Trade Finance Senior Officer

We are looking for a Trade Finance Officer/Senior Officer to join us in the Trade Finance Department. This is a back-office function that handles end-to-end processing, document checking, settlement, compliance, and record-keeping for all trade products-strictly following regulatory compliance related to AML/CFT and bank policies and procedures.

1. Transaction Processing

• Letters of Credit (LC) & SBLC / Guarantees: Handle end-to-end issuance, advising, confirmation, amendment, transfer, back-to-back, sight/usance LCs, and Standby Letters of Credit (SBLC), including managing modifications, claim processing, and final discharge.
• Documentary Collections: Process import/export bills under Document against Payment (D/P) and Document against Acceptance (D/A).
• Bills & Financing: Execute bill negotiation, discounting, acceptance, reimbursement, pre/post-shipment finance, supply chain finance, trust receipts, and factoring.
• Remittances: Prepare, verify, and process high-value global and local trade-related fund transfers via SWIFT MT/MX (e.g., pacs.008, pacs.009, camt.053 series) formats.
• Payments & Settlements: Handle Nostro/Vostro account liquidations, trade finance payment settlements, and accurate calculation and booking of interest/fees.
• Amendments & Cancellations: Process transaction modifications, check validity, obtain internal approvals, and update core systems.
• Account Administration: Administer fixed deposit and current account transactions, including corporate loan or treasury settlement support where required.
• Reconciliation: Reconcile trade finance transactions with accounting records and general ledgers to ensure absolute data accuracy.

2. Document Examination

• Regulatory Compliance: Check all trade and shipping documents meticulously against LC terms and international guidelines such as UCP 600, ISBP, and URC 522.
• Document Verification: Verify key trade and shipping documents (including Bills of Lading, commercial invoices, packing lists, insurance certificates, and certificates of origin/inspection/quality) to ensure they are fully consistent, complete, and meet trade compliance and regulatory guidelines.
• Discrepancy Resolution: Identify discrepancies, highlight irregularities, raise technical queries, resolve issues with customers or correspondent banks, prepare discrepancy notices, and decide acceptance/rejection.

3. Compliance, Risk & Control

• Sanctions Screening: Conduct mandatory anti-financial crime and sanctions checks before processing any trade transaction.
• Credit & Risk Review: Verify client credit limit availability, facility validity, and collateral coverage to mitigate operational risk.
• Risk Mitigation: Identify potential red-flag items, flag high-risk transactions, and report suspicious activities in the Trade Product Register List.
• Regulatory Alignment: Follow MAS regulations, international sanctions (OFAC, UN, EU), and internal bank policies.
• Internal Controls: Ensure dual-control (Maker/Checker) workflows, approval authorizations, and strict audit trails are followed at all times.

4. SWIFT & System Operations

• Message Construction: Prepare, verify, or authorize all trade-related SWIFT messages accurately using MT/MX standards.
• Core Banking Input: Input transactions into core banking platforms, post corresponding accounting entries, and reconcile data.
• Screening Systems: Perform required sanctions, anti-money laundering, and maritime compliance verifications using World-Check One, external tracking registries, and dedicated vessel and port checks.
• Data Management: Maintain transaction logs, perform physical-to-digital scanning of trade documents, and file electronic archives securely to ensure seamless audit retrievability.

5. Customer Support

• Client Advisory: Respond promptly and professionally to inquiries from corporate customers and correspondent banks, providing specialized guidance and technical advice on trade transactions.
• Status Communication: Provide proactive transaction status updates, clear explanations of technical operational workflows, and official settlement confirmations to external clients.
• Internal Stakeholder Liaison: Manage communication touchpoints with internal business units (Middle Office, Compliance, GTS) to ensure alignment on customer expectations and service delivery.

6. Reporting and Others

• Operational Fixes & Follow-ups: Resolve day-to-day operational bottlenecks, shipping/payment delays, outstanding transaction follow-ups, and documentation discrepancies.
• Management Reporting: Prepare daily, monthly, and ad-hoc management reports detailing trade transactions, fees received, and facility utilization.
• Audit & Submissions: Support internal/external audits, regulatory submissions, and internal business reviews.
• Month-End Closing: Support month-end closing activities related to trade finance to meet strict reporting deadlines.
• Client Statements: Prepare and dispatch monthly statements and trade advice to customers.
• Process Optimization: Assist in updating operational manuals, and participate in process improvements, automation initiatives, and new system User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
• Ad-hoc Duties: Carry out any other ad-hoc duties as assigned by the Management.

Qualifications

1. Education: Diploma and above in Banking, Finance, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
2. Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of core Trade Finance Operations experience within a Financial Institution / Bank.
3. Technical Skills: Deep understanding of Trade Operations frameworks (UCP 600, ISBP, URC 522), SWIFT MT/MX processing, and compliance screening tools. Possessing a CDCS (Certified Documentary Credit Specialist) or CSDG qualification is highly preferred.
4. Competencies: Meticulous eye for detail, strong risk awareness, and the ability to work effectively under pressure to meet tight daily cut-off deadlines.
5. Soft Skills: Superior communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with all relevant parties. Ability to work independently as well as seamlessly within a team.