Commercial Finance Specialist

Location Dubai
Discipline: Commodities
Job type: Permanent
Contact name: Freddie Ricks

Contact email: freddie.ricks@venturesearch.com
Job ref: 3711
Published: 1 day ago

The Commercial Finance Specialist will sit within the Accounts function while operating with a high degree of independence and commercial ownership. The role is responsible for providing end-to-end financial oversight of commodity trades, with a particular focus on deal economics, mark-to-market, China landing structures, cost control and recovery of cash from counterparties.

This position acts as a control and transparency layer between trading, operations and finance, ensuring that all trades are economically sound, correctly valued, fully recovered and accurately reflected in P&L. The role requires a strong understanding of physical commodity trading structures, structured payment mechanisms and landed cost economics, particularly in the context of China agency models.

Key Responsibilities

1. Deal Economics & Mark-to-Market

  • Maintain oversight of deal economics from execution through settlement, ensuring trades are correctly reflected in P&L and exposure reporting.

  • Understand and validate mark-to-market calculations, including the impact of forward curves, pricing formulas and contractual terms.

  • Review how deal entries flow through trading systems into realised and unrealised P&L.

  • Monitor the relationship between contractual pricing, valuation adjustments and realised margins.

  • Support month-end valuation processes, including position checks and basic reconciliation with trading and risk teams.

2. China Landing (Agency Model)

  • Oversee the financial mechanics of China landing structures, with particular focus on agency-based import models.

  • Monitor and validate all landed cost components, including:

    • VAT and import duties

    • CIQ and inspection charges

    • Agency and port fees

    • Inland logistics and handling costs

  • Identify, explain and escalate cost variances arising during the China landing process and assess their impact on trade profitability.

  • Review documentation and invoicing from Chinese agents to ensure accuracy, completeness and recoverability.

  • Ensure landed costs are correctly incorporated into both contractual settlement and final trade P&L.

3. Advance Deposits & Prepayment Structures

  • Monitor and control advance deposits and prepayment structures across commodity trades.

  • Ensure deposits are correctly linked to contractual clauses, shipment schedules and pricing mechanisms.

  • Track utilisation of deposits against deliveries and pricing adjustments, highlighting any mismatches or delays.

  • Assess the financial and credit risks associated with outstanding deposits.

  • Maintain clear visibility and reporting over deposit balances and recoverability.

4. Cost Control & Variance Analysis

  • Own the cost control framework across all trades.

  • Track estimated versus actual costs, investigating and escalating material deviations.

  • Ensure all pass-through costs are correctly invoiced, allocated and recovered from counterparties.

  • Identify sources of commercial leakage, inefficiencies or process gaps within the trade lifecycle.

  • Work closely with trading, operations and finance teams to improve cost discipline and transparency.