Job Description: Senior Manager- Business Development & Operations

Location:	India (with frequent travel domestic & international)
Reporting to:	CEO

Role Summary

This role sits at the intersection of business development, trading execution, and operations control.

The candidate will be responsible for managing & generating existing & new business, managing & developing relationships, and ensuring flawless execution of trades across key commodities and markets.

Commercially sharp, risk-aware, detail-oriented, and execution-focused.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Development & Relationship Management

• Manage and deepen relationships with existing:
  • Clients (buyers)
  • Suppliers (origins)
  • Brokers and intermediaries
• Develop new relationships across:
  • India, China, Vietnam, and SE Asia
  • African origins with key focus on markets.
• Expand network in trading hubs such as: Dubai, Singapore
• Identify and originate new trade opportunities across:
  • Sesame, RCN (cashew), soybeans, pulses
  • New products and new markets where viable in line with company strategy.

2. Trade Origination & Commercial Ownership

• Bring in profitable trade opportunities aligned with company risk parameters.
• Evaluate trades with a trader’s mindset:
  • Margins vs. risk
  • Counterparty reliability
  • Logistics feasibility
  • Working capital impact
• Structure deals (FOB/CIF/CAD etc.) in coordination with management.
• Support pricing, negotiation, and contract alignment.

3. Trade Execution & Operations Control

• Ensure end-to-end execution of trades:
  • Contract → shipment → delivery → payment
• Coordinate & Monitor with internal teams across:
  • Origin offices
  • Documentation
  • Finance
  • Logistics
  • Shipment timelines
  • Vessel schedules
  • Documentation flow (BL, invoices, quality docs, etc.)
• Ensure timely collections and payments.

4. Problem Solving & Risk Management

• Act as the first line of response for:
  • Logistics disruptions
  • Documentation issues
  • Quality disputes
  • Payment delays
• Coordinate solutions across teams and stakeholders.
• Escalate critical risks early with clear solutions.
• Maintain commercial discipline under pressure.

5. Logistics & Documentation Oversight

• Work closely with logistics and documentation teams to ensure:
  • Accuracy and timeliness of documents
  • Smooth coordination with banks, shipping lines, and warehouses
  • Track shipments and documentation proactively
  • Ensure compliance with contract terms and trade standards

6. Market Intelligence & Strategic Inputs

• Track:
  • Price trends
  • Crop conditions
  • Supply-demand dynamics
• Provide actionable insights to management.
• Support expansion into:
  • East Africa origins
  • FOB trade structures

7. Represent company in trade conferences and shows internationally.

Candidate Profile

Experience

• Commodity trading / agri-trade
• Trade operations / execution
• International trading environment

Core Skills

• Strong commercial instinct (ability to think like a trader)
• Ability to balance margin, risk, and execution
• High ownership and accountability
• Strong coordination and follow-through
• Comfortable working across geographies and time zones

Personality Fit (Critical)

• Execution-focused, not theoretical
• Calm under pressure, solution-oriented
• High integrity and reliability
• Able to handle ambiguity and imperfect environments
• Not dependent on structure, can build it

Success Metrics

• New profitable trades originated and existing trades management.
• Strength and depth of client/supplier relationships.
• Smooth execution with minimal disruptions.
• Reduction in operational errors and delays.
• Improved working capital efficiency (cycle time awareness).

Opportunity

Full exposure to end to end trade cycle including trade finance, logistics, trading markets and negotiation across cultures builds a complete trading skillset, not just a narrow function.

The company is in a critical phase of restructuring and growth. The role allows to help shape processes, build relationships and create new trade flows with visible impact.

Work directly with the CEO.

High growth potential for the right candidate.

© 2024 Company Name. All rights reserved.