Commodity Trader

Alistair Group is one of East and Southern Africa’s fastest growing service companies, providing a variety of self-delivered logistics solutions across several geographies, aimed with the vision to Make Africa Work Better! With core competencies in road freight, warehousing, commodity trading and operational hire of material handling equipment, the Group strives for continuous expansion of innovative ancillary services to grow the business vertically, complimented by a healthy dose of entrepreneurial flair. The business has gone from strength to strength, growing quickly in both its geographical coverage and variety of services offered to clients. In 2024, the Group exceeded the 1000 employee mark, and managed a fleet of well over 1000 trucks. With Alistair’s aggressive and exciting growth strategy, the Group is poised for significant further expansion and a greater impact in Africa.

Core Services:

1. Freight Forwarding
2. Clearance & Forwarding
3. Energy Industry Support Services
4. Equipment Rental
5. Commodity Trading
6. Integrated Solutions
7. Warehousing
8. Ocean Freight

Industries:

1. Minding
2. Oil & Gas
3. Agriculture
4. Construction
5. Explosives
6. Renewables

Mission

To make Africa work better

Company Values

Honesty, Customer Focus, Continual Improvement, Humility, and Safety.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

1. Full P&L responsibility for the commodity trading portfolio of the Group.
2. P&L responsibility includes, but is not limited to, the cash flow responsibility and engagement with the Cash Team, and other Finance functions, to ensure optimal cash flow management and forecasting, as well as management of the various cash flow cycles relating to the trading portfolio of the Group.
3. Overall Business Development function relating to Trading.
4. Working closely with the Pricing Lead to ensure pricing is effectively executed upon for all tenders and business development opportunities.
5. The identification and development of the most commercially attractive trading and business opportunities existing within- and supporting the Group’s integrated logistics solutions services.
6. To ensure that the Group wins as much work and maximizes profitability related to commodity trading as well as business development in order to strategically position the company for continued growth, as well as growing the operating profit of the trading portfolio and overall business.
7. Directly manage and develop your direct reports to ensure the development of the team and to ensure that they are aligned with the Group strategy in pursuing the best trading opportunities.
8. Develop a pipeline of future opportunities relating to the Trading portfolio.
9. People Management: Manage and develop direct reports.
10. Overall accountability for the quotation process ensuring accuracy and expedition on the documenting process.
11. Accountability for the communication and interaction with all departments involved in completing quotations.
12. Accountability for ensuring that the Trading Team updates and maintains the pricing database, cost and transit times.
13. Maintain a competitor analysis to assist strategically and for trading to achieve maximum profitability.
14. Provide overall leadership to the Trading Team and promote continual improvement, humility and safety across the Group.
15. Customer Relationship Management: update and maintain customer information and client interaction database.
16. Accountability for quick resolution of customer issues and queries.
17. Initiate communications with internal and external customers when appropriate to resolve issues or convey information.

Education, Skills & Qualifications

1. Relevant tertiary education in Business Management, Supply Chain Management or logistics.
2. 10 years’ successful track record in a similar position.
3. Mandarin speaking with experience living in China.
4. Experience in the Logistics Industry would be an advantage, alternatively Freight Forwarding, Supply Chain Management, the Mining sector and/or Business Development.
5. Well organized and has good attention to detail.
6. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, coupled with strong commercial acumen.
7. Strong leadership skills and the ability to innovate.
8. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Mandarin.

The Company reserves the right to withdraw from the recruitment process at any time, at its sole discretion. The sharing of any aptitude test, assessment, or invitation to an interview does not constitute an offer of employment or guarantee any future employment with the Company. Candidates acknowledge that progression through any stage of the recruitment process does not imply or ensure an eventual offer of employment.

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