Role Overview
We have an exciting opportunity for someone to join us as an experienced and high calibre Trade Accounting Manager to work in a truly global environment.
The primary responsibility is to control and report high quality, timely and value add financial information relating to commercial activity to multiple stakeholders both inside and outside the Sugar Division. This is a key role in an exciting and entrepreneurial part of the business, involving close interaction with trading teams, operations and risk. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to gain a unique insight into the business.
The selected candidate will be working as an integral part of a global finance team interfacing with the Sugar Division’s trading business, its related operations, and other departments within the ED&F Man Group. The role will focus on trading of Sugar across the Globe. The ideal candidate will have proven experience of operating within a fast-paced trading environment with a proactive approach to transactional activities, financial reporting and control.
Business Overview
Established in 1783, ED&F Man is an employee-owned agricultural commodities merchant with 5,500 people in 50 countries and annual revenue in excess of $8bn. We trade sugar, coffee, molasses, animal feed and pulses. Corporate responsibility is ingrained in our culture. We are passionate about sustainable production, take care to limit the environmental impact of our operations and actively support the communities in which we work.
We source or process raw, white and specialty sugars from over 40 producing countries. We sell to refineries, industrial users, wholesalers, retailers and consumers, offering local solutions though a number of in-country purchasing, sales and distribution businesses.
As a member of Bonsucro, all our processing operations and trading hubs have the highest sustainability credentials and we play an active role in developing the sustainability agenda.
Key Accountabilities
- The primary aim of this role is to manage the Trade Accounting reporting for sugar traded in a variety of global trading locations. The core responsibilities of the role are:
- Daily validation and explanation of Trading gross margin;
- Review and explanation of change in value of the futures portfolio;
- Ensuring complete and accurate financial information is produced for each trading; book including Profit and Loss and Balance sheet related accounts;
- Understanding and explaining changes in working capital use;
- Ensuring all trades are valued in line with the Group Accounting Policy;
- Ensuring valuations are in line with market information;
- Ensuring clear and concise explanation for key P&L moves in given periods;
- Ensuring all deadlines are met without fail;
- Ensuring clear control and reporting of each trade from source system to financial reporting system;
- Ensuring a robust control environment, in line with the company Minimum Control Standards;
- Actively partake in projects to bring improvement to the Sugar reporting process – this is likely to include process and system improvements requiring qualified accounting experience to establish accounting rules and new processes:
- Automation of P&L attribution processes;
- Balance Sheet analysis;
- Financial Accounting for trades and reconciliation to General Ledger reporting;
- Identification and reporting of business drivers;
- Be a Business Partner in support of commercial activity;
- Review and validate daily margin calls with the exchange;
- Supervise junior colleagues to help achieve team objectives.
Skills and Experience
- The individual undertaking this role would ideally be a fully qualified Chartered Accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA or equivalent) with solid demonstrable experience of both trade and financial accounting;
- Solid experience gained within a bank or commodity environment in product control/trade accounts;
- Experience of working within physical commodities trading would be desirable;
- Ability to analyse financial data and prepare financial reports and projections;
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
- The role requires a well organised and efficient individual who can manage competing deadlines with strict time constraints;
- Flexible, proactive and willing to take on additional tasks as the department’s workload requires;
- Ability to challenge the status quo and seek continuous improvement to reporting and control processes.
As an ever-friendly reminder: Researchers have found that men apply to roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Women and other underrepresented groups tend to apply only when they check every box. If you are interested, but don’t feel like you meet every single point on the job description, please still apply!
Our Offer
We provide a fast-paced, stimulating and truly global environment, which will stretch your abilities and channel your talents. We also offer competitive salary and benefits combined with outstanding career development opportunities in one of the global leaders in soft commodity trading.
Our Values
Respect, Integrity, Meritocracy, Client Focus, Entrepreneurship
Our values define who we are. They are the fundamental beliefs that determine our actions and guide our behaviour. They influence the way we communicate and collaborate, and define the way we engage with our clients, partners, and communities. Our values are underpinned by a set of essential behaviours, which form part of our performance management approach. Delivering on our objectives is very much about ‘what’ we do, but these essential behaviours also provide a guide and measure for ‘how’ we do things. Our performance essentials are Take Initiative, Self‐Management, Deliver Results and Collaboration.
Our Commitment
We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive and diverse work environment where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment and are focussed on actively building and developing diverse teams. All qualified applicants will receive equal treatment without regard to race, colour, sex, gender, age, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, marital or civil partner status, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment (identity, gender expression), genetic information or any characteristic protected by local law.
