Sesame Trader - Japan & South Korea Markets

About this role

Job Title: Sesame Trader – Japan & South Korea Markets

Location: Singapore

Company: Torq Group

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Sesame Trader to develop and grow our physical sesame business in Japan and South Korea. The role combines customer acquisition, origin sourcing and end-to-end trade execution, with responsibility for delivering profitable growth and building long-term supplier and buyer relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a sesame trading and business development strategy for Japan and South Korea.
• Build relationships with importers, distributors, processors and food manufacturers, including sesame oil producers.
• Identify customer requirements for natural, hulled, black and other sesame grades, and secure suitable supply.
• Develop sourcing relationships across relevant African and Asian origins, assessing supplier reliability, quality and competitiveness.
• Negotiate purchase and sales contracts, pricing, payment terms and delivery conditions.
• Manage the trading book, including volumes, margins, positions, inventory exposure and working capital.
• Monitor crop developments, supply and demand, competitor activity and price movements to identify trading opportunities.
• Coordinate with operations, logistics, finance and quality teams to ensure timely shipment, accurate documentation and collection of receivables.
• Ensure products meet contractual specifications and applicable destination-market food safety, traceability and import requirements.
• Manage supplier and customer claims, including quality discrepancies, shipment delays and contractual disputes.
• Provide regular reporting on commercial performance, market developments, risks and the sales pipeline.

Requirements

Candidate Requirements

• Demonstrated experience in physical sesame trading, with direct sales exposure to Japan and/or South Korea.
• Established relationships with buyers in at least one of these markets and the ability to develop the other.
• An existing sesame sales book in Japan and/or South Korea.
• Strong understanding of sesame origins, grades, processing requirements, quality specifications and pricing.
• Proven ability to originate business, negotiate contracts and deliver profitable trades.
• Experience managing international shipments, trade documentation, payment structures and commercial risk.
• Fluent business English; Japanese or Korean language skills would be an advantage.
• Eligible to work in Singapore and willing to travel regularly to destination markets and sourcing origins.