US Soybean Meal Trader

Louis Dreyfus Company is a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods. Our activities span the entire value chain from farm to fork, across a broad range of business lines, we leverage our global reach and extensive asset network to serve our customers and consumers around the world. Structured as a matrix organization of six geographical regions and ten platforms, Louis Dreyfus Company is active in over 100 countries and employs approximately 17,000 people globally.

This position joins a growing team inside of an organization which is investing heavily in North American oilseeds processing.  Individual will play a critical role in guiding and executing the export physical trade book in addition to developing, recommending, and implementing hedging strategies around the domestic asset base.

Primary Responsibilities/Essential Functions

• Collaborates with team to develop premium and futures hedge trade strategy
• Advises product lines and processing teams on export strategy for soybean meal, soy hulls 
• Participates in discussion around futures hedges for US assets and provides input to non-US team
• Advises processing team on merchandising strategy for soybean meal and soy hull pellets
• Works to grow the export cash book through expanded origination base and destination export business
• Ensures timely entry of trades into position management system and validates daily positions
• Distributes market wires internally recapping relevant US updates & actively participates in market calls
• Contributes to North American research with a focus on US meal research (crush rates & SBM demand)
• Maintains US product export matrices and distributes regular updates
• Develops and maintains commercial relationship with customers, peers, others to expand information flow
• Stays abreast of all soybean trade rule developments
• Familiarizes self with all oilseeds complex balance sheets and contributes to global meal trade discussions
• Assists in business analysis for external and internal implementation
• Participates in strategic planning discussions

Additional Responsibilities

• Merchant lead on KPIs, daily production report and other internally produced industrial reports
  • Gathers news, statistics and information related to individual commodity supply and demand from customers and trade sources and distributes that information to the remainder of the group to support overall strategic trading/positioning (i.e., contributes to research function).

• Assists other team members when needed
• Customer visits.
• Other duties as assigned

Basic qualification: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Agricultural Economics, Finance, Business Administration or other business discipline.
• 3 to 5 years in the Grains and Oilseeds industry
• Soybean, soybean meal and/or DDGS merchandising and/or trading experience
• Understanding of balance sheet analysis & position management

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (including any physical demands)

• Working knowledge of futures markets, hedging and arbitrage
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong quantitative skills, including basic knowledge of statistics, algebra (e.g., supply and demand relationships, analysis of price relationships)
• Ability to organize multiple responsibilities, prioritize workload and perform multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Proficiency with spreadsheet and word processing software, (e.g., Excel and MS Word).
• Must have valid driver’s license

Equipment Used

• Typical office equipment: PC, telephone, fax machine.

Working Conditions

• Primarily climate-controlled office environment.  Periodic visits to industrial operations areas are necessary with exposure during such visits to variety of temperatures and prevailing weather conditions. Interacts closely with personnel in other departments and company locations, interacts closely with middle and senior level management, domestic travel to visit customers required (up to 30% at times).  Call-ins or the extension of regular working hours (50-60 hours per week) are occasionally needed to complete time-sensitive projects or respond to emergencies.

Employee Supervision

• No direct supervision responsibilities

Decision Making/Accountability

• Processes a variety of information and data to help devise and execute trading strategies.  Negotiates with trade counterparts to maximize corporate returns.  Advises and recommends trading strategies, assesses risk pertaining to buying and selling and negotiates contract terms with clients.

Position is hybrid 

Free weekly lunch and breakfast offered. 

On-site gym access. 

#LI-hybrid

What We Offer

We provide a dynamic and stimulating international environment, which will stretch and develop your abilities and channel your skills and expertise with outstanding career development opportunities in one of the largest and most solid private companies in the world.

- Comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental and vision care coverage, flexible spending account plans, employee assistance program, life insurance and disability coverage
- 401k with Company Match
- Family Friendly Benefits including childbirth and parental leave, fertility and family building benefits
- Paid Time Off (PTO) and Paid Holidays
- Hybrid work available (not applicable to all roles)

Diversity & Inclusion

LDC is driven by a set of shared values and high ethical standards, with diversity and inclusion being part of our DNA. LDC is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity, equity and inclusion.

LDC encourages diversity, supports local communities and environmental initiatives. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

Equal employment opportunity (EEO)

Louis Dreyfus Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Sustainability

Sustainable value is at the heart of our purpose as a company.

We are passionate about creating fair and sustainable value, both for our business and for other value chain stakeholders: our people, our business partners, the communities we touch and the environment around us