Director, Middle Office

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Develop risk management function within the organization
• Identify risks and provide appropriate risk management advice to relevant parties
• Establish rules that enable day-to-day operations to properly manage risks and monitor compliance with those rules
• Foster an understanding of the importance of risk management among relevant parties and develop the necessary human resources for middle office
• Design roles, rules, guidelines, policy and function as appropriate
• Implement necessary infrastructure and systems to monitor risk within the organization
• Operate within the core values of respect and care for others.

Risk Identification and Assessment:

• Conduct thorough risk assessments of raw material and other market related risks, identifying potential threats such as price volatility, suppl disruptions, regulatory changes, climate change and geopolitical instability.
• Scope risk management includes Optimization with sales, production and inventory management
• Profitability analysis in terms of daily or weekly purchase and sales contracts being made
• Monitor trends, economic indicators and industry news to identify emerging risk
• Develop risk matrices and key risk indicators (KRIs) to measure and track risk exposure

Risk Mitigation:

• Collaborate with procurement, sales, operations and finance teams to implement risk management controls and procedures
• Develop and maintain relationships with insurance providers, hedging counterparties and other risk management partners

Risk Reporting and Communication:

• Capture all the sources of financial risk and set up systems to report the same on a real time or daily basis
• Prepare regular risk reports for management, highlighting key risks, mitigation strategies and potential impacts
• Communicate risk information effectively to stakeholders at all levels of the organization
• Participate in risk management committees and working groups

Business Continuity:

• Develop and maintain business continuity plans for cocoa-related operations
• Conduct regular business impact assessments to identify critical processes and dependencies

Compliance:

• Monitor and enforce compliance of risk controls within the organization
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards related to cocoa sourcing, trading and risk management
• Stay informed about changes in regulatory requirements and their impact on the business
• Educate the key employees on the importance of risk management and broaden the understanding of risk within the company

Physical Requirements:

•  General office environment with majority of time using computer

Safety, Quality and Hygiene Requirements: 

• Maintain compliance with all company policies, procedures and code of conduct
• Comply with workplace uniform requirements and safety gear, when on the plant floor v. office

Performance Expectations:

•  Identify, evaluate, and manage risk the company could encounter
• Gauge potential risks to the company through research and assessment
• Conduct risk assessments, collecting and analyzing data, statistics, and reports
• Develop contingency plans to ensure maximum risk control
• Ensure the company meets the risk requirements while implementing the risk management framework
• Evaluate existing risk management processes for improvements to achieve maximum risk control

Skills and Work Experience Requirements:

• Proficient in financial modeling and analysis
• Knowledge on VAR calculations and Monte Carlo type risk assessments
• Ability to perform independent value analysis
• Adept in risk management, preferably in the commodities or agricultural sector
• Strong knowledge of the commodity markets, preferably with exposure to cocoa, soft or dairy sectors including processing and trading
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, written and verbal
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite

Desired Skills:

•  Knowledge of hedging instruments and derivatives
• Ability to understand the sustainability and ethical sourcing issues in the cocoa industry
• Proficiency with risk management software and systems
• Knowledge of calculating various types of financial risk including outright, basis, ratio, counterparty and credit risk

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, supply chain management, or a related field.
• Advanced degree (MBA or master's in risk management) preferred.

Career Progression:

• Employees are encouraged to express interest in internal career opportunities throughout Blommer
• Expectations for promotion or job role change are driven by proficiency and performance in current role
• Career progression would align to other plant leadership roles within Blommer

A reasonable estimate of the current base salary range at the time of posting is below. The base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits. The actual base salary within the specified range is based on several factors, including but not limited to applicant's skills, prior relevant experience, education, certifications, job responsibilities, market considerations and, if applicable, the location of the position.

This role is eligible for either a discretionary annual bonus (based on company, business unit and individual performance) and/or commission-based incentives.

Salary Range $170k-$210k

Benefits: Blommer understands that our employees are our biggest assets. With this in mind we offer a generous benefits package. 

• Health, Dental & Vision- eligibility begins day 1 of hire!
• 401(K)
• Pet insurance
• Tuition reimbursement
• 10 pounds of free chocolate for your birthday

Blommer Chocolate Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Note to External Recruiters / Search Firms: Blommer Chocolate Company does not accept unsolicited resumes and will not pay for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Any unsolicited resumes received will not be considered as a valid submission.

Salary : $170,000 - $210,000