The Commodity Manager is responsible for managing MAAPW's grain procurement, commodity positions, corn origination, inventory management, and commercial grain activities to ensure a reliable, competitively priced corn supply for plant operations. This position serves as MAAPW's primary grain procurement contact with Grain Supply Company, helping develop the Company's procurement strategy while ensuring its effective execution. The Commodity Manager is also responsible for maintaining accurate commodity positions, supporting risk management activities, strengthening grower relationships, and providing timely market intelligence and recommendations to management.
Reports To: Commodity Team and Plant Management
Travel: Less than 20% (primarily local and regional travel to meet with growers, grain suppliers, commercial partners, and attend industry meetings as needed).
Essential Responsibilities
- Develop and execute MAAPW's corn procurement and origination strategy to ensure uninterrupted plant operations.
- Maintain adequate corn inventory while minimizing inventory carrying costs and managing procurement costs.
- Serve as MAAPW's primary commercial liaison with Grain Supply Company, ensuring grain procurement strategies are effectively executed.
- Manage MAAPW's commodity positions, including corn purchases, contract administration, basis exposure, and inventory reporting in accordance with the Company's Risk Management Policy.
- Enter and maintain grain purchase contracts, roll contracts as necessary, and ensure MAAPW's internal commodity position reports reconcile with Grain Supply Company ‘s records.
- Coordinate with Grain Supply Company ‘s scheduling team to ensure timely corn deliveries and smooth contract execution.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with local growers, elevators, grain suppliers, and commercial partners while expanding direct farmer origination opportunities.
- Communicate with grain providers outside of Grain Supply Company to support procurement and supply objectives.
- Monitor grain markets, USDA reports, crop conditions, futures, basis, transportation markets, and competitor activity, providing timely market intelligence and recommendations to management.
- Coordinate with plant operations to forecast corn usage and maintain appropriate inventory levels.
- Manage outbound logistics and product scheduling for plant co-products, including wet cake, distillers corn oil (DCO), and syrup, ensuring timely, cost-effective movement that aligns with production rates and storage capacity.
- Coordinate daily and weekly load scheduling across truck and rail modes for wet cake, DCO, and syrup shipments, working closely with plant operations to prevent inventory backups or product-driven production slowdowns.
- Serve as MAAPW's primary point of contact with rail service providers (Class I carriers and short lines), managing car ordering, spotting, cycle times, and fleet utilization outbound co-product shipments.
- Monitor rail service performance and car supply, proactively communicating with rail providers to resolve service disruptions, minimize demurrage/detention charges, and escalate recurring issues to management.
- Maintain and reconcile rail car inventory and shipment schedules ensuring accurate documentation for billing and settlement.
- Communicate and coordinate effectively with MAAPW's third-party ethanol marketing provider to align plant production schedules, ethanol inventory/tank levels, and outbound ethanol shipping needs, ensuring accurate information.
- Support grain receiving operations, including assisting the scale house with corn deliveries as needed.
- Ensure grain contracts, settlements, and supporting documentation are accurate and complete.
- Support low-carbon and traceable grain initiatives, including grower data collection and Carbon Intensity (CI) documentation.
- Maintain compliance with company policies, delegated authorities, grain contracts, and applicable regulations.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business, Agricultural Economics, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred. Equivalent grain merchandising experience may be substituted.
- Five (5) or more years of experience in grain merchandising, commodity procurement, agricultural marketing, or commodity risk management, preferably within the ethanol industry.
- Strong knowledge of cash grain markets, basis trading, futures and hedging, grain contracts, inventory management, logistics, and commodity accounting systems.
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel and ERP/commodity management software.
Leadership Expectations
The successful candidate will demonstrate a high level of initiative and ownership, proactively identify opportunities and risks, communicate effectively, and bring well-developed recommendations to management. Success in this role will be measured not only by maintaining adequate corn supply, but also by procurement performance, basis management, grower relationship development, contract accuracy, inventory management, commercial value creation, and compliance with the Company's Risk Management Policy.
Benefits
MAAPW offers a competitive benefits package for eligible employees, which may include health, dental, and vision insurance; retirement plan options; paid time off; life and disability insurance; and other company-sponsored benefits. Benefit eligibility and details are subject to plan terms and company policy.
How to Apply
Qualified applicants should submit a current resume and cover letter outlining their relevant grain procurement, commodity management, logistics, and leadership experience. Applications should be submitted via email to hr@mabe-ethanol.com or via USPS to Mid America Agri Products/Wheatland, P. O. Box 1655, North Platte, NE 69103. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.
Equal Opportunity Employer
MAAPW is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
