Main Purpose:
Trafigura is seeking a Trade Finance Officer to join our team in Athens. Candidate needs to feel comfortable in a fast-paced environment, utilising experience and skills to handle high trading volumes and high-pressure deadlines. The Trade Finance Officer will be in contact with various internal and external stakeholders, namely our banking partners and commercial traders, and will be responsible for establishing good working relationships with them to manage our trade finance activities in an optimal and cost effective manner.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities, Key Responsibilities:
- 2 – 5 years within an Oil Trading Company (Experience in chartering/bunkering activity a plus) / Financial institution having gained a basic understanding of the principals surrounding Trade Finance instruments and their pitfalls would be desirable
- Well-organized and pro-active, excellent communication skills, strong coordinating skills, able to demonstrate exceptional problem solving and the ability to think in a highly logical and critical fashion
- Highly diligent and sharp eye for attention to details
- Able to take initiative and not only work to, but also set their own quickly changing deadlines
- A team player, who is able to confidentially adapt their interpersonal approach as the situation demands, able to build strong relations both inter-departmentally and with external stakeholders
- An individual who is not only comfortable but thrives in a high pressure environment
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word and Excel
- Languages: English a must, French or any other language a plus
Key Responsibilities:
- Release and stock management, exposure monitoring and weekly m2m of any storage positions.
- Close co-operation with our Oil Operations team to ensure that our physical logistical requirements are in alignment with financial and risk considerations
- To check and approve oil loadings and discharges whilst ensuring contractual obligations are met without exposing the company to risk or loss.
- Risk covering sales where necessary with Banks and/or Insurance.
- Ensuring timely processing of Cargo payments together with managing cash positions with the Banks.
- Issuance of L/C’s or Bank Guarantees for our purchases of Crude and Oil Products including negotiation with banks in order to place transactions under bilateral facilities.
- Review of contracts for all transactions in accordance with company policy and procedure
- Close co-operation with our Deals Desk personnel to ensure any costs agreed by Trade Finance are allocated correctly to the separately maintained deal Profit and Loss accounts.
- Preparation and dispatch of Invoices and Letters of Indemnity (or shipping documents) for payment under Documentary Letters of Credit received from our buyers.
- The reception / recording and distribution of shipping documents – including the allocation and dispatch of such documents to our trading counter-parts / financing banks enabling the prompt cancellation of outstanding LOI’s
- The regular chasing of any shipping documents not received in a timely manner from our trading counter-parts / financing banks – thus ensuring that our credit facilities are used to an optimum level.
- Closely collaborating with teams in locations like Singapore/ Geneva/ Mumbai etc
Key Relationships and Department Overview:
External – Banks, Insurance, Counterparties.
Internal – Ops, Traders, Credit, Contracts, Treasury, Securitisation, Accounting & Deals Desk
