Commodity Manager

Position Summary

The Pork Trading Manager role is responsible for commercializing pork production from the processing plant by optimizing product mix, pricing, and market timing to maximize carcass value and plant margins. This role bridges operations, sales, and risk management, translating slaughter volumes and yields into profitable market execution across domestic and export channels.

Responsibilities

• Manage the pricing and sale of pork primals, sub-primals, trims, offal, and by-products to maximize overall carcass value

• Analyze yields, cutout values, and plant performance to inform pricing and sales strategy

• Align product mix decisions with slaughter schedules, customer demand, and margin objectives

• Set daily and short-term pork pricing strategies based on market conditions, inventory, and customer contracts

• Negotiate sales with distributors, foodservice, retail, and export customers

• Balance spot-market sales versus program business to optimize returns and manage risk

• Monitor competing packer pricing, industry cutout trends, and cold storage levels

• Manage price exposure related to pork sales using Lean Hog futures, options, and other risk tools

• Coordinate hog procurement economics with pork sales strategy to protect crush margins

• Track daily positions, P&L performance, and exposure relative to company risk limits

• Cross-functional coordination with plant operations to align slaughter volumes, specs, and yields with market needs

• Partner with sales teams to support customer programs, promotions, and contract pricing

• Collaborate with logistics, inventory, and quality teams to ensure execution against sales commitments

• Provide regular market insights, pricing guidance, and forward-looking scenarios to leadership

• Track supply/demand fundamentals including slaughter levels, weights, exports, and seasonal trends

• Support annual budgeting, margin forecasting, and strategic planning

• Customer Relationship Management: Maintain and deepen relationships with key customers and channel partners

• Identify opportunities to grow value-added, branded, or export business

• Support long-term customer agreements with data-driven pricing and volume recommendations

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, Animal Science, Economics, Finance, or related field (or equivalent experience)

• 3+ years of experience in pork processing, merchandising, protein trading, or commercial meat sales

• Strong understanding of pork carcass fabrication, yields, cutout math, and pricing formulas

• Experience using futures and options for margin and risk management

• Familiarity with USDA reporting, cutout values, and export regulations

• Proven ability to manage margins across the full value chain (hog to boxed meat)

Key Skills and Competencies

• Strong commercial and analytical judgment

• Ability to translate plant data into market decisions

• Disciplined risk awareness and margin focus

• Collaborative mindset across operations and sales

• Clear communicator in fast-paced, margin-driven environments

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Carcass and cutout margin performance

• Alignment of sales pricing with market and competitor benchmarks

• Risk compliance and margin protection

• Inventory turnover and program execution accuracy