Reports to:

CEO

Required Education and Experience:

Bachelors Degree in Agriculture related field; Ideal candidate will have 7+ years of grain merchandising experience and will have a passion for business development

Job Requirements:

The Grain Director is responsible for the origination and effective merchandising of Five Star’s grain business. The incumbent will build internal and external relationships and have a high level of understanding of the processor market, rail and river markets, truck trading, hedging, spreads, and futures. This position comes with no direct operations responsibilities but works closely with the Chief Operations Officer and their team on all matters involved in volume, condition, logistics, and operational hours. Five Star’s structure is for the Grain Director to focus solely on position management, unique marketing tools, and partner relationships.
 
This position will maintain a positive attitude that promotes teamwork within the agronomy department, as well as within the cooperative and upholds a favorable image of Five Star Cooperative at all times.

Essential Functions:

• Establishes department goals with assistance from the CEO
• Conducts department planning and updating meetings with the CEO, COO, and CFO
• Maintains a thorough knowledge of market values, rail freight rates, truck freight rates, and is the company’s primary contact to cash grain markets, such as ethanol plants, exporters, processors, millers, feeders, etc.
• Actively focuses on customers relationships and makes sales to maximize the value (profitability) received for grain.
• Establishes comprehensive matrix of bids for the grain business; manages the company’s basis positions, develops hedge and spread positions and makes sales; all in accordance with established grain risk management policies.
• Contributes to the development of policies and procedures for various activities related to the company’s assigned commodity activities, such as: origination, warehousing, contracting, hedging, risk management, and marketing.
• Aids in developing programs to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the company’s grain presence and works with company personnel to increase origination.
• Promotes company communication efforts at all levels regarding grain market intelligence, grain policies, procedures, and grain division direction.
• Establishes budget volume and margins and is responsible for company wide margin management.
• Communicates the strategic direction and needs of the company to the vendors, the industry, and the employees.
• Applies sound business principles in the management of the department.
• Develops annual and long-term strategic and operational plans for the Grain department.
• Assures other divisions understand the business plan of the department and that efforts with other departments are not in conflict.
• Provides input on grain related capital expenditure projects.
• Assign employee responsibilities and maintain job descriptions, develop performance standards, complete and administer annual performance reviews for employees, plan and provide opportunities for employee advancement, training, and development.
• Provides excellent customer service.
• Strong organizational, problem solving, and analytical skills; ability to manage priorities and workflow with acute attention to detail.
• Enforce and abide by all cooperative policies.
• Enforce and uphold the cooperative’s credit policy.
• Assists with recordkeeping and filing needs.
• Good communication with all employees and customers
• Handles customer complaints smoothly.
  • Notifies supervisor of problems
  • Solves problems as quickly as possible, either personally or through communication with the supervisor

Contact Information
Amanda Dowd
Human Resources Director
(641) 394-6142

 

Date Posted:

9/12/2023