Commodity Trader Futures and Options

Commodity Trader Futures & Options

Job Summary

We are looking for a Commodity Trader – Futures & Options with hands-on experience in commodity derivatives trading and a strong understanding of market dynamics, technical/fundamental analysis and risk management.

The role will involve analysing commodity markets, identifying trading opportunities, developing and executing trading strategies, and actively managing positions across commodity futures and options.

The ideal candidate should be comfortable making time-sensitive trading decisions, managing risk within defined limits and working closely with research and analytics teams to improve trading strategies and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

1. Commodity Market Analysis

• Track and analyse price movements, market trends, volumes, open interest and volatility across commodity markets.
• Monitor commodities across Metals, Energy and Agricultural Products, as relevant to the trading desk.
• Analyse domestic and global factors influencing commodity prices, including supply-demand dynamics, inventories, geopolitical developments, currency movements and macroeconomic indicators.
• Track relevant domestic and international commodity exchanges and market developments.

2. Trading & Strategy Execution

• Identify and evaluate trading opportunities across commodity futures and options.
• Develop, implement and continuously refine trading strategies based on market conditions.
• Execute trades with a strong focus on timing, liquidity, price and risk-adjusted returns.
• Monitor open positions and actively manage trades throughout the trading session.
• Evaluate opportunities across futures, options, spreads and other commodity derivative structures where applicable.

3. Position & Risk Management

• Monitor real-time positions, margins, exposure, P&L and risk limits.
• Ensure all trading activity remains within defined position and risk parameters.
• Manage stop-losses, hedges and position sizing in accordance with the trading strategy.
• Maintain disciplined exposure management during periods of high volatility.
• Identify and promptly escalate abnormal market movements or risk-limit breaches.

4. Research & Strategy Development

• Work closely with Research, Quantitative and Analytics teams to identify market opportunities.
• Contribute market insights and trading observations to improve existing strategies.
• Analyse historical price behaviour and market data to identify recurring patterns and potential opportunities.
• Evaluate trading strategies based on profitability, drawdown, volatility and risk-adjusted returns.
• Participate in regular trading and strategy review meetings.

5. Market & Regulatory Monitoring

• Stay updated on commodity-market developments, exchange circulars and regulatory changes.
• Monitor key events affecting commodity markets, including OPEC decisions, inventory data, global economic releases, geopolitical developments and currency movements, as relevant.
• Ensure trading activities comply with applicable exchange, regulatory and internal risk-management guidelines.

6. Trading Records & Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of trades, positions and daily P&L.
• Prepare regular trading and performance reports.
• Review execution quality, trading costs and strategy performance.
• Document significant market observations and trading decisions.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Commerce, Business or a related discipline.
• 2–5 years of hands-on experience in Commodity Futures & Options trading.
• Strong understanding of commodity derivatives, futures, options and market mechanics.
• Ability to analyse price action, volumes, open interest and market trends.
• Strong understanding of margin requirements, position sizing and risk management.
• Good numerical, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Ability to remain calm and disciplined during volatile market conditions.
• Strong understanding of trading and execution processes.
• NISM Series XVI – Commodity Derivatives Certification or equivalent certification will be an advantage.
• Familiarity with applicable SEBI/exchange regulations and commodity trading compliance requirements.

Preferred Candidate Profile

• Prior experience with a proprietary trading desk, brokerage, commodity trading firm, institutional trading desk or financial services organisation.
• Demonstrable experience managing live commodity futures and options positions.
• Strong interest in domestic and international commodity markets.
• Experience across one or more commodity segments such as Metals, Energy or Agricultural Commodities.
• Ability to combine fundamental and technical market analysis in trading decisions.
• Strong ownership of trading positions and P&L.
• Disciplined approach to risk management and capital preservation.

Key Skills

Commodity Trading | Commodity Futures | Commodity Options | Derivatives | Market Analysis | Technical Analysis | Fundamental Analysis | Price Action | Open Interest | Risk Management | Position Management | P&L Management | Trade Execution | Market Research | NISM Commodity Derivatives

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role will be measured by the ability to identify high-quality trading opportunities, execute efficiently, manage positions within defined risk parameters and consistently improve risk-adjusted trading performance.