Merchant

Description

Summary: The Merchant is a commodity trader responsible for interpreting markets, formulating opinions, identifying risk/reward positions, and building deep customer relationships to drive business growth. Highlights: 1. Interpret market trends and make strategic trade decisions to generate revenue 2. Lead execution logistics planning, strategy, and freight contract negotiation 3. Develop and maintain extensive business relationships with customers **About the Role** The Merchant is a commodity trader with developed trade skills. This role has responsibility to interpret a market, formulate and communicate market opinions and identify risk/reward positions for the Scoular company. A Merchant builds deep customer relationships and leverages those relationships into business growth. **Market Analytics:** * 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 everyday **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 solve problems in midst of execution and day\-to\-day execution issues. **Customer Relationship Building:** * Develop customers and business that support the trade unit's business strategy. * Develop and maintain 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 Responsibilities:** * 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 as needed. * Manage daily position report for the assigned business within 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. Requirements: **About You** * 2\+ years merchandising experience. * College degree in 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. * 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 knowledge of agricultural macroeconomics.