Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Head of Middle Office to lead and oversee the middle office function across a diverse portfolio of traded physical commodities. This role is responsible for ensuring the integrity of trade lifecycle processes, providing robust P&L oversight, and driving operational excellence across multiple locations. The successful candidate will act as a key liaison between commercial, operational, risk, and finance teams while fostering a strong control environment and supporting business growth through process optimization and technology enhancements.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Lead and manage the Middle Office function across all traded physical commodity businesses, ensuring effective controls and operational excellence.
- Build, develop, and mentor a high-performing team of Middle Office Analysts located across multiple offices and jurisdictions.
- Oversee trade capture, deal validation, and physical versus financial trade matching processes to ensure accuracy, completeness, and timely resolution of discrepancies.
- Manage daily profit and loss (P&L) reporting and attribution, mark-to-market valuations, and exposure monitoring activities.
- Ensure robust oversight of position management and valuation controls.
- Own and manage the configuration, enhancement, and optimization of the Aspect ETRM platform, ensuring it effectively supports business requirements and operational processes.
- Act as the primary interface between Trading, Chartering/Shipping Operations, Credit, Finance, and other support functions to ensure seamless communication and issue resolution.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across middle office processes, controls, reporting, and governance frameworks.
- Identify and implement digital solutions and automation opportunities to enhance operational efficiency, data quality, and risk transparency.
- Support the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and best practices to strengthen the control environment and ensure compliance with internal standards.
- Provide leadership in resolving complex operational, valuation, and risk-related issues while supporting strategic business initiatives.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience
- Extensive experience within a Middle Office, Risk, or Trade Control function in commodity trading.
- Deep knowledge of physical commodity contracts and the associated trade lifecycle processes.
- Strong understanding of market risk fundamentals, including curve structures, forward pricing methodologies, exposure measurement, and key risk metrics.
- Comprehensive knowledge of derivative products and their application within commodity trading businesses.
- Proven experience managing and developing teams within a fast-paced trading environment.
- Hands-on experience with ETRM systems, preferably Aspect, including system configuration, process enhancement, and optimization.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across multiple functions and levels of the organization.
- Strong quantitative, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities with keen attention to detail.
- Ability to proactively identify, investigate, and resolve complex issues with minimal supervision.
- Self-motivated and capable of operating effectively in a dynamic and evolving business environment.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and drive process improvements simultaneously.
- Critical thinker with continuous improvement mindset and a passion for enhancing controls, reporting, and operational efficiency.
- Demonstrated ability to lead change initiatives and implement innovative digital solutions that improve business processes and decision-making.
Advantageous, but not essential skills and experience:
- Accuracy and integrity of trade capture, valuation, and P&L reporting.
- Effectiveness of risk monitoring and control processes.
- Successful development and performance of the Middle Office team.
- Delivery of process improvements, automation initiatives, and system enhancements.
- Quality of stakeholder engagement and support provided to commercial and operational teams.
- Strength of the control environment and reduction of operational risk across the trade lifecycle.
- Previous experience in a company with significant industrial or physical asset operations, such as refinery ownership and operation, would be a strong advantage.
- Proficiency with Power BI or similar data visualisation tools to analyse operational data and present insights in a clear and effective manner.
About the Klesch Group and its culture
The Klesch Group is an entrepreneurial industrial commodities business, focused on the refining and trading of energy and raw materials, including oil, chemicals and associated products. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Geneva, the Group operates a portfolio of industrial assets across Europe and has built a reputation for operational excellence, strategic acquisitions, and a proven ability to deliver results in complex market environments. With a strong emphasis on value creation and long-term growth, the Klesch Group offers a challenging, high-performance and collaborative environment for where innovation and commercial insight are highly valued.
For more information about the Klesch Group please visit our website at www.klesch.com
- The Klesch Group is committed to supporting equality and diversity and aims to cultivate and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruitment efforts are designed to attract and retain the most talented individuals from all sections of the communities in which we operate and from all ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, beliefs, gender identities and disabilities or any other characteristic protected by law.*
- If you require more information about our equal opportunities policy or wish to discuss any accessibility requirements or reasonable adjustments, please contact the HR team.*