Senior Originator

About the Role

The Senior Originator is an experienced buyer with developed origination skills. This role will strive to develop and enhance strong working relationships with producers, drive cost efficiency in purchasing decisions, provide excellence in marketing services to producers, successfully purchase the correct commodity and quality, and show gains in the market share of commodity purchases.

• Identify and grow the grower base by creating new opportunities for the business.
• Serve as a market expert in the region with a strong overall concept of the special crops market.
• Responsible for all execution activity from buying grain on a contract to actual delivery.
• Partner closely with the logistics team, accounting team, merchandisers, and plant/facility staff.
• Mentor and guide the Originator team members and collaborate with the Scoular team.
• Plan, develop, and implement complex purchasing strategies and tactics.
• Knowledgeable of Scoular's risk management tools and digital interaction tools.
• Strong understanding of local producer trends and communicate this information to the team.
• Execution of purchase contracts with accurate documentation and ensure contract compliance.
• Participate in industry-relevant trade shows by arranging booths, working trade shows, producer meetings, and other industry functions.
• Proficient in Scoular systems, tools, and reports (CTRM, LMS, ScoularView, Power BI, etc.).
• Leverage marketing alternatives and digital origination tools to enhance and manage grower relationships.
• Support the build and implementation of applicable regenerative agriculture initiatives.
• Formulate and articulate thoughts and insights on the markets.
• Manage relationships with freight providers.
• Achieve maximum savings in incoming freight by focusing on least delivered cost purchases.
• Share ideas on purchases with arbitrage opportunities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of logistics and supply chain management, truck/rail execution, and commodity arbitrage.
• Lead logistics planning and strategy, and coordinate transportation for grain shipments.
• Grow knowledge of systems and procedures that document and support executions.
• Maintain and grow strong working relationships with farm producers by providing credible and trustworthy marketing services.
• Build relationships with new producers.
• Build producer target list and profile producer operations.
• Plan calls based on purchase requirement priorities and system queries on producers, commodities, and target prices.
• Ensure crop tours are made through the assigned management areas.
• Interact with customers, express ideas, and share opinions.
• Provide customers with accurate market information and answers to questions about their business transactions.
• Build effective, ongoing interactions with both current and potential customers with support from the merchandising team and Manager.
• Handle contract management, including freight responsibilities and reconciling balances with customers.

Requirements

• Minimum college degree in a business-related field or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of commodity or grain trading experience (farm grain buying experience would also be relevant).
• Knowledge of the agricultural industry’s origination standards and procedures.
• Ability to make grain deals independently.
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge of agricultural macroeconomics.
• Strong problem-solving skills and troubleshooting concerns with grain quality.
• Strong ability to create and maintain relationships.
• Exceptional customer service skills and relationship-building capability.
• Ability to perform in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly skilled in problem-solving techniques.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Ability to travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active involvement in industry agriculture association groups.
• Demonstrated aptitude in accounting and financial practices and procedures.

Benefits

• Competitive health plans that begin on the employee's first day.
• Incentive opportunity on top of competitive base pay, 401k safe harbor, and additional company match.
• Vacation, sick, and wellbeing time off in addition to 12 paid holidays.
• 8 hours of paid volunteer time every year to give back and make a social impact.

This position is eligible for annual incentive opportunities based on business and individual performance.