Key Responsibilities

Building Trading Desks from Scratch

• Independently plan and build new trading and commercial desks (physical trading, brokerage-facing, and supporting commercial functions) within aggressive timelines, without relying on an internal recruitment team.

• Define desk structure, seniority mix, and reporting lines in partnership with senior management and Heads of Trading, based on trading strategy and target markets.

• Own the full lifecycle from headhunting through offer, contracting, and onboarding — accountable for time-to-hire and quality of hire on every desk built.

• Act as the first point of contact for new hires during the desk's early life, effectively functioning as their HR business partner until the desk matures.

Specialized Sourcing & Headhunting — Oil & Gas / Commodities

• Directly headhunt physical traders, cross-traders, brokers, and desk heads across middle distillates, base oils, petrochemicals, and related products, using direct market knowledge rather than generic sourcing channels.

• Maintain a live map of the oil & gas and commodities trading talent market: who is where, who is in-market, who is passively open, and who is unreachable — and keep this current.

• Assess candidates for genuine trading and commercial competence — book management, risk appetite, market fluency, counterparty relationships — not only for HR/cultural fit.

• Build and manage relationships with specialist commodities recruitment firms and brokers as a secondary channel, while keeping direct headhunting as the primary route for senior hires.

Contracts, Documentation & Rate Negotiation

• Draft and negotiate employment contracts, consultancy/cooperation agreements, and freelance arrangements tailored to trading roles, including PnL-linked and performance-based compensation structures.

• Lead rate and package negotiations directly with candidates, balancing market benchmarks, desk economics, and retention risk.

• Prepare and manage all supporting HR and corporate documentation: offer letters, employment terms, NDAs, non-compete/non-solicit clauses, and onboarding packs suited to a trading environment.

• Ensure contractual structures are aligned with UAE labour law and free zone requirements (e.g. DMCC, DIFC), coordinating with legal counsel where needed.

Corporate & Compliance Structure Management

• Oversee the corporate governance framework of the UAE entity and coordinate with group entities across other jurisdictions.

• Manage compliance with UAE labour law and free zone regulations, including visa, work permit, and Emiratisation requirements where applicable.

• Support internal compliance processes, including KYC/onboarding documentation and coordination with Risk and Legal on regulatory matters relevant to new hires and desks.

• Maintain corporate records and personnel documentation, and act as the primary point of contact for corporate administration matters tied to team build-out.

HR Procedures Management

• Develop and maintain HR policies, employee handbook, and standard operating procedures fit for a fast-scaling trading environment.

• Oversee payroll coordination, benefits administration, and WPS compliance for newly built desks.

• Handle employee relations matters and performance management as desks transition from build-out to steady state.

• Report directly to senior management on hiring progress, desk build-out status, and workforce metrics.

Requirements:

Must Have

• Demonstrated track record of building trading and commercial teams from zero to high-performing within a short timeframe — you have done this before, ideally more than once, and can speak to specific desks or teams you personally built.

• Deep, current knowledge of the oil & gas / petrochemical commodities trading industry, its roles, seniority structures, and compensation norms — this is non-negotiable; generalist HR/recruitment backgrounds without direct sector exposure will not be considered.

• An active, personal network of oil & gas and commodities trading candidates across trader, broker, operations, and structuring functions, with the ability to map who is available on the market and who is realistically reachable.

• Proven ability to work solo, without recruitment or HR support staff, and to own the entire hiring and contracting cycle end-to-end.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience within a trading company; oil & gas or commodities trading background is mandatory, not preferred.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a managerial or senior individual-contributor role, with direct, hands-on ownership of hiring outcomes (not oversight of a recruitment team).

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, or a related field.

• Proven, referenceable examples of building a trading or commercial team from zero to fully operational and high-performing within a short timeframe.

• Strong, current knowledge of the UAE and Dubai local labour market, employment law, and free zone regulatory frameworks.

• Open-minded, resilient, and pragmatic, with the ability to operate independently and under pressure in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial trading environment.

Skills

• Expert-level knowledge of the oil & gas / petrochemical commodities trading industry, its products, desks, and talent landscape.

• Direct headhunting and market-mapping skills specific to trading, brokerage, and commercial functions — not generalist corporate recruitment.

• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills: employment contracts, cooperation/consultancy agreements, and rate negotiation.

• Solid understanding of UAE labour law, DMCC/free zone compliance, visa and work permit processes.

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with traders, brokers, and senior executives, credible as an industry peer.

• High level of autonomy — comfortable owning results without a support team.

• Fluent in English; Arabic or other languages are an advantage.

• High level of discretion and integrity when handling confidential corporate, contractual, and personnel matters.

Perks

• A rare mandate to build trading desks from the ground up and directly shape the company's commercial capability in the UAE.

• Full autonomy and direct visibility with senior leadership, with influence over which desks get built and who leads them.

• Exposure to a dynamic, global trading business with significant growth potential.

• Performance-driven compensation structure reflecting the impact of the role.

• Fast career growth within an expanding, entrepreneurial organization.