Team Leader – Trade Operations

About the role

The Team Leader – Trade Operations will oversee the end‑to‑end processing of letters of credit, guarantees, amendments, cancellations, closures, claims and related activities in line with the bank’s policies, SOPs, ICC guidelines and UCP/ISBP/ISP rules. The role supports multiple business segments across the UAE and International Banking Group, ensuring accurate transaction authorisation and swift customer service.

Key responsibilities

• Process and authorise trade finance transactions (LCs, guarantees, amendments, cancellations, claims) in the processing system and generate related SWIFT messages.
• Perform sanction checks on relevant parties and handle commodity trade operation documents.
• Ensure compliance with SOPs, OPMs, UCP/ISBP/ISP and ICC publications; monitor charge recovery and prevent revenue leakage.
• Address audit observations, close reconciliation entries, and resolve customer complaints promptly.
• Lead ad‑hoc projects, including automation initiatives and team huddles, and coordinate with on‑shore units for seamless delivery.
• Recommend updates to SOPs, OPMs, and training programmes to close knowledge gaps.

Required profile

• Proven experience in trade finance operations, including letters of credit and guarantees.
• Strong knowledge of ICC rules, UCP/ISBP/ISP standards and sanction screening procedures.
• Team management capability with ability to mentor and drive performance.
• Attention to detail and ability to handle multi‑disciplinary, multi‑cultural environments.

Required skills

• SWIFT messaging for trade finance.
• Sanction checking and compliance verification.
• Trade finance system transaction authorisation.
• Understanding of UCP, ISBP and ISP guidelines.
• Commodity trade documentation handling.