LNG Originator - China

About the role

Referment is working with a European energy trading business to hire an LNG Originator as it builds its presence in China and the wider Asian market. Based in Singapore, you will lead commercial discussions with Chinese buyers and turn those relationships into contracted LNG volumes across term and spot business. You will join at the start of the build-out, with scope to shape which buyers and opportunities the business pursues.

Key responsibilities

• Originate term and spot LNG business with Chinese buyers, taking opportunities from initial discussions through commercial negotiation and contract close.
• Build and deepen buyer relationships with national and provincial buyers, utilities and industrial end users, understanding their procurement cycles, volume requirements and how contracting decisions are made.
• Structure and price deals with the trading and portfolio teams, working through volumes, delivery windows, pricing mechanisms and contractual flexibility.
• Translate buyer requirements into executable proposals, bringing the trading and portfolio teams into discussions early to test pricing and delivery options.
• Identify opportunities in the wider Asian LNG market as the regional business develops, with China as your core focus.

Required profile

• Direct LNG origination experience in China, with established buyer relationships you can draw on to open commercial discussions.
• A track record of closing term LNG business, with examples of agreements you helped structure, negotiate and bring to signature.
• Mandarin language skills for commercial discussions and a practical understanding of how Chinese buyers procure LNG, negotiate terms and secure internal approvals.
• Commercial judgement on LNG deal structures, including how pricing, delivery commitments and flexibility affect both the buyer and the portfolio.
• Exposure to other Asian LNG markets would be useful given the wider regional remit.

Applicants should outline the types of Chinese buyers they have worked with, their experience across term and spot LNG, and the part they played in closing a term agreement. The role suits an originator or senior commercial professional at a producer, portfolio player or utility who has covered Chinese counterparties and wants to own a China build-out from the front.