Trade Settlement Specialist

Role Overview

We are seeking a Trade Settlement Specialist (Cross-Border Transactions) to lead and strengthen our transaction banking operations. This role is responsible for the end-to-end processing, reconciliation, and settlement of payments across domestic and international rails.

The role requires expertise in SWIFT, FX, Nostro/Vostro management, and regulatory compliance, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and full audit readiness. This includes overseeing settlement cut-offs, resolving breaks and exceptions, enforcing SOPs, and upholding the highest standards of operational control and compliance hygiene.

Key Responsibilities

• Process and monitor outward/inward payments (SWIFT, FX, Cards, PSP, NEFT, RTGS, IMPS); validate instructions, authorize payment messages, and ensure cut-off discipline.
• Manage settlements for advance, final, freight, and services-related payments in line with trade and customer requirements.
• Perform daily reconciliations (Nostro/Vostro vs internal ledgers), resolve exceptions within TAT, and maintain strong makerchecker controls, dual authorization, and audit-ready records.
• Ensure compliance with RBI/FEMA, OFAC, and AML guidelines; monitor sanctions lists; escalate SLA breaches and support root-cause analysis.
• Investigate settlement fails, returns and rejects; coordinate with banks, PSPs, and internal teams for closure; manage critical escalations and ensure SLA adherence.
• Prepare EOD, reconciliation, and exception MIS reports and dashboards to ensure transparency and oversight.
• Participate in UAT testing for system upgrades; recommend and implement process improvements for operational efficiency and stronger control hygiene.
• Train and mentor new hires on settlement processes, reconciliation practices and operational control standards.

What Were Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in cross border transaction banking, payments operations, or fund settlements (bank, NBFC, or fintech) with exposure to import/export payments, FX booking, and trade document verification.
• Strong knowledge of SWIFT (MT103/199/192/202/910/999), Fedwire, CHIPS, and domestic rails (NEFT/RTGS/IMPS).
• Proven expertise in reconciliation, exception handling, and global settlement processes.
• Hands-on experience with payment investigation, settlement fails, and re-effected payments.
• Stong MS Excel, reporting and documentation skills and familiarity with ticketing/case management tools.
• High attention to detail, discipline with cut-offs, and strong communication skills.