Trade Finance, Automation Lead

About Us

Trafigura provides critical resources to the world. Founded over 30 years ago and owned by its employees, the Group is at the heart of global supply, using its deep understanding of commodity markets to make supply chains more efficient, secure and sustainable. Working across a global network, the Group deploys infrastructure, logistics, financing and market expertise to move energy and commodities from where they are produced to where they are needed. By connecting producers and consumers, it brings transparency, resilience and trust to complex supply chains. The business supplies the energy and commodities the world needs today, including oil and petroleum products, metals and minerals, gas and power, while investing in lower-carbon solutions for the future. The Trafigura Group also comprises industrial assets and operating businesses including multi-metals producer Nyrstar, fuel storage and distribution company Puma Energy, fuel supplier and distributor Greenergy, and the Impala Terminals joint venture. The Group employs approximately 14,500 people, of whom more than 1,400 are shareholders, and operates in over 150 countries. A career at Trafigura offers the opportunity to take on meaningful responsibility from an early stage and contribute to a business that plays a vital role in the global economy. As an employee-owned company, we foster a high-performance culture where individuals are empowered to take ownership, challenge themselves and make an impact. We value curiosity, initiative and collaboration, and invest in helping our people develop the skills, experience and networks needed to succeed. Working alongside talented colleagues from diverse backgrounds, employees are given opportunities to learn continuously, solve complex problems and build rewarding international careers. Whether in commercial, operational, technical or corporate functions, our people are trusted to contribute, grow and lead throughout their careers.

Key responsibilities

Own and maintain the Trade Finance technology and automation roadmap – identifying, prioritizing, and driving high-ROI use cases across reporting, reconciliation, controls, credit workflows, and document handling. Own digitalization and technology projects related to Trade Finance end-to-end – from scoping, business case, and vendor/platform evaluation through to delivery, rollout, and adoption. Build robust business cases for each initiative, aligned with IT architecture guidelines and the function’s future-state vision. Partner with IT delivery teams to progress priority initiatives from concept through to production deployment, remaining engaged at every stage. Map and redesign business processes ahead of automation, ensuring workflows are optimized before tooling is applied. Prototype solutions or produce precise, IT-consumable business requirements to validate value and support production build decisions. Develop reusable artefacts – templates, playbooks, and requirement patterns – that accelerate future automation initiatives. Coach and upskill Trade Finance colleagues in modern, tool-driven ways of working, including prompt design, tool adoption, and process instrumentation. Serve as the visible technology advocate for the team, sharing practical outcomes and embedding a data-led, digitally native culture. Monitor external benchmarks from peer trading houses and Trade Finance technology providers (e.g. Komgo, Contour, Traydstream, Enigio, Bolero) and assess their applicability internally. Represent Trade Finance in cross-functional technology transformation forums. Ensure new tools and products are adopted effectively by business domains, with value measurement frameworks in place. Execute day-to-day Trade Finance responsibilities across the full instrument lifecycle, including: Letters of Credit: Drafting, reviewing, and ensuring compliance against UCP 600 terms; liaising with issuing banks and counterparties to satisfy collateral requirements. Receivable Discounting: Managing eligible receivables pools, coordinating with financing banks, and tracking utilization against approved limits. Borrowing Base Reporting: Compiling eligible assets and liabilities, applying advance rates and concentration limits, and preparing periodic certificates for submission to lending banks. Contribute to credit-limit management, collateral monitoring, and controls – flagging exceptions, escalating exposures, and ensuring bank reporting is accurate and delivered on time. Support Trade Finance officers during peak volume periods, audits, and monthly reporting cycles. Serve as an operational subject-matter expert whose hands-on experience directly informs automation priorities – identifying manual touchpoints, data gaps, and process inefficiencies that represent the highest-value opportunities on the roadmap.

Required qualifications

Minimum 7+ years of experience combining Trade Finance or commodity finance operations with technology-driven transformation. Prior experience at a commodity trading house’s Trade Finance or finance function with a demonstrable transformation track record, or at a Trade Finance fintech (e.g. Komgo, Contour, Traydstream, Enigio, Bolero, TradeSun, or equivalent). Documented automation or AI projects personally led or co-led, with quantified outcomes – including hours saved, error rate reductions, or cycle time improvements. Background in technology-driven business transformation: business analyst, project or programme manager, super user, or product/scrum lead. Experience working with leading-edge technology platforms in the Trade Finance domain. Working knowledge of SQL; proficiency in Python or a low-code/no-code platform (e.g. Power Apps, Retool, Alteryx, UiPath, n8n). Familiarity with the broader enterprise and modern AI tooling landscape (document intelligence/OCR, agent orchestration, LLM deployment models, AI agents) beyond Trade Finance-specific platforms. Ability to specify integrations between trade systems (ETRM / TMS / GL / bank platforms) – integration build expertise is not required, but the ability to scope, brief, and challenge IT credibly is essential. Ability to interpret system architecture diagrams and data models independently. Comfortable prototyping with AI tools, with genuine curiosity about the application of data and AI to business processes. Ability to produce precise, IT-consumable requirements specifications. Sound understanding of Trade Finance instruments and workflows: open account, Letters of Credit, borrowing base reporting, credit exposure, collateral management, and receivable discounting. Familiarity with commodity trading flows (e.g. pipeline, storage, blending, in-transit financing) is advantageous.

Fähigkeiten

PythonML / AIICTSQL

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