Trade Finance Officer

A boutique, London based bank is seeking a Trade Finance Officer to join their dynamic team, offering the opportunity to play a pivotal role in supporting and enhancing the operational excellence of their Trade Finance Department. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment, values accuracy and compliance, and is passionate about delivering exceptional client service.

You will be at the heart of processing complex trade finance transactions, ensuring every detail aligns with global standards and internal policies. The organisation is committed to fostering a supportive culture where your expertise is valued, your professional growth is encouraged through ongoing training opportunities, and your contributions are recognised as essential to the success of both clients and colleagues.

What you'll do:

• Conduct first checks of documents presented under letters of credit, ensuring compliance with ICC rules such as UCP, URDG, and URC.
• Process all trade finance-related payments efficiently, producing relevant vouchers and documentation for each transaction.
• Book all accounting entries into the Equation system with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.
• Review letters of credit and amendments for workability before advising beneficiaries, maintaining clear communication throughout the process.
• Handle all required Swift messages relating to trade finance transactions in the 700 and 400 series, ensuring timely execution.
• Maintain up-to-date transaction registers by reconciling reported exposures with outstanding transactions for accurate record-keeping.
• Process issuance or amendment of bank guarantees including bid bonds, performance bonds, demand guarantees, and payment guarantees.
• Manage documentary collection orders both inward and outward while liaising with customers regarding discrepancies and providing technical guidance as needed.
• Support senior colleagues by assisting with management information reports, maintaining filing systems, scanning completed transactions into DSX Data store daily, and completing any additional departmental work as required.

What you bring:

• Demonstrate at least five years' experience working within the trade finance function of an international bank covering issuance, advising/confirming, amendment, and payment under letters of credit or guarantees.
• Possess comprehensive knowledge of ICC Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP), Uniform Rules for Collections (URC), Uniform Rules for Demand Guarantees (URDG), as well as familiarity with bid bonds and performance bonds.
• Show proficiency in using key banking systems such as Swift (especially 700/400 series), Equation core banking platform, Outlook email client, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, and Word documents.
• Display confidence when liaising directly with customers or beneficiaries regarding processed transactions or presented documentation.
• Exhibit awareness of anti-money laundering regulations along with practical experience conducting customer due diligence checks on all processed transactions.
• Understand how to work effectively with credit lines including performing limit checks on counterparties involved in trade finance deals.
• Hold or be working towards professional qualifications such as CDCS (Certificate for Documentary Credit Specialists) which would be considered advantageous but not mandatory.
• Communicate in a clear, transparent manner while acting with integrity professionalism sound judgement across all interactions internally externally alike.
• Collaborate effectively within teams contributing respectfully inclusively towards shared goals objectives whilst taking ownership accountability assigned tasks projects.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates