Commodity Trading Associate

Job Description

Cargill: Nourishing the World, One Trade at a Time

Cargill is a global leader in food, agriculture, and industrial products, committed to nourishing the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. They connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and families with essential products, touching billions of lives every day.

Join Cargill and help shape a better tomorrow. Their team of over 160,000 colleagues across 70 countries are passionate about making a difference. If you’re driven to succeed, eager to take on challenges, and believe your ideas can contribute to a better world, Cargill offers you the chance to connect with meaningful work and build a fulfilling career.

Commodity Trading Associate Position: Your Chance to Make a Real Impact

As an entry-level Commodity Trading Associate, you’ll be immersed in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, trading agricultural commodities like grain, oilseeds, feed, and byproducts. You’ll be responsible for:

• Developing and maintaining relationships: Collaborate with country elevators, producers, feed mills, and processors.
• Analyzing markets: Research supply and demand, market conditions, and economic forces to maintain and expand Cargill’s market position.
• Negotiating deals: Initiate, negotiate, and finalize purchase/sale contracts, ensuring favorable terms for price, quality, quantity, transportation, timing, and payment.
• Managing logistics: Coordinate transportation and logistics to execute commodity contracts efficiently.
• Ensuring accuracy: Meticulously follow-up, execute, and close all contracts, ensuring accurate and timely completion.
• Communicating effectively: Maintain clear and consistent communication with Cargill teams (sales, logistics, quality assurance, plant personnel, engineers, accountants) and external stakeholders.
• Building expertise: Conduct plant and crop surveys to gain firsthand knowledge of suppliers and customers.
• Taking initiative: Contribute to and collaborate on various projects and assignments.

Key Capabilities for Success:

• Analytical and problem-solving skills: Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving capabilities are essential.
• Decision-making under uncertainty: You’ll need sound judgment and decision-making skills, even in situations with uncertain outcomes.
• Risk management: Being comfortable taking calculated risks and challenging the status quo is crucial.
• Communication and negotiation: Excellent oral and written communication skills, including strong persuasion and negotiation abilities, are vital.
• Teamwork and leadership: You’ll thrive in a team environment, collaborating effectively and demonstrating leadership qualities like integrity, conviction, and courage.
• Adaptability and resilience: You’ll need to adapt to a fast-paced, dynamic environment with volatile pricing and constant change.
• Relocation and commitment: A willingness to relocate and embrace challenging responsibilities is required.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Competitive salary: The expected starting salary is $70,000, adjusted for geographic differentials.
• Comprehensive benefits: Cargill offers a wide range of benefits including health care plans, retirement plans, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, relocation assistance, and more.
• Vibrant community: You’ll be part of a diverse and inclusive global community with numerous Business Resource Groups (BRGs) promoting diversity and employee development.

Job Location:

• Flexible locations: Various U.S. locations including Eddyville, IA; Fort Dodge, IA; Blair, NE; Amarillo, TX; Wayzata, MN; Olathe/Kansas City, KS.
• Hybrid work arrangements: Majority of work week is in office, but flexibility for hybrid arrangements is possible.

Qualifications:

• Right to work in the U.S.: Must have the right to work in the U.S. (not based solely on a student visa or third-party employer sponsorship).
• Degree completion: Pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited program, graduating between December 2024 and summer 2025.
• Geographic flexibility: Must be geographically flexible and willing to relocate for the associate opportunity anywhere in the U.S.
• Strong skills: Strong analytical, prioritization, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills are essential.
• Cultural sensitivity: Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Commodity trading internship: Previous experience in a commodity trading internship is beneficial.
• Economics coursework: Successfully completed, enrolled in, or planning to complete an introductory college-level economics course (micro or macro) before graduation.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Cargill is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Vet.

Join Cargill and make a real difference in the world. Apply today and start your journey to nourishing the world!