Middle office & Cost control Officer

- Trade and Corporate accounting - Trading House - Oil

For our client, an oil trading company, we are currently looking for : Middle office & Cost control Officer Job Description Trade Capture & Verification - Record all confirmed trades (physical cargoes, paper/derivative positions) into the trading system (ETRM) accurately and on time - Match trade tickets against broker confirmations, contracts, and counterparty confirmations - Flag and resolve discrepancies between the front office (traders) and the deal entered in the system Expense & Cost Control - Collect and verify all trade-related invoices: freight, demurrage, port charges, storage, inspection, insurance, financing/interest costs - Check invoices against contractual terms (charter party, storage agreement, letters of credit) before approval - Ensure costs are allocated to the correct trade/cargo/deal for accurate P&L attribution Reconciliation - Reconcile trade positions, inventory movements, and costs between the ETRM/trading system and internal records - Reconcile counterparty statements, bank confirmations, and letters of credit against internal trade records - Investigate and resolve breaks before month-end close Handover to Accounting Firm - Prepare and package verified trade and expense data (supporting documentation, invoices, contracts) for the external accounting firm - Act as the point of contact for the accounting firm on queries related to trade data, invoices, or cost allocation - Maintain an audit trail for every transaction and cost item submitted Compliance & Controls - Ensure trades and costs comply with internal risk limits, credit approvals, and company policy - Support internal and external audits by providing documentation and explanations - Identify and escalate control weaknesses or process gaps The Successful Applicant Experience - 10+ years in trade support, middle office, or finance operations within an oil trading company (physical and/or paper crude/products trading) - Strong, hands-on experience with ETRM systems - Deep familiarity with physical oil trade documentation: bills of lading, charter parties, letters of credit, quality/quantity certificates - Good accounting understanding, including how trade and cost postings flow into journal entries, P&L, and balance sheet, sufficient to liaise credibly with the accounting firm

- Strong attention to detail and comfort reconciling large volumes of transactional data - Solid understanding of trade lifecycle (deal capture → logistics → invoicing → settlement) and of the underlying accounting entries it generates - Working knowledge of accounting principles and month-end close processes (accruals, provisions, cost allocation) as they apply to commodity trading - Advanced Excel skills; comfort with ERP/accounting software interfaces - Clear communicator able to work with traders, operations, logistics, and external accountants What's on Offer A permanent role in a medium size oil trading company