Product Control Manager – European Gas recruitment
Blue Chip Commodities Trading Company based in Canary Wharf, London, now looking for a Product Control Manager to lead their European Gas Product Control team.
The Product Control Manager is responsible for the leading the Product Control activities supporting a number of the Gas and Power trading books. The role will give the successful candidate experience of physical gas and power trading across the UK and Continental Europe along with paper gas, oil, FX products and physical embedded optionality.
Due to the Front Office growth agenda a significant part of the team’s responsibilities will be project based. This will include taking responsibility for incorporating new business into the portfolio and the continuous improvement of existing processes and systems. This will create a challenging, varied role and provide the right candidate an excellent opportunity to develop a deep understanding of the energy markets and further develop their leadership skills.
Reporting to the Head of Gas Power Product Control, your primary accountabilities will include:
• Lead a team of Product Control Analysts, managing priorities and resource requirements. Attract, develop, performance manage and retain staff to maintain a consistently high level of expertise with the team.
• Manage the delivery of robust, fit-for-purpose operational controls to support the trading bench, including daily exposure and PL reporting, limit monitoring and monthly MI to accounts reconciliations.
• Own the month-end and quarter-end processes, including accountability for ensuring that Product Control outputs are compliant with Group standards and IFRS accounting policy.
• Support Gas Trading’s growth agenda and ensure that new business is incorporated into the portfolio is a controlled way.
• Encourage a culture of continuous improvement to increase efficiency and effectiveness of processes and controls.
• Influence the IT system agenda to ensure that all Product Control system needs are met.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Front Office, Risk, Compliance, IT and other Finance teams.
Essential experience and job requirements
• Extensive Product Control experience gained within an Investment Bank, Energy Major or Commodities Trading House.
• Experience of commodity trading, physical optionality and an understanding of energy markets would be beneficial.
• An accountancy qualification is desirable though not essential if equivalent experience is possessed.
• Previous management experience and a track record of successfully leading a high performance team.
• A deep understanding of trading concepts and exposure and the key controls required to support a trading business.
• An understanding of financial options and knowledge of how to value and control complex embedded optionality.
• A good understanding of the accounting policy relevant to a trading business.
• Strong IT skills and aptitude, experience of driving IT system improvements.
• Strong analytical capabilities and high degree of numeracy.
• Good interpersonal skills and a team player, able to build working relationships
within and across teams.
• Able to take an independent approach and challenge where appropriate.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to communicate complex
issues simply.