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Sustainability Specialist

Trafigura • Switzerland • Added on Jul 21, 2026
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Based in Geneva, this role focuses on the rigorous world of renewable fuel compliance and regulatory monitoring. You will serve as a technical guardian for the biofuels desk, managing complex mass balance operations and ensuring that every drop of fuel meets international environmental standards. Your daily ownership involves translating high-level policy into concrete operational workflows to maintain market access for sustainable commodities.

This position is critical because liquid fuels remain the backbone of global shipping and heavy transport. By ensuring strict adherence to the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED), you enable the transition from high-carbon fossil fuels to low-carbon alternatives. Your work provides the transparency and integrity needed for global supply chains to trust that renewable claims are scientifically verified and legally compliant within a complex trading environment.

This suits someone who possesses a deep analytical mindset and thrives on the granular details of regulatory frameworks. You are likely an expert in Excel who enjoys the challenge of reconciling large datasets and navigating the nuances of voluntary sustainability schemes.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The core mission involves overseeing the integrity of sustainability data for the renewable fuels business. You will be responsible for interpreting the evolving Renewable Energy Directive (RED) framework and ensuring it is applied correctly across the trading portfolio. This includes maintaining the mass balance system, which tracks the physical and sustainability attributes of fuel batches. You will also manage the audit lifecycle, preparing documentation for third-party verifiers to prove compliance with voluntary schemes. Beyond technical reporting, you will advise internal teams on how new regulations might impact contracts or operational logistics, ensuring the legal viability of sustainable fuel trade flows.

Key learning opportunities for this job

Candidates will gain an expert-level understanding of the European Union's regulatory landscape for renewable energy, which is currently the global benchmark for carbon accounting in fuels. You will learn the intricacies of international sustainability certification schemes such as ISCC and how they integrate into high-stakes commodity trading. Moreover, the role provides unique exposure to the energy transition mechanics from within a Tier-1 trading house. This includes learning how market financing, logistics, and legal frameworks are adapting to accommodate decarbonized energy products in a volatile global market.

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

The ideal profile is a specialist who combines technical biofuels knowledge with high-level data management skills. You should have a proven track record in sustainability within the biodiesel or renewable fuels sector, as the technical nuances of feedstock and GHG calculations are central to the role. Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel is non-negotiable, as you will be reconciling complex mass balance files. Soft skills are equally important; the team needs a collaborative communicator who can explain complex regulatory requirements to traders and external auditors with clarity and precision.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, move beyond general sustainability knowledge and highlight your specific experience with the RED II framework or mass balance accounting. If you have previously navigated a certification audit (like ISCC or 2BS), mention the scale and complexity of that process in your application. Demonstrate your ability to thrive in a high-paced trading environment. Trafigura values efficiency and precision, so ensuring your resume is meticulously organized and data-driven will signal that you have the right mindset for their compliance-heavy operations.

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

This role is deeply embedded in the environmental compliance aspect of sustainability. Unlike generalist CSR roles, you will focus specifically on the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of products and the prevention of greenwashing through rigorous chain-of-custody documentation. You will likely contribute to the company's broader decarbonization strategy by facilitating the growth of the biofuels desk. By ensuring compliance, you directly support the supply of lower-carbon solutions to the aviation, maritime, and heavy transport industries, which are the primary focus of Trafigura's energy transition efforts.

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

One of the primary challenges is the rapidly changing regulatory environment. As the EU periodically updates its directives and voluntary schemes change their standards, you must be able to pivot quickly and update internal processes without disrupting trading operations. Additionally, managing the traceability of complex global supply chains can be difficult. Ensuring that feedstock produced in one part of the world meets the specific legal criteria of end-markets in Europe requires incredible attention to detail and proactive communication with suppliers.

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

A typical day might begin with reviewing the latest regulatory alerts to see if any new biofuels policies have been published. You would then spend a significant portion of the morning updating and reconciling mass balance files for recent trades, checking that every transaction is supported by valid sustainability certificates. In the afternoon, you might meet with the Global Head of Biofuels to discuss upcoming audits or provide a compliance review for a new contract. The day often concludes with coordinating with external logistics or sustainability partners to ensure all reporting and documentation are aligned before a reporting deadline.

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

As a Sustainability Specialist in a specialized trading desk, you can grow into a lead regulatory advisor or a global compliance manager role. Given Trafigura's scale, there are also opportunities to move into broader ESG reporting or strategic roles as the company expands its renewable energy portfolio. The technical expertise gained here is highly transferable. Specialists in renewable energy certification are in high demand across the finance, consulting, and energy sectors, providing a very strong foundation for a long-term career in the energy transition.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will interact daily with the trading desk, providing them with the necessary compliance clearance to execute deals. You will also report to the Global Head of Biofuels and work alongside the legal and operations teams to verify contract clauses and shipping documents. Externally, your main points of contact will be auditors and certification bodies who verify the company's compliance. You may also engage with sustainability leads at partner companies or suppliers to ensure the integrity of the data being passed through the supply chain.

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