Trade Finance Manager

The Trade Finance Manager is responsible for overseeing all trade finance activities, including approval, disbursement, reporting, cash flow forecasting, and exposure management. The role ensures the efficient management of trade-related financial transactions, risk mitigation, and liquidity planning to support the organization's local and international trading operations.

The position requires a high level of financial acumen, attention to detail, and a proactive approach to process improvement, automation, and compliance to enhance efficiency and transparency in trade finance operations.

Key Responsibilities

Pitching Trade Finance and Sustainable Agriculture Products
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• Engage existing and new merchants, cooperatives, agribusinesses, processors, manufacturers, and trade houses to present and sell Zowasel's financial solutions, including invoice discounting, structured trade finance, factoring, and sustainability-linked financing.

Credit Risk Assessment and Customer Profiling
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• Evaluate the creditworthiness of potential borrowers using traditional and alternative data, including insights from Zowasel's ACESS platform, to de-risk lending and ensure compliance with financial and sustainability standards.

Trade Finance Structuring & Approval

• Design, structure, and approve trade finance products (e.g., letters of credit, guarantees, factoring) specifically for agricultural commodity transactions.
• Evaluate trade finance applications from cooperatives, agribusinesses, and merchants, assessing their creditworthiness in the context of agricultural supply chains.
• Evaluate credit line and BNPL applications from processors, manufacturers and trade houses in the context of agricultural supply chains.

Customer Profiling & Credit Risk Analysis

• Profile agribusiness clients (farmers, cooperatives, aggregators) to understand their business models, cash flow, production cycles, and trade patterns.
• Perform credit risk assessments, incorporating both traditional financial data and alternative data (e.g., production estimates, warehouse receipts, crop quality).
• Use advanced credit scoring tools and risk models (especially important in agrifinance, where income is seasonal and variable).

Disbursement & Cash Flow Management

• Oversee disbursement of trade finance facilities, ensuring funds are released based on documented trade flow (e.g., delivery, inspection, quality checks).
• Manage cash flow forecasting for trade transactions, anticipating working capital needs aligned with harvest cycles, shipping schedules, and payment timelines.

Exposure Tracking & Limit Management

• Track and monitor the exposure of the agrifinance portfolio (how much capital is tied to specific trade deals, clients, or commodities).
• Set and enforce trade finance limits (per client, per product, per region) to control risk.

Reporting & Performance Metrics

• Prepare regular reports for senior management on trade finance performance, utilisation, risk metrics, and credit quality.
• Develop KPIs (e.g., utilisation rate, default rate, average tenor, product mix) to track success and flag issues.

Process Optimisation & Automation

• Continuously improve trade finance workflows to make them efficient, scalable, and less manual. For example, integrate trade finance functionality into the Marketplace platform to automate document generation, payment triggers, reconciliation, etc.
• Work with tech/operations teams to embed trade finance capabilities into Zowasel's digital platforms (both front-end for clients and back-end for operations).

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Maintain and deepen relationships with banks, development finance institutions, and other trade financiers to source liquidity lines.
• Liaise with internal teams (credit, operations, agronomy, data) to coordinate trade financing and risk mitigation.
• Serve as Zowasel's trade finance expert internally, advising on transaction structure, risk, and product design.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure trade finance activities comply with regulatory standards, Anti‑Money Laundering (AML) requirements, and internal risk policies.
• Implement risk mitigants such as guarantees, payment escrow, insurance, or collateral (warehouse receipts) to protect Zowasel's exposure.

Training & Advisory

• Train Zowasel's sales or relationship teams on trade finance products, risks, and how to position them to agribusiness customers.
• Provide advisory services to farmer cooperatives and agribusinesses on how to use trade finance to manage working capital, reduce risk, and grow.
• Transaction Oversight and Disbursement
  : Manage trade finance approvals, facilitate timely disbursements, and monitor repayment schedules to maintain portfolio quality.
• Financial Monitoring and Reporting
  : Track exposure, cash flows, and repayment performance, providing regular reports to senior management and stakeholders.
• Process Improvement and Automation
  : Continuously refine trade finance processes, implement efficiency enhancements, and integrate digital tools on the Marketplace to scale financial access.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field.
• Professional certification (e.g., CTFP, CFA, ACCA, or equivalent) is an added advantage.
• Minimum of 5–7 years' experience in trade finance, treasury, or banking—preferably in agri-business, commodity trading, or export/import sectors.
• Strong knowledge of trade finance instruments (LCs, SBLCs, guarantees, collections) and international banking operations.
• Proven experience in financial reporting, cash flow forecasting, and risk management.
• Familiarity with ERP systems and digital finance tools.

Key Competencies

• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills.
• Excellent communication and negotiation abilities.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, financial reporting tools, and automation systems.
• Integrity, accountability, and sound judgment in financial decision-making.

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