Wheat Merchant

Description

Job Title:                    Wheat Merchant

Department:              Merchandising-This is an onsite position      

Reports To:                Red Wheat Product Line Manager

Organizational Background:

Columbia Grain International, LLC. is a long time established full-service grain company in the grain and pulses business. We are headquartered in Portland, Oregon and own/operate over 50 elevators and offices throughout WA, ID, MN, MT, NE and ND to support our domestic and export sales program.

We are a mid-size company with just over 450 employees overall. The employees at Columbia Grain, at all levels of our organization, represent some of the most experienced and knowledgeable in the industry. We are proud of our ability to attract and maintain talented, efficient, long term, community minded employees who can develop lasting relationships with producers and customers both domestic and around the world.

Position Description:

The Wheat Merchant is primarily responsible for buying and selling bulk Red Wheat utilizing shuttle freight, DET’s, COT’s, single rail cars and trucks. The Wheat Merchant will work with the other members of the team to work toward operational goals while maintaining quality and efficiencies.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Trades Red Wheat for the company rail as a profit/loss center.
• Monitors export and domestic markets and arbitrage opportunities. 
• Hedges purchases/sales of Red Wheat through an on-line order entry system.
• Coordinates wheat shipments with elevator managers, other merchants and customers.  
• Projects freight needs and corresponding coverage in deferred positions.
• Monitors railroad and barge performance, events, tariffs and rail incentive programs.
• Communicates with other company departments, vendors and customers.
• Other duties assigned.

Qualifications

Skills, Knowledge, Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture or Business-related field (Finance or Economics).
• Minimum 2 years industry experience.  Trade experience in Northern Red Wheat markets preferred.  
• Strong conceptual and problem-solving skills to evaluate problems and apply knowledge to identify appropriate solutions; ability to resolve issues effectively and efficiently.
• Strong customer service orientation and ability to establish solid working relationships.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers and other employees.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. 
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to interact with all levels of management.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptive to successfully achieve the function of the position.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, storage, interest, commissions, ratios and conversions quickly and accurately.
• Good work ethic (team environment, both safe and quality), efficient and willingness to perform all required work with good attendance.

Benefits Offered:

• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and RX benefits
• Company paid Life Insurance and Disability
• Flexible Spending Plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401K Retirement savings plan
• Paid Holidays, Vacation and Sick leave

Successful completion of initial and ongoing employment screens, including but not limited to criminal background and vehicle record as required.

Columbia Grain is an Equal Opportunity Employer