Brief description:
We are seeking a highly analytical Financial Analyst to join our client’s team in Dubai. The ideal
candidate will have experience within Oil & Gas, Energy, Commodity Trading, or a related
trading environment, with strong expertise in trade-driven financial P&L analysis, cost-center
monitoring, cost allocation, budgeting, forecasting, and profitability analysis.
The role will primarily focus on understanding and analyzing the financial performance
of trading activities, including trade P&L, commodity-related costs, shipping and
logistics expenses, operational cost drivers, and variances against budget and forecast. The
successful candidate will work closely with trading and operational teams to identify the key
drivers of profitability and provide accurate, timely financial insights to support
trading decisions.
Familiarity with oil and gas pricing formulas, commodity pricing mechanisms,
benchmarks, differentials, and trading economics would be a significant advantage and highly
valuable to the business.
Responsibilities:
• Analyse and monitor daily/weekly/monthly trading P&L and provide clear explanations of
key movements and variances.
• Analyse trade profitability by commodity, transaction, product, customer, supplier, trade,
and business activity.
• Identify and monitor the key P&L and cost-center drivers associated with trading activities.
• Analyse actual trading performance against budget, forecast, prior periods, and
expected trade economics.
• Investigate P&L variances and identify the underlying operational, pricing, volume, freight,
or cost drivers.
• Monitor and analyse commodity-related costs, shipping, freight, transportation, storage,
handling, and other trade-related expenses.
• Analyse the financial impact of different shipping and logistics arrangements on
individual trades and overall profitability.
• Review procurement, outsourcing, and operational costs associated with trading activities
and assess their impact on margins.
• Support the preparation of trade-level profitability analysis, margin analysis, management
reports, and P&L summaries.
• Develop and maintain financial models to assess trade economics, margins, costs,
sensitivities, and scenarios.
• Analyse commodity pricing, margins, and profitability and support the trading team with
financial insights.
• Apply or analyse oil and gas pricing formulas, benchmark-linked pricing, differentials,
premiums/discounts, and other commodity pricing mechanisms, where applicable.
• Reconcile trading P&L and investigate discrepancies between trade records,
operational data, invoices, settlements, and financial reporting.
• Monitor cost-center performance and ensure costs are accurately allocated to the
relevant trades, products, activities, or business units.
• Analyse the impact of price movements, volumes, freight rates, exchange rates, and
other market or operational factors on trading profitability.
• Support budgeting and forecasting primarily from a trade P&L and cost-driver perspective.
• Develop meaningful KPIs and analytical reports to help management and
traders understand profitability and cost performance.
• Identify cost inefficiencies, margin leakage, financial risks, and opportunities to improve
trading profitability.
• Work closely with Trading, Finance, Operations, Logistics, Procurement, and Commercial
teams to validate trade and cost information.
• Maintain accurate financial databases, P&L reports, analytical models, and cost
center reporting.
• Ensure the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of trading and financial data.
• Provide timely, data-driven analysis and recommendations to support trading and
operational decisions.
Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a
related field.
• Relevant experience as a Financial Analyst, Trading Analyst, Commercial Analyst, P&L
Analyst, Cost Analyst, or similar role.
• Previous experience in Oil & Gas, Energy, Commodity Trading, Shipping, or a trading
related environment is strongly preferred.
• Strong experience in trade P&L analysis, cost analysis, margin analysis, and financial
performance reporting.
• Good understanding of trading economics and commodity-related cost structures.
• Experience analysing shipping, freight, logistics, storage, procurement, and other trade
related costs is highly advantageous.
• Strong understanding of cost-center drivers and cost allocation, particularly in relation to
trading activities.
• Experience with financial modelling, budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and
profitability analysis.
• Knowledge of oil and gas pricing formulas and commodity pricing mechanisms is a
major advantage.
• Familiarity with pricing benchmarks, differentials, premiums/discounts, and formula
based commodity pricing would be highly valuable.
• Strong Excel and financial modelling skills; experience with ERP, trading, or financial
reporting systems is an advantage.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to work with large volumes of financial, operational, and trading data.
• Ability to translate complex financial and trading data into clear, actionable insights.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to
work effectively with traders, finance teams, operations, and management.
Compensation & Working Hours
Salary: Attractive salary & benefits
Working Hours: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday
Location: Downtown Dubai, UAE