Role Overview

This is an exciting prospect to join ED&F; Man Commodities’ cotton trading business as Trade Assistant – Cotton, providing critical support to the trading team and ensuring the efficient management and execution of physical cotton trades. Working closely with traders, global trading teams and internal operations, logistics and finance functions, you will play a central role in maintaining accurate trading positions, managing contracts, monitoring hedge exposures and coordinating trade execution through to final settlement.

The role will focus on strengthening trading support processes, improving position visibility and reporting accuracy, and leveraging data, automation and digital tools to enhance the efficiency and control of the trading desk. You will act as a key link between the front office and operational functions, ensuring timely information flows, effective coordination and robust controls, while enabling traders to focus on commercial activities and business development.

Position Title: Trade Assistant – Cotton

Location: Mumbai, India

Position Type: Full-time

Schedule: Office based

Business Overview

ED&F; Man Cotton driven by an ambition to become a leading trader of raw cotton, serving customers around the world. The breadth of ED&F; Man Commodities existing operations provides ED&F; Man Cotton with offices in major cotton producing regions and expertise in operating sustainable containerised supply chains, underpinned by robust risk management procedures.

ED&F; Man is owned by Hartree Partners, LP a leading global merchant commodities firm facilitating the flow of energy, metals, agriculture, and environmental products across the full commodity supply chain, connecting producers and consumers. Hartree was founded in 1997, is jointly owned by senior management and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, LP, and employs around 5,000 individuals worldwide.

Key Accountabilities

- Ensure accurate and timely capture of physical purchase and sales transactions within trading systems, leveraging automation wherever possible.
- Prepare and manage purchase and sales contracts, ensuring agreed commercial terms are reflected and contractual obligations are monitored through to settlement.
- Maintain accurate trading books, physical positions and hedge records, reconciling contracts, inventory, shipments and futures positions.
- Produce daily position, P&L;, mark-to-market and exposure reports, providing timely visibility of the trading portfolio.
- Monitor open positions, investigate discrepancies and resolve position breaks, supporting accurate daily and month-end reporting.
- Monitor hedge allocations,



futures, basis and pricing exposures against physical positions, escalating mismatches and risk exceptions.
- Coordinate with traders, Operations, Logistics, Quality and Finance to ensure efficient fulfilment of physical cotton contracts.
- Track shipments, warehouse movements, inventory and delivery commitments, keeping traders informed of execution progress and outstanding actions.
- Liaise with counterparties, suppliers, customers and brokers on contracts, deliveries and trade documentation, resolving routine issues promptly.
- Develop and maintain trading dashboards covering positions, commitments, hedge coverage, inventory, shipments and contract performance.
- Ensure data integrity, reporting accuracy and transparency across trading and operational information.
- Work with the AI Analyst to automate trade capture, position monitoring and reporting, reducing manual processes and improving efficiency.
- Support the development of integrated dashboards, digital workflows and system enhancements to improve visibility and information flows.
- Maintain accurate trade documentation and operational controls, ensuring compliance with company policies, governance and audit requirements.
- Support audits and compliance reviews, including KYC documentation, counterparty records and contractual approvals.
- Continuously identify opportunities to simplify processes, strengthen controls and improve trading support efficiency.

Skills and Experience:

- 3-7 years’ experience in commodity trade support, trading operations or commercial administration, ideally within cotton or agricultural commodities.
- Good understanding of physical commodity trading, including trade capture, contract management, position monitoring and execution.
- Experience managing trading positions, reconciling physical and hedge exposures, and producing accurate trading reports.
- Understanding of commodity hedging, futures markets and risk management principles.
- Strong analytical, numerical and organisational skills, with excellent attention to detail and reconciliation capabilities.
- Advanced Excel skills; experience with Power BI, dashboard development and reporting automation would be advantageous.
- Experience with commodity trading systems (CTRM),



with ITAS or similar platforms highly desirable.
- An interest in process improvement, automation and digital tools to enhance reporting accuracy and operational efficiency.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across trading, operations, logistics and finance teams.
- Proactive, commercially aware and solutions-oriented, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced trading environment.
- Cotton industry experience and knowledge of physical cotton trading processes would be highly advantageous.

We recognise that talent comes in many forms, and we value potential just as much as experience. If this role excites you but you don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply.

Our Offer

We provide a fast-paced, stimulating and truly global environment, which will stretch your abilities and channel your talents. We also offer competitive salary and benefits combined with outstanding career development opportunities in one of the global leaders in soft commodity trading.

Our Values

Respect, Integrity, Meritocracy, Client Focus, Entrepreneurship

Our values define who we are. They are the fundamental beliefs that determine our actions and guide our behaviour. They influence the way we communicate and collaborate, and define the way we engage with our clients, partners, and communities. Our values are underpinned by a set of essential behaviours, which form part of our performance management approach. Delivering on our objectives is very much about ‘what’ we do, but these essential behaviours also provide a guide and measure for ‘how’ we do things. Our performance essentials are Take Initiative, Self‐Management, Deliver Results and Collaboration.

Our Commitment

We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive and diverse work environment where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment and are focussed on actively building and developing diverse teams. All qualified applicants will receive equal treatment without regard to race, colour, sex, gender, age, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, marital or civil partner status, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment (identity, gender expression), genetic information or any characteristic protected by local law.

We are willing to make any reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

To apply you must have the right to work for the provided location.

📌 Trade Assistant (Mumbai)
🏢 ED&F Man
📍 Mumbai