Operations team, with Operations leads in the US and India reporting into the position.

This is not a purely supervisory role. The Operations Manager is expected to remain hands-on in trade execution, personally owning individual trade deals end-to-end while also managing and developing the wider Operations team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, mentor and supervise the US and India-US Operations teams across all aspects of trade execution.
• Personally manage the Niche desk and/or step directly into deal-execution responsibilities whenever required.
• Own individual trade files end-to-end, including contract review, LC issuance/negotiation with banks, customs and regulatory documentation, and logistics coordination.
• Act as the direct escalation point for urgent or complex transactions, personally intervening with banks, customs brokers, vendors and logistics providers.
• Manage and continuously improve operational procedures through streamlining, standardization and automation.
• Develop a customer-focused Operations function with strong relationships across commercial teams, customers and suppliers.
• Train and support Operations staff in coordinating with stevedores, warehouses, trucking companies and other logistics providers.
• Ensure monthly warehouse reports are received and reviewed, ageing inventory is optimized, and inventory is reconciled against the system of record.
• Resolve issues or delays relating to payments for steel purchases, freight and service providers.
• Coordinate with the Finance & Accounting team to ensure proper authorization of vendor invoices before payment.
• Liaise with IT to improve existing operational systems and processes and manage operational claims.
• Work closely with Traders and other regional and functional teams to ensure smooth trade execution.

Qualifications:

Required Experience & Competencies

• Strong understanding of international trade operations, products and customer service, gained through recent, direct desk-level exposure.
• Hands-on experience managing physical trade transactions end-to-end.
• Strong working knowledge of Letters of Credit (LCs), banking and trade finance processes.
• Hands-on exposure to customs, import/export documentation, regulatory requirements and international logistics.
• Experience designing and implementing improved operational processes and procedures.
• Proven team management and people-development experience.
• Strong customer orientation, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving and timely decision-making capabilities.
• Collaborative working style with multicultural and geographically distributed teams.

Preferred Industry Background

Experience within a trading house is strongly preferred, particularly from:

• Steel / Metals Trading
• Steel Mills / Steel Operations
• Commodities Trading
• International Physical Trading

Direct steel or metals trading experience is highly preferred.

Education

Bachelors degree in Finance, International Trade, Business, Supply Chain, or a related field, or equivalent qualification.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate combines operations leadership with genuine hands-on trade execution experience. They should be equally comfortable leading a team and personally executing transactions involving contracts, LCs, customs documentation, banking and logistics.

Candidates whose recent experience has been primarily managerial or strategic, without current hands-on trade execution exposure, may not be suitable.

Why is This a Great Opportunity:

• Leadership + hands-on ownership: Lead the Americas Operations team while remaining directly involved in end-to-end trade execution.
• Global exposure: Work across international steel/metals trading, banking, customs, logistics, suppliers and customers.
• High-impact role: Drive operational improvements, standardization and automation across the Americas business.
• Cross-border collaboration: Work closely with traders and operations teams across the US and India.
• Strong career opportunity: Take ownership of a critical operations function within a large, established global trading organization.