Trade Support Lead / Trade Support Leadess

Join Cargill: Nourishing the World Responsibly

Cargill’s size and scale allows us to make a positive impact globally. Our purpose is to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way.

As a family company, Cargill provides essential food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products vital for daily living. We connect farmers with markets to help them prosper, link customers with ingredients to create beloved meals, and supply families with daily essentials—ranging from eggs to edible oils, salt to skincare, and feed to alternative fuels. With 160,000 colleagues operating in 70 countries, we deliver essential products that touch billions of lives each day. Join us and fulfill your higher purpose at Cargill.

About the Position

This position is situated in Cargill’s agricultural supply chain business, placed at the core of our supply chain. Here, we partner with farmers and customers to source, manufacture, and deliver essential products.

Job Purpose and Impact

Ocean Transportation is evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global trade environment. Administrative processes now span multiple regions and systems, presenting opportunities for greater efficiency and modernization.

The Trade Support Lead will play a pivotal role in transforming global trading operations by integrating digitalization, automation, and AI into our core shipping and trade support processes. This position will connect teams across Trade Execution specialists, Contracts, Laytime, and Finalization, building a streamlined, technology-enabled, and collaborative operation that enhances performance and supports commercial growth.

A key responsibility will be analyzing existing workflows, identifying opportunities for process improvement and automation, and leading implementation across global teams. The Trade Support Lead will need to motivate and engage a diverse workforce, fostering an innovative and change-ready culture as we reshape how trade support is delivered within Ocean Transportation.

Key Accountabilities

• Leadership & Operational Excellence:
  • Lead and engage a global team of approximately 60 individuals across Europe and Asia. Build capabilities, foster collaboration, and develop talent.
  • Dive deep into operational challenges and lead efforts to resolve issues and unlock value.
• Commercial & Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  • Partner with trading and commercial teams to align Trade Support services with business priorities and needs.
  • Standardize and harmonize processes across regions and functions to work as one team.
• Digital Transformation Leadership:
  • Collaborate closely with the digital team to design and implement digital tools that streamline trade support processes.
  • Champion the adoption of automation technologies to reduce manual workload and improve efficiency.
  • Identify and prioritize opportunities for process reengineering and digital enablement.
• AI Integration:
  • Work with digital teams to identify, pilot, and scale AI-driven solutions.
  • Drive the integration of AI into daily workflows, including document processing, contract management, laytime analysis, and trade finalization.
• Change Leadership:
  • Drive a culture of innovation, agility, and continuous improvement.
  • Upskill teams to work effectively in a digital-first environment.

Qualifications

• 10 years of extensive experience in dry bulk, maritime logistics, commodity trading, or similarly complex and dynamic supply chain operations, with a strong understanding of operational and commercial interdependencies.
• Commercial acumen and understanding of freight markets and trading dynamics, as well as the commercial operational interface in trading environments.
• Proven experience in leading digital transformation and automation initiatives in complex operational environments.
• Demonstrated ability to embed AI and digital tools into operational workflows.
• Strategic thinker with strong change leadership and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience managing large, geographically dispersed teams.

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.