Western Rail Trader

Overall Purpose and Objective of Position

This position is responsible for rail origination and logistics management of grains and oilseeds for LDC’s export terminals and processing assets.

Primary Responsibilities/Essential Functions

Originates grain and oilseeds from interior rail terminals

Communicates with country network daily to drive information flow & strengthen customer relationships

Optimizes rail and port/vessel logistics through coordination with balance of the KC rail team

Identifies and executes arbitrage opportunities to maximize logistics value

Works with US product line traders to develop & implement regional premium positioning strategy

Ensures positions are accurately reflected & ties P&L out daily

Stays abreast of market developments, ensuring timely group updates & interpretation of market data

Coordinate information flow between departments to meet internal and external customer requirements

Composes market wires, position updates, track lineups and vessel lineups as necessary

Participates in customer visits and industry social events as well as LDC acreage and yield tours

Uses historical information to analyze pricing trends and project forward market pricing outlook

Additional Responsibilities

Ensures contracts are entered day of trade and fills/settlements are completed timely

Learn CINCH & other internal application software

Gathers news, statistics and information relative to individual commodity supply and demand from customers and trade sources, and distribute the information to the remainder of the group to support overall strategic trading/positioning (i.e., contributes to research function)

Other duties as assigned.

Decision Making/Accountability

Processes a variety of information and data to devise and execute trading strategies. Negotiates with trade counterparts to maximize corporate returns. Advises and recommends trading strategies, assesses risk pertaining to buying and selling and negotiates contract terms with clients.

Prioritizes work schedule to meet deadlines and continuously adjusts priorities to resolve unexpected issues; works with little supervision and consults with supervisor regarding unusual problems or occurrences. Completes projects as assigned.

The following are required:

Five or more years of experience in an agribusiness firm in a merchandising or trading capacity

Thorough understanding of grain markets, basis trading and rail logistics

Three or more years of direct position ownership & experience with logistics management

Demonstrated strong negotiating skills and commercial understanding combined with the right commercial attitude and results orientation

Capability to consolidate global and domestic market drivers into a point of view and executable trading strategy

Strong analytical skills and the ability to select relevant information from a flow of information (distinction between main and side issues)

Demonstrated ability to manage trading, logistics and execution risks

Must have an extensive knowledge of the U.S. transportation systems, relationships with all the major transportation providers and a good working knowledge of grain trading and transportation

Knowledge of railroad logistics specifically and vessel logistics preferably

Knowledge of demurrage/despatch concepts helpful

Familiarity with current commodity transportation issues

Proficiency with MS Excel, database administration and online systems/websites

Knowledge of fundamentals of grain accounting, basis/flat price trading and futures markets

Strong organizational skills, and the ability to prioritize multiple tasks, prioritize workload, and meet tight deadlines.

Strong communication and documentation skills.

Education/Professional Certifications/Licenses

Basic qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree preferably in Agriculture, Economics or related discipline.

Equipment Used

Typical office equipment: PC, workstations, telephone, and fax machine.

Working Conditions

Typical climate-controlled office environment. Extensions of regular working hour are occasionally necessary to complete time-sensitive projects, attend training or to respond to emergencies which may include weekends.

Employee Supervision

None

Company Conformance Statements

In the performance of their respective tasks and duties all employees are expected to conform to the following:

Perform quality work within deadlines without direct supervision.

Interact professionally with co-workers, Company business associates and the public.

Work together in a cooperative spirit to serve the best interests of the Company.

Operate in a fully responsible manner and comply with the law and Company policy.

What We Offer

We provide a dynamic and stimulating international environment, which will stretch and develop your abilities and channel your skills and expertise with outstanding career development opportunities in one of the largest and most solid private companies in the world.

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