Crude Oil Trader

Overview

A leading global energy firm is seeking a highly motivated Crude Oil Trader to join its Houston-based trading team. This individual will be responsible for managing and growing a proprietary crude trading portfolio across North American and international markets, leveraging market insights, logistics optimization, and risk management strategies to drive profitability.

• Execute physical and financial crude oil trades across domestic and global markets, including WTI, Midland, Mars, and international benchmarks
• Develop and manage a proprietary trading book with clear P&L accountability
• Identify arbitrage opportunities across regional, grade, and time spreads, optimizing logistics and blending strategies
• Work closely with scheduling, operations, and midstream teams to ensure seamless execution of physical movements
• Build and maintain relationships with producers, refiners, and counter parties to enhance market intelligence and deal flow
• Collaborate with analytics and research teams to incorporate fundamental and quantitative insights into trading strategies
• Monitor market fundamentals including supply/demand dynamics, refinery outages, pipeline flows, and geopolitical developments
• Ensure compliance with internal risk limits, credit policies, and regulatory requirements

• 5-12+ years of experience in crude oil trading (physical preferred, financial or blended experience considered)
• Strong understanding of US crude markets (Permian, Gulf Coast, Cushing) and global crude flows
• Proven track record of generating P&L and managing risk independently
• Deep knowledge of crude pricing benchmarks, transportation economics, and storage optimization
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to identify and execute profitable trading strategies
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Engineering, or related field

• Exposure to international crude trading and waterborne logistics
• Experience with blending optimization and refinery economics
• Familiarity with derivatives used for hedging (futures, swaps, options)

Competitive base salary with a performance-driven bonus structure tied directly to individual and team P&L.