Head of Fertilizer Desk
Physical Commodity Trading
Location: Singapore
Career Zoom has been retained by an international trading organisation to appoint a Head of Fertilizer Desk to establish and profitably grow its international physical fertilizer trading business.
This is a working Desk Head position requiring direct business origination and trading. The successful candidate must be capable of developing executable business using established supplier and customer relationships rather than simply managing a team.
Product Scope
Relevant products include:
- Urea and nitrogen fertilizers | DAP/MAP and phosphates | MOP/SOP and potash | NPK | other bulk fertilizer products
Candidates are not expected to cover every category but should have a demonstrable trading track record across at least two core fertilizer categories .
Key Responsibilities
The Head of Fertilizer Desk will originate both purchase and sales opportunities, develop international trading flows and personally negotiate and execute transactions.
You will manage the entire commercial lifecycle — including pricing, contracting, trade finance, shipment, documentation, delivery, collections and claims — and carry responsibility for the desk's standalone P&L.
The role requires strong understanding of fertilizer specifications, freight, bulk/bagged cargoes, port handling, storage, quality issues, trade finance, seasonality, tenders and regulatory requirements.
Candidate Profile
We are looking for:
- Approximately 10+ years of physical fertilizer trading/merchandising experience
- A demonstrably profitable book across at least two fertilizer categories
- Established supplier, producer, importer, distributor and/or end-buyer relationships
- Proven independent trading-book/P&L ownership
- Ability to originate both sides of physical transactions
- Demonstrated realised margins and net contribution
- Strong understanding of working capital, credit and counterparty risk
- Experience with bulk/bagged cargo, freight, ports, documentation and claims
- An entrepreneurial, hands-on approach to building business
- Exposure to Africa and/or other import-dependent emerging markets would be particularly valuable.
This is strictly a physical trading mandate . Manufacturing, plant operations, agronomy, technical sales or fertilizer procurement experience without direct ownership of a profitable physical trading book will not be sufficient.