Role Purpose
BxT Trading is seeking a Financial Control Officer to strengthen the finance control function in a growing refined products trading business.
The role is primarily focused on financial control, trade accounting, reconciliations, financial reporting, financial analysis, audit readiness and process documentation. A key part of the role will be supporting reconciliation between Middle Office P&L, Accounting P&L and the general ledger, ensuring trading performance is properly substantiated, explained and supported.
The role will also provide limited support to back-office activities where required, particularly around paper derivatives, broker reconciliations, clearing statements, margin and settlement controls.
This is a hands-on role in a lean trading environment. The successful candidate will work closely with the CFO, Financial Controller, Back Office, Middle Office and wider business teams to enhance quality, resilience and scalability of the finance control framework.
Key Responsibilities
- Financial Control and Accounting
- Support the Financial Controller with monthly, quarterly and year-end close activities.
- Prepare and review journals, accruals, prepayments and supporting accounting schedules.
- Prepare and maintain balance sheet reconciliations, including bank, intercompany, trade receivables, trade payables, broker, clearing and other control accounts.
- Support the preparation of monthly management accounts and financial reporting packs.
- Assist with working capital, cash flow and liquidity reporting.
- Support VAT/tax and other statutory or regulatory reporting requirements where applicable.
- Maintain clear and complete accounting documentation to support internal review and external audit.
- Trade Accounting and Technical Accounting
- Support accurate accounting for physical and derivative trading activity, including cargo purchases and sales, premiums, freight, demurrage, financing costs, accruals, timing differences and related trade costs.
- Assist with accounting analysis for physical cargoes, derivatives, freight, demurrage, premiums, financing costs, accruals and timing differences.
- Support the Financial Controller and CFO on technical accounting matters, including the assessment and documentation of accounting treatment for trading-related transactions.
- Prepare accounting memos and supporting documentation for material or judgmental accounting areas.
- Support the application of IFRS or equivalent accounting standards to the company's trading activities.
- Assist with audit queries relating to accounting judgments, reconciliations, valuation support and financial statement disclosures.
- Help ensure trade accounting is complete, accurate, properly supported and aligned with applicable accounting standards.P&L Reconciliation and Substantiation
- Perform reconciliations between Middle Office P&L and Accounting P&L, including investigation of timing differences, valuation differences, realised / unrealised classification, accruals, trade capture issues and accounting adjustments.
- Support the monthly P&L substantiation process by ensuring trading P&L reported by Middle Office is appropriately reconciled to the general ledger and financial reporting outputs.
- Analyse and explain differences between economic P&L, management P&L and statutory accounting P&L.Work with Middle Office, Back Office and Finance to resolve breaks between trading records, broker statements, settlement data and accounting ledgers.
- Maintain clear documentation of P&L reconciliation items, adjustments, open issues and resolution status.
- Support the review of realised and unrealised P&L from a finance control and accounting perspective.
- Financial Analysis and Management Reporting
- Support the Financial Controller and CFO with financial analysis, business performance review and management reporting.
- Assist with monthly P&L analysis, including variance analysis against budget, forecast and prior periods.
- Analyse trading performance by product, book, counterparty, region or strategy where required.
- Support analysis of realised and unrealised P&L, working capital movements, cash flow, margin requirements and liquidity usage.
- Prepare ad hoc financial analysis to support management decision-making.
- Assist with budgeting, forecasting and business planning processes.
- Help develop clearer reporting around profitability, cost drivers, working capital and control metrics.
- Support preparation of CFO, management, board and shareholder reporting materials where required.
- Back Office Support
- Assist with broker statement reconciliations and derivative settlement checks.
- Support clearing broker, margin and collateral reconciliations.
- Assist with futures, swaps and other paper trade reconciliations.
- Support checks over paper derivatives, including broker reconciliations, clearing statements, margin, collateral, settlements, futures, swaps or other derivative instruments.
- Provide cover or additional support during busy periods, absences or month-end deadlines.
- Help ensure back office processes are properly reconciled and supported by appropriate documentation.
- Process Improvement and Controls
- Identify control gaps, reconciliation issues and process inefficiencies.
- Support the implementation of improved finance control procedures.
- Help document end-to-end process flows across trade capture, confirmation, settlement, accounting and reporting.
- Improve audit readiness through stronger documentation and evidence.
- Work with Finance, Back Office, Middle Office, Treasury and Trading to improve control discipline.
- Support the CFO in building a scalable finance control framework as the business grows.
Required Experience
Approximately 7-10 years of experience in financial control, accounting, audit, product control, trade accounting, back office support or financial analysis.
Qualified accountant with strong technical accounting knowledge and the ability to assess, document and support accounting treatment for trading-related transactions.
Prior experience in commodities trading, energy trading, oil and refined products trading, shipping or physical trading businesses is strongly preferred.
Strong experience in month-end close, balance sheet reconciliations, management reporting, audit support and financial control documentation.
Experience with trade accounting, including physical cargoes, derivatives, freight, demurrage, premiums, accruals, timing differences and trading-related costs.
Experience preparing financial analysis, variance analysis, P&L analysis, working capital analysis, cash flow analysis or management reporting.
Understanding of back office processes for paper derivatives, including broker reconciliations, clearing statements, margin, collateral, settlements, futures, swaps or other derivative instruments, would be advantageous.
Experience working in a lean or fast-growing environment where processes, controls and reporting frameworks are still being developed.
Ability to operate hands-on while also improving processes, documentation, reporting quality and control discipline.
Qualifications and
Skills
- Qualified accountant required: ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA or equivalent.
- Good knowledge of IFRS or equivalent accounting standards.
- Strong Excel and financial analysis skills.
- Experience with accounting systems, trading systems, treasury platforms, broker portals or ERP systems would be advantageous.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Good written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work with detail while understanding the wider business context.
- Key Attributes
- Strong ownership mindset.
- High attention to detail.
- Practical and hands-on approach.
- Comfortable working across finance, control, trade accounting and back office processes.
- Able to work constructively with senior and junior stakeholders.
- Good judgment and ability to escalate issues early.
- Organised, reliable and deadline-driven.
- High integrity and discretion.
- Willingness to support both routine control work and ad hoc business needs.
