Head of Structured Trade and Commodity Finance

Overview

Our client, a prominent financial institution in Nigeria, is seeking an experienced and visionary executive to lead their Structured Trade and Commodity Finance (STCF) division. Located in Lagos, this role reports directly to the CEO and requires strategic leadership to expand and manage the STCF operations focusing on the Nigerian and broader African commodity markets.

Key Responsibilities

• Formulate and implement the STCF division's strategic direction, driving growth by exploring new market opportunities, innovating financial products, and originating structured transactions with a diverse range of clients such as mid-tier and large corporates, multinational commodity traders, Oil & Gas downstream companies, and government-owned entities.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team of structurers, analysts, and compliance professionals, encouraging a collaborative environment, nurturing talent, and ensuring succession planning with an emphasis on local expertise.
• Oversee creation and execution of commodity finance products including pre-export financing, borrowing base facilities, prepayment structures, warehouse receipt financing, and customized regional financial solutions, while facilitating partnerships with sales, syndication, and capital-raising groups.
• Collaborate with Risk and Compliance teams to design comprehensive risk management frameworks addressing credit, market, operational, and liquidity risks, guaranteeing full regulatory adherence with Nigerian and international standards including CBN, SEC, Basel III, Dodd-Frank, and MiFID II.
• Act as a trusted consultant to major clients, tailoring STCF financial solutions to support corporate and project financing needs, and establish robust relationships with local and global investors and counterparties.
• Administer the division’s financial performance including profit and loss management, budgeting, and KPI monitoring to ensure targets related to revenue growth and capital returns are consistently met.
• Foster collaboration across departments to integrate STCF offerings within broader client solutions and contribute to enterprise-wide initiatives involving sustainability, ESG, digital transformation, and global strategic alignment.
• Maintain industry insight by tracking trends, regulatory developments, and economic factors affecting STCF locally and continent-wide; represent the company at industry forums and contribute thought leadership.

Additional Duties

• Guide strategic cascading to teams and align STCF opportunities with business expansion goals.
• Lead client pitching and develop strong stakeholder engagements within the bank and externally.
• Ensure all STCF administrative processes comply with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Drive ethical governance and corporate culture aligned with high standards and best practices.
• Recruit, train, counsel, evaluate employees, and support their professional growth while overseeing work quality.
• Support CEO’s market interface activities to enhance company visibility.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Mathematics, or related discipline; advanced qualifications like MBA, CFA, PhD, or JD highly regarded.
• Over 10 years’ experience in investment or corporate banking, global commodity trading, or development finance, with at least 5 years in executive leadership in STCF or related areas such as securitization or capital markets.
• Certifications such as ACCA, CFA, or CIBN preferred.
• Track record of originating and structuring commodity finance transactions and managing high-performing teams in emerging markets, especially Africa.
• Comprehensive understanding of the West African commodity sectors including mining, oil, agriculture, and other physical commodities.
• Strong expertise in STCF instruments, structuring, pricing, credit enhancement, risk frameworks, and regulatory capital requirements.
• Experienced in quantitative modeling, stress testing, and portfolio management within commodity finance.
• Thorough knowledge of Nigerian financial laws and international cross-border trade regulations.
• Familiarity with ESG and sustainable finance initiatives in developing regions is advantageous.
• Excellent leadership, negotiation, and cultural competency with ability to thrive under pressure.

Compensation

The position offers an annual remuneration package between ₦120,000,000 and ₦150,000,000, supplemented with additional benefits.