Commodity Trader

Position Summary

The Commodity Trader formulates and executes an effective trade, logistics, and procurement strategy for the commodities under their purview. This involves budgeting and ensuring volume and margin targets are achieved. They have overall responsibility for the P&L on their commodities, and as such will need to provide direction and leadership to the logistics and procurement teams. They must also ensure that trading and logistics management comply with Agrocorp's SOPs and risk management protocols. Both domestic and international sales for products such as lentils, peas, chickpeas, oats, and flax would be under the purview of the Commodity Trader.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy

• Staying connects with other industry players, overseas sales offices, and the latest developments in the market to devise strategies to execute effectively.
• Developing and keeping up to date supply and demand analysis, as well as key market drivers, of all commodities under the trader's purview.
• Developing an annual budget for each commodity with a view towards generating required margins, maximizing use of Agrocorp owned plants, developing means to handle product outside of Agrocorp's plants, and ensuring we remain relevant at key end destinations.

Trading & Risk Management

• Execute the budgetedstrategy, achieving expectedgross margins.
• Close communication with global pulses trade team, other buyers/brokers, and plant procurement team on prices and crop prospects
• Ensure the procurement team has daily bids and keep salesprices in the market daily.
• Staying within Agrocorp's risk management policy,prescribed position limitsand margin guidelines.
• Ensuring Agrocorp grower and track procurement contracts and sales contracts are up to date daily to mitigate against any risk.
• Ensure Agrocorp is executing on its sales, on time and withinspec.
• Following up on accounts receivable collections
• Devising strategies for APL to be the most compelling bid in the market for its farmers
• Minimize working capital cycle times and maximize plant storage.
• Ensure there is an effective quality control strategy for their commodities and contribute to effective quality control strategies on all commodities.

Position Management & Reporting

• Provide weekly mark to market values.
• Provide weekly mark to market values.
• Inform Trading Manager immediately of any ongoing issues that would significantly impact trade PNLs and take guidance where needed to mitigate the loss.
• Accurate cost analysis and execution of both local and export sales.
• Work with Trading Manager to effectively structure procurement contracts that mitigate all-round risks.

Logistics

• Ensure sales are executed on time and within spec.
• Keep in close contact with execution team and plant managers to ensure capacity to handle sales at the plants.
• Develop creative logistics solutions to get products to customers at the lowest effective cost.
• Developing bulk vessel pathways for our facilities
• Managing the relationships with port based trans loaders and rail companies (CN & CP) to unlock cost savings and any efficiencies to improve working capital cycle times.

Leader

• Be a leader within the organization, contribute to setting corporate goals, uphold corporate values, and contribute to process improvements and cost savings.
• Aide in the development of team members
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key customers and Agrocorp's global marketing team.
• Representing APL at important industry events
• Be a leader on safety within the organization.

Specific Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Post-secondary education from a recognized institution in International Business, Commerce, Logistics, or related discipline.
• Minimum of 7-8 years' Agri-commodities experience.
• Good understanding of the grain business in Canada and the USA.
• Good critical thinking and reasoning skills to understand commodity markets and develop effective strategies.
• Experienced negotiator
• The ability to delegate and manage conflicting priorities.
• Proven ability tos foster effective interpersonal relationships within a geographically and culturally diverse work setting.
• Experience with innovative logistics solutions to get product from farm to end destination in a cost- effective manner considered an asset.
• Prior experience handling export documents, letters of credit, cash against documents (CAD), logistics, global shipping, Incoterms, and supply chain procedures, preferably in the Agri-commodities industry considered an asset Advanced Microsoft Office skills including experience using Excel
• Experience using customer relationship management (CRM) software and/or prior experience using SalesForce is an asset.
• Ability to use initiative to identify problemsand deliver solutions.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Effective communication, interpersonal and organizational skills, with a high level of attention to detail.
• Ability to manage confidential information.

Condition of Employment

• Office environment, extended periods of sitting, using a computer, and viewing computer screen.
• Overtime is required during evenings and weekends.
• Valid driver's license required.
• Periodic travel within Canada, the United States, and other locations as needed.
• CSA approved steel-toed boots are required during plant visits.
• Must be legally entitled to work in Canada.