What are the responsibilities and job description for the Principal Commodity Manager - Olefins position at Ascend Performance Materials Holdings Inc.?
Company Overview
Ascend Performance Materials is a global leader in high-performance chemicals, fibers and plastics, committed to enhancing quality of life through innovation. With fully integrated manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia, we develop essential solutions that drive safer vehicles, cleaner energy, advanced medical devices, and durable consumer goods. Guided by a strong focus on safety, sustainability, and customer success, we operate responsibly while delivering value through cutting-edge technologies and industry expertise. Join our team and be part of a collaborative environment where your work drives meaningful global impact.
Role Summary
The Principal Commodity Manager is a key strategic role in procurement, responsible for managing Ascend's top spend category—propylene supply, with an annual spend of ~$500M. This role requires a high degree of business acumen and the ability to engage at all levels of the organization. It is a hands-on position involving strategy development, execution, and daily management of propylene flows (including buying/selling in the spot market to optimize balances). This role requires a strong awareness of market drivers, including crude oil, interest rates, natural gas, NGLs, refinery products, and relevant derivatives. The Principal Commodity Manager will oversee supplier relationships, contract negotiations, and adjust supply to the dynamic operations at Ascend's Chocolate Bayou plant. The position requires close collaboration with Supply Chain, Operations, Legal, Finance, and Ascend's Senior Leadership Team. This high-visibility procurement commercial role aims to enhance the company's strategic flexibility and cost structure for its top feedstock.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and execute short-term and long-term olefins sourcing strategies aligned with business objectives.
Manage supplier relationships, negotiations, and contracts to maximize value and ensure supply reliability.
Oversee day-to-day pipeline flows, making agile adjustments to meet plant demand in the most cost-effective manner.
Design and execute a strategic spot purchasing program to optimize propylene supply.
Stay informed on market developments and provide timely insights to Procurement and Commercial leadership.
Tender purchase orders against contract supply and spot propylene trades, managing pricing in SAP.
Implement risk management strategies, including hedging and pipeline redundancy.
Engage with suppliers on bio- and circular propylene options and assess the carbon footprint of conventional supply.
Ensure ethical procurement practices and compliance with company policies.
12-Month Success Benchmarks
Establish a strong presence in the spot market, autonomously managing the spot purchasing program for cost-effective procurement while ensuring reliable plant supply.
Enhance and internalize the current propylene strategy, build relationships with key contract suppliers, and expertly manage contracting per strategic objectives.
Demonstrate expert ability to manage daily flows, aligning supply dynamically with demand while staying ahead of market shifts.
Reporting Structure
Reports to: Director – Direct Materials Procurement
Required Experience & Skills
Education: BS/BA in Business, Supply Chain, or a Technical field. MBA preferred but not required.
Experience: 10 years of relevant experience in commercial roles such as Sales, Commercial Management, Procurement, Logistics, or Trading. Direct experience in purchasing, commercial management, or trading is required.
Expertise: Strong knowledge of olefins or adjacent markets (upstream, NGLs, ethylene, etc.) is highly desirable, along with expertise in pipelines. Strong negotiation skills.
Technical Proficiency: Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred), procurement policies, and market analysis. Digital native with advanced Excel skills for managing detailed data.
Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills with the ability to prioritize multiple initiatives effectively.
Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal skills to engage cross-functional teams and drive alignment.
Business Acumen: High level of commercial awareness, relationship management, professionalism, and agility.
Adaptability: Ability to navigate complexity, ambiguity, and fast-paced environments with confidence.
This role is ideal for a strategic thinker with specific petrochemical industry experience, strong supplier management skills, and an aptitude for hands-on management. Join us to play a key role in representing Ascend Performance Materials in one of the most dynamic petrochemical markets along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
At Ascend Performance Materials, we value transparency and fairness in our hiring process. We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters, search firms, or staffing agencies. Any resumes received from such entities will be considered the property of Ascend Performance Materials, and we will not be obligated to pay any fees for such submissions. Our Talent Acquisition Team actively engages with preferred recruitment partners who have established agreements with us. We encourage all interested candidates to apply directly through our official channels to be considered for any open positions.
Skills Summary:
About Us:
Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high quality chemicals, fibers and plastics. With world scale integrated manufacturing facilities we are able to develop new products from our core technologies, and provide flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of customers. Ascend has global sales and distribution facilities across the globe and six manufacturing facilities globally. As a privately-held company, our people do big things and make big decisions, often much earlier in their careers than at larger companies. Ascend Performance Materials offers team members the opportunity to contribute in big, meaningful ways—all within a stable and growing business.
Why work at Ascend?
Our vision is to be the recognized leader in the nylon 6,6 value chain, creating new possibilities with PA66 for everyone, everywhere, every day. We achieve that through living our Ascend values.
We care. We operate safely with high integrity for our employees, our customers and our communities. Our people are our greatest assets, and our Total Rewards Program extends beyond traditional benefits to include access to on-site medical clinics at our U.S. facilities, a global wellness rewards program and Performance Matters, an employee-driven recognition plan. Our Commitment to Zero demonstrates our belief that is it possible to operate with zero personal injuries, zero process safety incidents and zero environmental releases. And the Ascend Cares Foundation, led by Ascend employees, supports Ascend families in times of need, provides inspiring opportunities for community engagement and facilitates community leadership.
Customer-focused. We exist for our customers; they drive our actions. Their success is our success. Our plastics and chemicals are building blocks that help make everyday essentials safer and more sustainable, and we constantly strive to develop new and innovative products to meet the future needs of our customers. And that customer focus doesn’t only apply to the marketplace – it also applies to how we treat our colleagues and our fellow community members.
Better every day. We invest in our people and our processes to improve every day. A2E, our continuous improvement program, guides the way we do business. And this way of problem solving applies not only to our manufacturing practices but also to our commitment to developing our people. You’ll see it during your career at Ascend in our leadership development, skills training and mentoring programs
Agile. We think broadly and lead proactively in a constantly evolving organization and industry. Agility doesn’t mean simply working quickly – it means critical thinking, creative problem solving and novel approaches to everyday challenges.
One Ascend. All together, with a common set of goals and an eye toward the future. We don’t accept silos. We look for ways to share across departments, sites and geography. This means you won’t be boxed into a single role at Ascend – you could get the chance to work with teams across the globe to improve the way we serve our people, our customers and our communities.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information or other protected status under federal, state or local laws.
