Treasury Operations Specialist

COFCO International is a global agri-business with a clear vision, strong values and a positive culture, focused on being a leader in the global grains, oilseeds and sugar supply chains. We provide the food the world needs in a responsible way. Headquartered is Geneva, Switzerland, we are ambitious, with the right structures and culture to meet the world's increasing and changing needs. With 11,000+ people in 35 countries, our global portfolio includes assets across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. We trade with over 50 nations, while providing farmers unique direct access to the growing Chinese market.

Job purpose: 

As a Treasury Operations professional with experience in compliance, your role will involve overseeing financial transactions related to commodity trades and ensuring strict adherence to international regulations. This position demands a comprehensive understanding of global business compliance regulations, commodity trading practices, and the ability to navigate the complexities of the commodities market in a highly regulated environment.

It is treasury’s responsibility to centralize all cashflows and to maintain specific bank channels working as well as ensuring clear communication with the banks to facilitate the transactions.
This role entails working with the business from origin to final sale. The individual holding the role will be responsible for working with the traders, legal and compliance to ensure that proper and acceptable routes are put in place to cover specific trades. This not only covers the final sale of the goods according to their destination but the whole flow from a group’s perspective, from the payment of the Freight to the purchase of the goods, the interco sales and the final sale to the buyer. This role requires a nuanced understanding of both the financial and regulatory aspects of commodity trading, making it essential for the specialist to stay well-versed in both fields.

Responsibilities: 

• Evaluate and ensure compliance of all commodity transactions with international business limitations policies and regulations;
• Work closely with the compliance team to ensure the screening of sensitive counterparties is performed and any potential compliance-related risks in commodity transactions is identified and escalated to the relevant teams for review; 
• Work closely with the trading, legal, compliance and risk management teams to promptly adress any concerns and ensure compliance; 
• Ensure that all documentation related to commodity trades complies with international compliance rules, regulations and bespoke approvals or prohibitions’ requirements;
• Prepare and submit regular reports to management and regulatory bodies, highlighting compliance efforts and potential risks;
• Together with the Operations team make sure that the required due diligence documents are collected and submitted to the compliance team for review;
• Maintain the bank relationship with our existing banks as well as developing new relationships with potential banks. This includes: preparing documentation, doing KYC, coordinating required signatures, setting up internet banking, bank accounts etc;
• Liaise with banks to get payments approved, instructed, processed and executed promptly and successfully;
• Manage a dedicated portfolio of bank loans, smoothly and timely;
• Carefully coordinate an export LCs flows with Operations and Trade Finance;
• Have a full overview of our bank balances, inflows and outflows, and bank account structure with the existing banks;
• Ensure bank accounts are sufficiently funded for outgoing payments and liaise with trading and FX if required;
• Conduct training sessions to enhance awareness and understanding of business limitation programs and regulations within the commodity trading business unit;
• Foster relationships with relevant industry associations to stay abreast of sector-specific compliance considerations.
• From time to time, participate into global or regional Treasury projects (systems deployments, processes improvements, reporting,…).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Business, or a related field (master’s degree preferred);
  Certification in compliance (such as the ACAMS Certified Global Sanctions Specialist certification or equivalent) is a plus;
• In-depth knowledge of international business enforcement policies and programs and their application to commodity trading; 
• Min 7-10 years of relevant experience;
• Experience in the commodity trading industry;
• A solid understanding of financial regulations, accounting principles, and compliance requirements is crucial to ensure that treasury operations adhere to legal and regulatory standards;
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal, are necessary for documenting procedures, preparing reports, and communicating with internal and external stakeholders; 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

The ideal candidate:  

• Strong understanding of financial markets, instruments, and products;
• Has the ability to analyze and interpret financial data;
• Effective communication skills;
• Organized with a high level of accuracy;
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and deadlines;
• Self-motivated and energetic;
• Ability to improve business practices, processes, and controls.

COFCO International is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice to know how COFCO collects and processes your personal data during your job application.