Trade Finance Department Manager

Location United Arab Emirates
Discipline: Commodities
Job type: Permanent
Contact name: Freddie Ricks

Contact email: freddie.ricks@venturesearch.com
Job ref: 3424
Published: 2 days ago

We are seeking an experienced Trade Finance Department Manager to lead and oversee all trade finance operations for our global oil trading business. This role will be responsible for managing financing structures, credit facilities, bank relationships, and end-to-end execution of trade finance instruments to support physical oil trades. The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of structured trade finance, commodity flows, banking products, and risk management, with proven leadership in managing teams and processes in a fast-paced trading environment.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Department Management

  • Lead, mentor, and develop the trade finance team, ensuring efficient execution of day-to-day operations.

  • Establish best practices, workflows, and controls within the trade finance function.

  • Act as primary escalation point for trade finance issues and bottlenecks.

Trade Finance Operations

  • Oversee issuance, negotiation, and execution of Letters of Credit (LCs), Standby LCs, Bank Guarantees, and Bills of Exchange.

  • Manage trade receivables, payables, and financing lines to ensure timely settlement of trades.

  • Structure prepayment, inventory, and receivables financing to optimize liquidity.

  • Ensure compliance with international regulations (UCP 600, ISBP, URDG, Incoterms) and internal policies.

Banking & Counterparty Relationships

  • Develop and maintain strong working relationships with international banks and financial institutions.

  • Negotiate competitive financing terms, credit lines, and collateral arrangements.

  • Act as a key interface between traders, operations, and financing counterparties.

Risk & Compliance

  • Monitor exposure on financing lines, trade credit, and counterparty risk.

  • Collaborate with risk and compliance teams to ensure sanctions, AML, and KYC compliance.

  • Support treasury and risk management in optimizing working capital usage.

Strategic Input

  • Advise senior management on financing strategies to support trading growth.

  • Propose new financing structures and products to enhance trading efficiency.

  • Contribute to broader finance and risk management initiatives across the firm.