Head of Crude Oil Marketing and Trading (1)

Organization: Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) Limited
Employment Type: Full-Time
Department: Commercial
Reports To: Chief Commercial Officer
Duty Station: (As per UNOC)
Deadline: Friday, 23rd January 2026, 11:59pm EAT
Application Method: Email

Background

The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) Limited was established under the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Act and the Petroleum (Refining, Conversion, Transmission and Midstream Storage) Act, both of 2013, and incorporated under the Companies Act, 2012. UNOC is a limited liability company wholly owned by the Government of Uganda. UNOC’s mandate is to manage the State’s commercial interests in the oil and gas industry and ensure Uganda’s petroleum resources are exploited sustainably.

The Crude Oil Marketing and Trading Business Unit was established to market Uganda’s crude oil entitlements and other available volumes, coordinate trading operations including cargo scheduling and nominations, build strategic partnerships, and optimize crude oil sales to maximize national revenue and improve PSA market pricing. First oil production and lifting of the first cargo are expected by July 2026.

In preparation, UNOC seeks to strengthen capacity to manage the sale of the Government of Uganda’s crude oil entitlements, including royalties, profit oil, and other allocations under the Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs), as well as any additional crude oil acquired through international market transactions.

Job Purpose

To provide strategic and operational leadership for UNOC’s crude oil marketing, sales, price risk management, and trading functions. The role is responsible for optimal placement of Uganda’s crude oil entitlements, development of commercial markets, execution of risk-managed trading activities, and oversight of lifting operations to maximize value from crude sales while ensuring alignment with national and corporate policies and strong governance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1) Oil Marketing and Business Development

• Develop and execute global marketing and sales strategies for Uganda’s crude oil entitlements, aligned with national production and refining capabilities.

• Propose and structure term sales and marketing arrangements where appropriate.

• Identify, build, and grow customer relationships across key markets, including Asia, Europe, and Africa.

• Maintain strong customer engagement through open communication, sound KYC practices, and a clear understanding of customer business drivers.

• Support bilateral and government-to-government trade initiatives as required.

• Lead customer presentations and roadshows, serving as a custodian of key counterparty relationships.

2) Sales and Trading Strategy Execution

• Oversee term and spot crude oil sales including pricing strategy, contract negotiation, and performance management.

• Manage trading activities as authorized to optimize crude placement and capitalize on market opportunities where appropriate.

• Recommend and execute crude oil sales and trading transactions while addressing key risks including payment risk, performance risk, compliance risk, and contract terms.

• Develop pricing strategies and contract structures, and coordinate with the Risk function on monitoring frameworks.

• Coordinate with Operations, Logistics, Finance, and Risk teams to ensure accurate and timely cargo delivery.

• Contribute to the design, implementation, and optimization of ETRM (Energy Trading and Risk Management) systems and digital decision-support tools.

• Use market intelligence and analytics tools to inform trading strategies and operational decisions.

• Build and maintain relationships with providers of financial derivatives used for price risk management.

• Ensure prudent use of financial instruments for hedging and price risk mitigation in collaboration with Finance and Treasury.

3) Lifting Operations Oversight

• Oversee lifting operations and ensure crude oil entitlements are communicated and executed in line with contracts and lifting schedules.

• Liaise with terminal operators, joint venture partners, and customers to coordinate liftings and nominations.

• Oversee post-lifting claims management (including demurrage, quantity, and quality claims) and drive timely resolution with relevant parties.

4) Risk Management and Governance

• Design and implement financial price risk management strategies using derivatives (futures, options, swaps) in line with approved hedging policies and authorizations.

• Ensure transactions comply with controls designed to manage credit risk and counterparty risk.

• Ensure compliance with internal policies and applicable international regulations and trade controls, including sanctions and anti-bribery requirements.

5) Market Intelligence, Research, and Analysis

• Lead development of proprietary insights on crude pricing, macroeconomic trends, and regulatory developments.

• Monitor competitor activity, refinery demand, shipping patterns, and emerging carbon and sustainability-related requirements affecting crude markets.

• Produce internal research and market outlook pieces to inform UNOC leadership and stakeholders.

6) Product Development and Innovation

• Lead development of new commercial products and approaches across the crude oil marketing and trading value chain.

• Collaborate with data and analytics teams to extract meaningful insights and support development of practical, user-friendly analytical tools.

7) Stakeholder and External Relations

• Coordinate with internal upstream, midstream, and local refining entities to align production flows with marketing and sales plans.

• Represent UNOC in relevant government and international forums, industry conferences, and engagements with global stakeholders.

• Maintain effective working relationships with terminal offtake coordinators, joint venture partners, and other critical parties supporting lifting and trading operations.

8) Leadership and Team Development

• Build and lead a high-performing commercial team with strengths in trading analytics, contract management, and market execution.

• Drive performance management, coaching, training, and succession planning, with a clear focus on developing Ugandan talent into senior roles.

• Promote a culture of compliance, ethics, transparency, and strong governance across the function.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Economics, Finance, Energy, Petroleum Geosciences, or another relevant discipline from a recognized university.

• A relevant Master’s degree is an added advantage.

• Specialized training in crude oil marketing or trading is an added advantage.

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in crude oil marketing and or trading, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong knowledge of global crude oil markets, pricing benchmarks (Brent, WTI, Dubai), and trading instruments.

• Proven experience with crude cargo markets, sale and purchase contracts, lifting agreements, marine tanker logistics, and lifting operations.

• Experience with ETRM systems, digital trading tools, and marine logistics coordination.

• Understanding of the E and P lifecycle, particularly development and production phases.

• Strong commercial judgment, negotiation capability, and ability to make timely decisions under pressure.

• Excellent communication skills, high discretion, and strong personal integrity.

• Strong teamwork and stakeholder management skills across technical and commercial teams.

• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

How to Apply

UNOC invites qualified applicants from across the world to express interest for this position. Submit the following by email:

• Application letter

• Curriculum Vitae

• Academic documents

Send to: [email protected]
Deadline: Friday, 23rd January 2026 by 11:59pm EAT
Attachment limit: Documents should not exceed 20 MB.

For more details, see the UNOC career opportunities page:

Note: UNOC is an equal opportunity employer and does not charge any money at any stage of the recruitment process.

Chief Executive Officer
Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) Limited