What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Grain Merchandiser position at Keystone Cooperative, Inc.?
Job Description
Position Overview: This position will provide leadership and direction for Keystone grain purchasing and grain sales at the assigned location or territory. The role requires customer service, extensive networking and communication with farmer producers, coordination with grain elevator operations, communication with grain buyers, and collaboration with fellow grain division team members.
Duties and Responsibilities: Include but are not limited to:
- Implement grain sales, by using strategies and tactics set by Vice President of Grain, in accordance with Keystone policies and guidelines.
- Coordinate strategies and tactics to align with grain elevator logistics, including purchase bids and customer targeting.
- Maximize margins by interacting at all levels of a customer’s operation, gain in depth knowledge and insight into the customer’s goals, drivers, and initiatives, to align origination tactics with customer marketing plans.
- Create and maintain good working relationships with processors, brokers, advisors, and other people of influence, regarding grain commodities in the assigned territory.
- Pursue new market opportunities.
- Position and promote Keystone as the most credible source of grain information and quality grain. Recommend risk management strategies and products. Provide customer service and act as one of the primary points of contact for customers.
- As part of a total farm approach to marketing, build a working relationship with agronomic sales team members, participate in sales calls with agronomy sales team members and participate in informative farmer meetings.
- Maintain a futures position for assigned location or territory, regarding routine hedge needs.
- Maintain account and on-farm sales call records, including customer profiles.
- Adhere to all safety requirements.
- Ensure compliance with all state and federal regulations.
Skills and Qualifications:
- Understanding of grain business, including basic merchandising, and local market analysis
- Strong interpersonal communication skills (face-to-face, verbal, written, electronic), with a demonstrated ability to build strong relationships
- Demonstrated ability to plan and implement a variety of on-farm sales calls
- Excellent organization skills and ability to work well within strict time frames
- Solid understanding of grain basis/futures trading and the application of those to the farmer in production agriculture
- Ability and willingness to work long hours, travel, and be on call, as business conditions warrant
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in agriculture or business preferred, or a combination of related experience
