The posting
Role purpose
The Coffee Trader will develop and manage profitable physical green coffee business, with a particular focus on origination from Ethiopia. The role owns the trading cycle from origin development, market analysis and customer development through pricing, hedging, contract execution, logistics coordination, collection and final P&L. The successful candidate will combine a strong Ethiopian sourcing network with commercial initiative, disciplined risk management and close cross-functional execution.
Key responsibilities
- Develop and execute the green coffee trading strategy for assigned origins, products and customer markets.
- Lead Ethiopia origination by developing reliable supply channels with exporters, cooperatives, washing stations, producers and other approved origin partners.
- Maintain current knowledge of Ethiopian crop cycles, producing regions, grades, quality differentials, availability, local market dynamics and export requirements.
- Build and maintain relationships with producers, exporters, merchants, roasters and other commercial counterparties.
- Originate physical coffee and negotiate purchase and sales contracts, including price, quality, delivery, payment and Incoterms.
- Maintain the position book, forward book and daily P&L, ensuring accurate mark-to-market valuations and timely reporting.
- Monitor coffee futures, differentials, foreign exchange, freight, crop developments, weather, supply-demand fundamentals and regional market conditions.
- Hedge price exposure using appropriate futures and other approved instruments, operating within authorised trading and risk limits.
- Manage inventory, open positions and contractual exposures to protect margins and minimise basis, price, counterparty and execution risk.
- Coordinate closely with operations, logistics, quality, finance, trade finance and legal teams to ensure accurate and timely contract execution.
- Follow shipments, documents, claims, receivables and collections through to completion, escalating issues promptly.
- Identify new routes, origins, customers and product opportunities that can deliver sustainable volume and gross margin.
- Prepare forecasts, budgets, market reports and commercial recommendations for senior management.
- Comply with internal policies, counterparty limits, sanctions requirements, anti-bribery controls and applicable trading regulations.
Requirements
Candidate profile
- At least five years of relevant experience in physical green coffee trading, origination or a closely related soft-commodity trading role.
- Proven hands-on green coffee origination experience in Ethiopia is essential, supported by an active network of credible exporters, cooperatives, washing stations or producers.
- Strong knowledge of Ethiopian coffee regions, crop calendars, grades, quality profiles, differentials, local purchasing practices and export logistics.
- Demonstrated ownership of physical positions, trading P&L, forward books and mark-to-market reporting.
- Practical experience using coffee futures to hedge physical exposure and protect trading margins.
- Strong understanding of physical commodity contracts, logistics, quality specifications, Incoterms, trade finance and counterparty risk.
- Established commercial relationships in Ethiopia and the wider East African coffee market.
- Strong numerical, analytical and Excel skills, with the ability to turn market information into clear trading decisions.
- Commercially confident, disciplined and able to work independently while collaborating effectively with operational teams.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to negotiate across cultures and markets.
- Bachelor's degree in business, economics, finance, supply chain or another relevant discipline. A postgraduate qualification is advantageous.
- Willingness to travel internationally to origins, suppliers, customers and industry events.
- Success measures
- Profitable trading performance against agreed volume and gross-margin objectives.
- Accurate daily position, P&L and mark-to-market reporting.
- Compliance with approved risk, credit and counterparty limits.
- Timely contract execution, shipment performance and collection of receivables.
- Growth of sustainable supplier and customer relationships and development of viable new trading routes.
Personal attributes
Commercially driven and entrepreneurial, with sound judgement, integrity and a disciplined approach to risk. Comfortable taking ownership, working at pace and remaining close to the operational detail required to turn a trade into realised cash and margin.
Benefits
· Competitive salary with performance-based bonus.
· Opportunity to work in a global commodity environment.
· Exposure to international markets and leading industry players.
· Career development in a fast-growing trading team.
