Freight Trader

Overview / Brief Louis Dreyfus Company is a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods. Our activities span the entire value chain from farm to fork, across a broad range of business lines, leveraging our global reach and extensive asset network to serve customers and consumers worldwide. Structured as a matrix organization of six geographical regions and ten platforms, Louis Dreyfus Company is active in over 100 countries and employs approximately 18,000 people globally. As part of the Freight Commercial Handysize team, you will play a crucial role in the global freight team, segmented by vessel size with region-specific responsibilities. The Freight Trader role demands a keen ability to navigate and interpret complex market dynamics. The primary challenge lies in being “on call” 24/7 to complete time-sensitive projects, attend trainings, or respond to emergencies, requiring someone who can work in a fast-paced trading-floor environment. Effective communication and collaboration with local and global teams are essential for timely and strategic decision-making in a highly competitive freight market. Main Responsibilities: You will be the Freight Trader for the Far East region, with responsibilities across pricing, positioning, business development, and contract execution. This role involves interaction with both internal and external cargo customers, managing the period fleet, and optimizing the regional program. Focus areas include: Accurately price, sell, and manage freight risks for internal clients Develop 3rd party relationships on cargo and owning side to complement and expand base internal cargo flow Optimize regional position through arbitrage of derivative hedges and physical positions; cargoes (internal/external), contracts, and period vessels 1) Pricing of Freight and Rate Negotiation: Participate in external markets to identify ‘replacement’ market prices Utilize in-house research and data analytics to identify market ‘mispricing’ and relative value trading opportunities Generate firm freight rates for internal commodity traders and external trading Identify and trade arbitrage and hedging opportunities in the freight derivatives and futures market 2) Position Management: Orchestrate and execute the optimization and profitable arbitrage of the regional book Work with regional offices to optimize trading strategy of LDC physical cargo/tonnage book Liaise with internal commodity teams to anticipate demand while ensuring smooth internal shipment program 3) Business Development: Expand third party network focusing on accessing industrial cargo clients Seek spot, medium, and long-term opportunities, including COAs and joint ventures 4) Freight Contract Execution: Work with Freight Operations to manage itineraries, stowplans, and voyage execution Monitor contract performance to ensure compliance and consult on unusual price strategy, policy, and operational issues Adhere to Corporate and Platform Risk, Credit, Compliance, and Ethics guidelines 5) Other Scope: Research and evaluate trading partners based on price, quality, and reliability Complete training on various charter parties and internal freight practices Organize and attend regular meetings with internal commodity traders Experiences: 2-5 years of experience in the shipping industry Experience in drybulk shipping; open to Supramax Ability to work with teams in different geographical locations Experience in advanced freight calculations and negotiating charter party terms Ability to analyze data and draw meaningful conclusions Technical Skills: Proficiency in Excel Experience with BI tools for analytics Python and SQL skills are a plus Academics: Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Engineering, Finance, Trade, or related field #J-18808-Ljbffr