Merchant Trainee

This position will be responsible for merchandising grains and oilseeds with specific emphasis on origination into the Burns Harbor, IN lake terminal.
This position starts summer 2026.

Primary Responsibilities / Essential Functions

• Train to aggressively originate commodities by developing a rapport with local farming/commercial community through direct communication.
• Report real‑time market information on the Louis Dreyfus intercompany chat system.
• Gain understanding to organize and execute FOB bushel ownership program and dispatching trucks.
• Begin foundational understanding of the capabilities of the facility for logistics scheduling.
• Gain foundational knowledge to organize rail schedules for grain/product transload to barge/vessel at facility.
• Help to devise and execute origination strategies for commodities.
• Learn to track daily positions, inventory and assist in hedging and composing sales to the export desk.
• Learn to assist and resolve customer discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Participate in daily conference calls reporting market information to regional traders.
• Help to compose market wires and distribute facility updates.
• Participate in customer visits and industry social events.

Additional Responsibilities

• Gather news, statistics and information related to individual commodity supply and demand from customers and trade sources and distribute that information to the remainder of the group to support overall strategic trading/positioning.
• Train to identify, qualify and capture new business.
• Learn to operate the CINCH program, Compuweigh and probing / grading operations.
• Participate in regular crop tours to assess conditions and potential yields to anticipate markets.

Qualifications

The following is the basic qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Must have valid driver’s license

The following is preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Agricultural Economics, Finance, Business Administration or other business discipline.

Experience

Basic qualifications:

• Internship experience in one or more of the following:
  • Commodity Merchandising/Origination/Trading.
  • Commodity Risk Management
  • Logistics (i.e., coordination of shipments and deliveries)

Preferred:

Previous experience in corn, soybeans, soymeal, or DDGs, ethanol and/or energy products.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

Basic qualifications:

• Basic 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
• Must be able to climb stairs
• Must be able to periodically work outdoors and lift small objects
• Proficiency with spreadsheet and word processing software, (e.g., Excel and MS Word).
• Must be a motivated self‑starter

Additional Information Equipment Used

• Typical office equipment: PC, telephone, scanner, PDA’s.
• Where appropriate, personal protective equipment (PPE) will be worn in compliance with Company standards and governmental regulations

Working Conditions

• Primarily works in a climate‑controlled office environment with periodic visits to operational areas resulting in exposure to a variety of temperatures and prevailing weather conditions.
• This may also result in occasional exposure to dust, odors, gases, vapors, wet or slick surfaces and loud noises. The extension of regular working hours is occasionally necessary to complete time‑sensitive projects, attend training or respond to emergencies.

Employee Supervision

• No direct supervision responsibilities

Decision Making / Accountability

• Processes a variety of information and data to 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.

What We Offer

• Comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental and vision care coverage, flexible spending account plans, employee assistance program, life insurance and disability coverage
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