What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Cotton trader - Asia position at StoneX Group?
Overview
With 5,400 employees and over 80,000 institutional, commercial, and payments clients, we operate from more than 80 offices spread across six continents. As a Fortune 100, Nasdaq-listed provider, we connect clients to the global markets – focusing on innovation, human connection, and providing world-class products and services to all types of investors. Whether you want to forge a career connecting our retail clients to potential trading opportunities, or ingrain yourself in the world of institutional investing, StoneX Group is made up of four business segments that offer endless potential for progression and growth.
Commercial: With boots on the ground authenticity at the heart of everything we do, our comprehensive array of commercial products and services enable you to work directly with our clients, across hedging, risk management, execution and clearing, OTC products, commodity finance and more.
Job Purpose:
The Senior Cotton Trader (China Focus) is responsible for originating, structuring, and executing physical cotton sales into key Asian markets, with a primary focus on China, Indonesia, and foreign‑invested spinning mills in Vietnam. The role requires deep market intelligence, strong commercial negotiation capability, and disciplined risk management, alongside the ability to develop and sustain long‑term relationships with suppliers and mill customers to drive consistent market penetration and profitable growth.
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Trading & Commercial Execution
- Originate and execute physical cotton sales into China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
- Negotiate contracts covering pricing structures, quality specifications, delivery terms, and payment conditions.
- Structure transactions aligned with the company’s risk framework and overall trading strategy.
Market Analysis & Strategy
- Monitor global cotton markets, including supply and demand fundamentals, crop developments, logistics flows, and macroeconomic factors.
- Analyze cotton price trends with active management of arbitrage opportunities between ZCE and ICE to support profitable trade execution.
- Assess futures markets, basis levels, and spreads to optimize pricing and hedging decisions.
- Identify new trading opportunities, arbitrage structures, and market inefficiencies across Asian consumption markets.
Risk Management
- Manage price, basis, credit, counterpart, and logistical risks inherent in physical trading.
- Utilize futures and options to hedge exposures where appropriate.
- Ensure compliance with internal risk limits, credit policies, and regulatory requirements.
Relationship Management
- Build and maintain strong commercial relationships with growers, ginners, merchants, mills, agents, and brokers.
- Represent the company in contract negotiations, industry events, and market discussions.
- Expand the trading network across existing and emerging Asian markets.
Operational Coordination
- Work closely with operations, logistics, finance, and quality teams to ensure smooth contract execution.
- Oversee post‑trade activities including shipment execution, documentation, quality claims, and dispute resolution.
Leadership & Mentoring
- Mentor and support junior traders and commercial staff.
- Contribute to internal market intelligence sharing and the development of best trading practices.
Qualifications
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business, Economics, Finance, Agriculture, or a related field.
- Typically, 7–10 years of experience in cotton trading or related agricultural commodities.
- Proven track record of executing physical cotton sales into China, Indonesia, and/or Vietnam.
- Strong understanding of physical cotton contracts, INCOTERMS, futures hedging, and execution risk.
- In‑depth knowledge of major cotton origins and global consumption markets
To land this role you will need:
- Strong commercial judgment and decision‑making under uncertainty.
- Advanced negotiation and deal‑structuring capabilities.
- High level of numerical, analytical, and financial acumen.
- Excellent communication and long‑term relationship‑building skills.
- Ability to perform effectively in fast‑moving, high‑risk trading environments.
- Fluency in English; additional languages are an advantage.
- Willingness to travel as required.
Permanent, full-time, #LI-SD1