Senior Merchant - Animal Proteins

The Senior Merchant is an experienced commodity trader with developed trade skills.  This role has responsibility to interpret a market, formulate and communicate market opinions and take risk/reward positions for the Scoular company. A Senior Merchant builds deep customer relationships with both the buyer and seller.  The Senior Merchant plays a critical role in mentoring and guiding other Merchants on the team.

Market Analytics:

• Assure that the trade unit is in compliance with all risk management policies.
• Assess market trends, key leading indicators and is proficient in the market.
• Review product supply and demand and formulate opinions related to the market to make trade decisions that create revenue for the trade unit or product group.
• Manage a position or subset of the overall position for the business.
• Expected to have opinion on market every day.

Logistics/Execution:

• Lead execution logistics planning and strategy. Includes fundamental knowledge of truck/rail execution and commodity arbitrage.
• Manage relationships with the freight providers.
• Negotiate freight contracts.
• Arbitrage the position for optimal execution.
• Expected to problem solve in midst of execution and day to day execution issues.

Customer Relationship Building:

• Establish customers and business that support the business unit’s business strategy.
• Develop and maintain the extensive and varied business relationships in the marketplace.
• Provide customers with accurate market information and answers to questions about their business transactions, such as settlements.
• Build effective, on-going interaction with both current and potential customers.
• Act as a front-line negotiator for handling trading conflicts.
• Responsible for customer experience to ensure Scoular delivers a favorable customer experience (supplier, end user, carrier).

P&L Planning & Management:

• Manage the P&L for the assigned business or subset of the business.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, annual P&L estimates for the trade unit or product group.
• Provide monthly P&L results and quarterly forecasts.
• Manage daily position report for the trade unit.
• Accountable to maintain position limits, credit limits and in store inventories as defined by division leadership and trade finance.
• Create forecasts to inform the Trade Unit Manager/Product Group Manager.

People Development/Training:

• Coach/mentor other Merchandisers on the team and give Merchandiser Assistants daily direction.
• Create/drive collaboration within the division and company.

• 4+ years merchandising experience
• College degree in a business related field or equivalent experience
• Proven critical thinking skills and ability to drive strategy forward
• Demonstrated exceptional customer service skills and relationship building capability
• Proven ability to perform in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated aptitude in accounting and financial practices and procedures
• Highly skilled in problem solving techniques
• Ability to excel in a team trading environment 
• Demonstrated understanding of grain markets, hedging, commodity flows and logistics
• Knowledge of the agricultural industry’s trading standards and procedures
• Ability to travel, as needed

Preferred:

• Active involvement in industry agriculture association groups
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Demonstrated knowledge of agricultural macroeconomics