Trader (Maize & Beans)

Duties & Responsibilities

Grain Marketing Strategies:

• Identify trading opportunities through supply and demand analysis, arbitration potential, spread trading, and flat price trading.
• Develop professional relationships with a portfolio of agricultural customers by providing proactive grain marketing strategies that consider customer needs, profitability, market information, and risk.
• Utilize internal and external networks with International Futures Exchange entities and specialized areas such as Agricultural Products Division SA, Safex desk, agricultural advisors, credit agricultural department, and farmers associations to optimize the customer’s grain marketing strategy.
• Advise customers on the risks associated with grain marketing strategies.
• Implement grain marketing strategies via APD Safex desk, Futures Markets, or through facilitating physical transactions in the spot market.

Grain Price Management (New Business and Retention):

• Manage grain prices through daily trading on Futures Exchanges, Safex, and supervising bids to Co-ops where applicable to achieve budgeted financial results.
• Deliver presentations and seminars to retain or gain new business.

Sales Management:

• Market new and existing products to customers.
• Ensure the profitability and retention of each account within the portfolio.
• Manage sales targets and plan marketing initiatives in line with business unit goals.
• Execute daily call programs to optimize sales efforts.
• Manage customer relationships and execute trades on their behalf.
• Provide market analysis and advice.
• Distribute relevant market information to customers.

Risk Management:

• Monitor the agricultural market, including climatic conditions and competitor activity, to understand the potential and risk profile of each portfolio.
• Manage overall company risk and exposure to the local market, including commodity and forex positions where applicable.
• Perform regular crop estimates for input cost insurance purposes.
• Monitor and report on customer exposures that could place the company at risk.
• Ensure adherence to ethical practices and compliance with all SOL/Corp procedures and policies.

Personnel Activities:

• Oversee and train Traders and Junior Traders.

Education & Experience:

• Understanding of options trading, technical analysis, and experience in risk management.
• Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics, Finance, Business Administration, or International Trade preferred.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in trading agricultural markets.
• Good understanding of commodity, financial, and trading markets and strategies.
• Proficiency in English; additional languages are advantageous.
• Ability to interpret complex data and draw actionable insights.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements governing trading and financial markets.
• Excellent understanding of international Futures markets, SAFEX, and FAIS certification/compliance.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, especially Excel.

Other Qualifications:

• Advanced degree is advantageous.
• Proficiency in technical analysis tools and platforms.
• Advanced user of Excel and PowerBI.
• Knowledge of programming is useful.
• Familiarity with trading software, spreadsheets, and financial modeling tools.
• FAIS Certified/compliant.

Core Competencies:

• Effective communication and relationship-building skills.
• Commercially astute and perceptive.
• Target-driven and ambitious.
• Detail-oriented.
• Strong commitment to integrity, professionalism, and ethical conduct.
• Collaborative mindset.
• Strong analytical and qualitative skills.
• Engages others effectively.
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution abilities.
• Demonstrates self-awareness.
• Drives efficiencies and manages complexity.
• Project management skills.
• Cultivates innovation.
• Situational adaptability.
• Systems-focused.
• Optimizes business processes.
• Self-driven and motivated.
• Analytical mindset with proven negotiation skills.
• Finesse and tact to represent the company in front of customers.

To Apply: Please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and qualifications. We look forward to reviewing your application.