The Freight Trader will play a crucial role as part of the global Freight Commercial Handysize and Supramax team, segmented by vessel size with region specific responsibilities. The Freight Platform is an independent profit center with the mandate of acting as a proprietary freight trader/operator.
As part of the Vancouver Freight Commercial team, this position will focus on the Pacific Northwest region, with responsibilities across pricing, positioning, business development and contract execution. This role involves interaction with both internal and external cargo customers, whilst also commercially manages the period fleet, optimizing the regional program. The Freight Trader role demands a keen ability to navigate and interpret complex market dynamics, and has a focus on expanding our reach and access with industrial cargo clients. Responsibilities include:
Pricing of Freight and Rate Negotiation:
- Accurately price, sell and manage freight risks for internal clients
- Develop 3rd party relationships on cargo and owning side, to complement and expand base internal cargo flow
- Optimize regional position through arbitrage of derivative hedges and physical positions; cargoes (internal/external), contracts and period vessels
- Participate in external markets, spot and forward, to identify ‘replacement’ market prices
- Utilize in-house research and data analytics to identify market ‘mispricing’ and relative value trading opportunities
- Use the price forecast as the basis for generating firm freight rates to provide to internal commodity traders for completion of CNF sales and market research as well as for the basis of external trading on cargoes, contracts and period vessels
- Identify and trade arbitrage and hedging opportunities in the freight derivatives and futures market, and assess the opportunity of applying a period ship or new period ship fixture against a freight sale
Position Management:
- Orchestrate and execute the optimization and profitable arbitrage of the regional book, interacting with other regional traders to find the net best employment for period vessels
- Work in tandem with the regional offices including Singapore and Geneva to optimize trading strategy of LDC physical cargo/tonnage book
- Liaise with the internal commodity teams to anticipate demand while ensuring smooth internal shipment program
Business Development:
- Expand third party network with a particular focus on accessing industrial cargo clients and bypassing operator/trader intermediaries
- Seek for both spot, medium and long-term opportunities, including COAs and joint ventures
Freight Contract Execution:
- Work closely with Freight Operations to stay on top of the itineraries, stow plans, and voyage execution PnLs. Ensure all documentary and administrative requirements are complete in a timely manner
- Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and/or to determine the need for changes; consult the Senior Trader on unusual price strategy, policy and operational issues if necessary/applicable
- Adhere to the Corporate and/or Platform Risk, Credit, Compliance, and Ethics guidelines