Commodity Trader

Job Description

Job Description

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Our client is seeking an entrepreneurial and commercially driven Cocoa Products Trader to develop and grow a global cocoa products trading platform across cocoa butter, cocoa powder, cocoa liquor, and cocoa cake markets.

This role combines physical trading, market analysis, customer origination, risk management, and supply chain coordination, with responsibility for generating profitable growth while operating within approved risk parameters.

Key Responsibilities

• Originate and execute global physical cocoa product trades.
• Develop relationships with processors, chocolate manufacturers, distributors, and industrial users.
• Build and manage forward sales and procurement books.
• Identify arbitrage opportunities across origins, destinations, qualities, freight, and processing margins.
• Monitor and trade butter ratios, powder ratios, grind economics, and spreads.

• Analyse global cocoa supply and demand, grind trends, customer demand, and processor behaviour.
• Develop short-, medium-, and long-term trading strategies.
• Monitor cocoa futures, differentials, spreads, inventories, and market structure.

• Manage futures, basis, and mark-to-market exposure within approved limits.
• Work closely with risk, treasury, and finance teams on hedging and liquidity management.
• Ensure disciplined risk-adjusted returns and capital efficiency.

• Coordinate with logistics, operations, finance, and quality teams to ensure smooth execution.
• Manage contracts, customer servicing, claims, and shipment performance.
• Optimize freight and warehousing economics where relevant.

• 5–15 years of cocoa products or related soft commodities trading experience.
• Strong understanding of cocoa butter, powder, liquor, and cake markets.
• Existing relationships within the cocoa processing or chocolate industry preferred.
• Experience in international physical trading and derivatives hedging.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with an ownership mentality.
• High analytical and numerical capability.
• Ability to perform under pressure in volatile markets.
• Strong communication and relationship management skills.

• Processing economics and product ratios.
• Cocoa futures and options.
• Physical contract execution.
• Freight and logistics economics.
• Sustainability and traceability requirements.