Trade Services Operations Associate

Job Level: Associate

Job Function: Trade Operations

Location:

Jersey City, NJ, US, 07311

Employment Type: Full Time

Requisition ID: 7473

SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 130 offices and 80,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges.

In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. The Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd.

The anticipated salary range for this role is between $78,000.00 and $125,000.00. The specific salary offered to an applicant will be based on their individual qualifications, experiences, and an analysis of the current compensation paid in their geography and the market for similar roles at the time of hire. The role may also be eligible for an annual discretionary incentive award. In addition to cash compensation, SMBC offers a competitive portfolio of benefits to its employees.

Role Description

The Trade Services Operations Associate is a supervisory role responsible for overseeing end-to-end trade finance operations with a strong focus on Import and Export Letter of Credit (L/C) processing, collections, and structured trade transactions. The role ensures operational excellence, compliance with ICC rules and internal policies, and provides guidance, review, and support to junior team members while maintaining high service standards for internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Trade Finance Operations

Supervise and process issuance, amendment, negotiation, and settlement of Import Letters of Credit, including acceptances, discounting, and payments.
Oversee Export L/C advising and confirmations, including booking commissions (in advance and arrears) and managing daily accruals.
Book, monitor, and manage structured L/C transactions, ensuring accurate system setup and adherence to agreed terms.
Supervise Import and Export Documentary Collections, including registration, examination, acceptances, settlements, and financing.
Manage financing of Import and Export Collections, ensuring proper documentation, approvals, and risk alignment.
Handle and review invoicing under Import and Export L/Cs, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with credit terms.

Supervision & Quality Control

Provide daily supervision, guidance, and technical support to operations staff.
Review transactions processed by team members to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
Act as a subject matter expert (SME) for trade finance products, policies, and ICC rules.
Escalate and resolve complex trade discrepancies, operational issues, and client inquiries.

Compliance & Risk Management

Ensure strict adherence to ICC rules (UCP 600, ISBP, URC, ISP98), internal policies, AML/KYC requirements, and applicable regulations.
Support internal, regulatory, and external audits by providing documentation and addressing findings.
Identify operational risks, control gaps, and process improvement opportunities.

Stakeholder Management

Liaise with relationship managers, credit, compliance, risk, and overseas counterparties to ensure smooth transaction processing.
Maintain strong service levels and turnaround times for clients and internal stakeholders.

Process Improvement

Assist management in driving process enhancements, automation initiatives, and standardization across trade operations.
Participate in system upgrades, UAT testing, and implementation of new trade products.

Qualifications and Skills

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; Master’s degree is a plus.
Minimum 8+ years of hands-on experience in Documentary Letter of Credit processing within a bank or financial institution.
Proven expertise in Import and Export L/Cs, Collections, and Trade Finance Operations.
Strong working knowledge of ICC rules (UCP 600, ISBP, URC 522, ISP98).
CDCS (Certified Documentary Credit Specialist) certification is preferable if experience is less than 10 years.
Prior experience in a senior or lead/supervisory capacity is preferred.
Strong attention to detail with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

Ability to lead, mentor, and review the work of junior staff.
Strong understanding of trade operations systems and controls.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.
Sound judgment and decision-making skills aligned with risk and compliance standards.

Additional Requirements

SMBC’s employees participate in a Hybrid workforce model that provides employees with an opportunity to work from home, as well as, from an SMBC office. SMBC requires that employees live within a reasonable commuting distance of their office location. Prospective candidates will learn more about their specific hybrid work schedule during their interview process. Hybrid work may not be permitted for certain roles, including, for example, certain FINRA-registered roles for which in-office attendance for the entire workweek is required.

SMBC provides reasonable accommodations during candidacy for applicants with disabilities consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please let us know at accommodations@smbcgroup.com.