Head, Product, Structured Trade & Commodity Finance

This senior role at Liberty, based in Johannesburg, centres on leading and defining the strategic direction for the Structured Trade and Commodity Finance (STCF) portfolio. The objective is to ensure the commercial viability and scalable growth of STCF offerings, such as pre-export finance, borrowing base facilities, and inventory-backed lending, all while operating within the company's risk appetite and adhering to stringent regulatory and credit frameworks. This is a critical leadership position that requires a deep understanding of complex financial structures and a forward-thinking approach to product development and portfolio management.

About the role

The Head of Product for STCF will be instrumental in shaping the entire product lifecycle. This includes the meticulous design of product constructs, the establishment of robust collateral frameworks, and the precise definition of eligibility criteria for various asset-backed solutions. A key function will be to develop and maintain the methodologies, margining rules, covenant structures, and reporting standards that govern these complex transactions. The role demands a leader capable of managing the full spectrum of product management, from the initial origination and structuring of deals through to their execution, ongoing monitoring, strategic enhancement, and eventual exit.

Furthermore, this position involves establishing and overseeing governance frameworks. This encompasses the creation of standard deal templates, the definition of security packages, and the rigorous enforcement of collateral control standards and operational risk thresholds. The incumbent will also be responsible for defining and monitoring portfolio limits across various dimensions, including countries, obligors, commodities, and entire ecosystems, ensuring strict alignment with concentration, sovereign, and counterparty risk appetites.

The responsibilities for this pivotal role are broad and impactful, touching upon strategy, commercialisation, risk management, and operational efficiency. You will be expected to:

• Develop and maintain strategic product architecture for STCF, ensuring commercial scalability within defined risk appetites.
• Design and implement methodologies, margining rules, covenant structures, and reporting standards aligned with client risk profiles.
• Lead the full lifecycle management of the STCF product suite, from origination to exit.
• Establish and maintain robust governance frameworks, including deal templates and collateral control standards.
• Define and monitor portfolio limits across various risk parameters to manage concentrations effectively.
• Create deal structuring playbooks and pricing frameworks to ensure consistency and competitive positioning.
• Drive the commercialisation of STCF across target industries and client segments through strategic distribution channels.
• Support sales and coverage teams in client engagement and positioning STCF as a strategic enabler of trade flows.
• Monitor portfolio performance, focusing on risk-adjusted returns, RWA intensity, and early-warning indicators.
• Optimise product-level capital by designing structures that balance commercial outcomes with regulatory and liquidity requirements.
• Lead proactive portfolio interventions, such as restructuring and collateral enhancements, to safeguard asset quality.
• Champion digitisation and technology enablement within STCF, including solutions for collateral tracking and real-time monitoring.
• Introduce automation and workflow simplification to enhance operational controls and client onboarding efficiency.
• Elevate documentation standards and legal robustness for improved enforceability.
• Provide oversight during deal execution to ensure adherence to risk frameworks and operational readiness.

What they're looking for

Successful candidates will possess a strong educational background, ideally a First Degree in Business Commerce, coupled with substantial experience in the structured trade and commodity finance sector. Specifically, applicants should bring between 5 to 7 years of direct experience in STCF. Crucially, the role requires demonstrated experience in leading teams within this specialised field and a proven track record of implementing systems and product solutions.

A deep and advanced understanding of STCF and Transaction Banking is essential, supported by broad operational and strong functional skills. Candidates should also have over 10 years of experience in simplifying operational workflows to achieve faster and better client outcomes across multiple jurisdictions. A comprehensive grasp of the broader financial services landscape, including the competitive environment and knowledge across various business lines, is vital.

The ideal candidate will have a demonstrable history of identifying and capitalising on opportunities to expand market reach with innovative solutions. They must possess knowledge of the macro-economic context across multiple jurisdictions and the ability to apply this knowledge to identify, plan, and develop solutions for diverse clients. A clear value proposition for solutions, aligned with client needs and focused on differentiated client experiences, is a key requirement. Furthermore, candidates should exhibit a strong understanding of relevant legislation and regulations in the geographies where they operate. The ability to articulate a compelling vision for solutions and integrate ESG priorities into sustainable profitability strategies will be highly valued.

In South Africa, roles at this leadership level within structured finance often command competitive remuneration packages, reflecting the specialised expertise and strategic importance. Employers typically include major banking groups, development finance institutions, and specialised trade finance houses. Career progression can lead to broader divisional leadership or executive roles within trade finance and transaction banking.

Qualification: First Degree in Business Commerce

Experience Required

• Must 5 to 7 years’ experience in structured trade and commodity finance
• Experience in leading a team within structured trade and commodity finance
• Experience in implementing systems and product solutions within structured trade and commodity finance.
• Must have advanced understanding of structured trade and commodity finance and Transaction Banking, with broad operational and strong functional skills.
• More than 10 years in championing the simplification of Solutioning ways of working to enable better and faster client outcomes across multiple jurisdiction
• Comprehensive understanding of the overall firm and competitive environment and broad knowledge across multiple functions and business lines
• Demonstrate a track record of identifying and driving opportunities to expand and shift the market with new and alternative solutions aligned to current and future clients needs. 
• Demonstrate knowledge of the macro context working across multiple jurisdictions. Assimilates and applies knowledge to identify, plan and solution for multiple clients
• Develops clear solution value proposition aligned to client needs and focused on creating differentiated client experience and value.
• Drive and manage the display and understanding of the relevant legislation, regulations and solution requirements within relevant geographies
• Formulates a compelling vision and clearly articulates the benefits and future applications of any solutions, trends, client impacts across the TxB solution landscape.
• Integrates CIB ESG priorities and strategic imperatives to embed an authentic approach that fosters sustainable profitability across the TxB landscape
• Manage continuous improvement of internal solutioning system, address and guide team regarding trouble shooting, errors and liaise with IT Department in case of technical issues and enhancements, linked to operational requirements and compliance