u/DebDebra_Watersh

I'm the only data/analytics person at a small (~50 people) physical oil trading company based in the Dubai / Eastern Europe. Joined 6 months ago. I've got 7+ years in DS/ML, but I'm new to commodities.

What I have right now:

• Direct access to the traders and the CEO, with full visibility into how the business runs
• Building everything from the ground up - dashboards, automation, ML
• Real comp upside if I keep delivering value
• Feels like a once-in-a-career chance to be embedded this early in a trading house's data journey

The dilemma: I hold permanent residency in Germany. If I don't move back soon, I lose it. Getting EU citizenship would require 6–12 months of working in Germany. Remote isn't an option - I can't do both at once. A DS role in Germany would mean a pay cut and far less interesting work.

Questions for the community:

• Is being the "sole data person at a trading house" as rare and valuable as it feels from the inside? Or am I overestimating it?
• EU citizenship vs. staying in this role - what's more valuable long-term?