S&T - Petroleum Coke, Sulphur and Ammonia Business Negotiator - Chevron

Responsibilities for this position may include but are not limited to:

• Participate on a team of personnel to manage the sales and logistics of petcoke, sulfur and ammonia from five (5) Chevron production locations located in the U.S. and Canada. 
• Territory includes the continental U.S. and Canada with customer concentrations in Texas, California, Florida, Rocky Mountain states, Gulf Coast states and Alberta Canada. Job scope: Sales volume of 4.5MM tons to approximately 25 customers generating sales revenue of ~$500MM/year.
• Assist with managing the physical petcoke, sulfur and ammonia inventory at all producing locations. Coordinate marine deliveries at refineries.  Ensures allocation of product to customers at all locations in accordance with contract provisions.  Ensure supply disruptions (planned and unplanned shutdowns at production facilities) and demand disruptions (slow market, changes in customer needs, etc.) are effectively managed with all parties.
• Provide guidance in managing 250 railcars that support product sales.  Works closely with transportation department personnel providing railcar management services to ensure optimal railcar fleet utilization and car tracking.  Develops metrics to monitor utilization performance.  Provides market information and negotiating guidance to Transportation, Planning and Services for acquiring rail freight rates to support sales.
• Manage the day-to-day logistic movements via truck, rail, barge and vessel for all by-product streams while directly supporting other team members to include the Petcoke Business Negotiator, Sulfur Business Negotiator, Ammonia Business Negotiator and support personnel from business analysis, finance (accounting and credit), legal, transportation and EH&S.
• Negotiate and execute chartering contracts of bulk freight for petcoke and sulfur on behalf of the team from start to finish. An in-depth understanding of the shipping industry is essential. Maintain a database of vessel positions, tonnage, rates and cargos.
• Identify and capitalize on profitable chartering opportunities in the dry bulk freight market. Utilize market intelligence and industry knowledge to make informed decisions. Analyze market trends, freight rates, and cargo demand to guide team on chartering strategies.
• Support the optimal mix of customers for each production location to ensure ratable and uninterrupted product lifts while maximizing product netbacks to the producing facility and PSAT Organization.
• Administers all aspects of sales to customers including preparing annual sales contracts, negotiating prices, ensuring lifting conformance to contracted volumes, resolving billing disputes and setting sales administration procedures.
• Demonstrates strong customer focus through activities which include visiting customer locations, championing customer service and logistics requirements to producing facilities, on-going interaction with customers on existing sales and new business opportunities.  Conducts formal meetings with customers at various industry functions held throughout each year.  Seeks new sales opportunities and develops sales proposals.
• Engage in continuous involvement with production facilities on the state of the business including supply outlook, changes in sales configurations and improvements in logistics systems.  Reports on market conditions and trends.  Meets formally with facility management to review annual business plans and to ensure alignment between sales activities and the requirements of each facility.
• Lead Incident Free Operations (IFO) efforts for managed products including participating in Product Stewardship reviews and making and supporting decisions which ensure safe product handling and transportation to our customers and by our customers.
• Prepare and update the yearly business plan including establishing service level agreements, dashboard, sales and profitability objectives, summarizing market conditions and trends, developing regional supply and demand analyses, making competitive assessments, SWOT analyses, etc.
• Participate in monthly financial and business performance review of sales volume, revenue, expenses, profitability and Credit & Rebills against objectives.  Analyzes variances and takes corrective actions as necessary.  Reviews accounts receivables and works with credit to resolve past due accounts.  Reviews Credit & Rebill activity and recommends process improvements to minimize C&R occurrence.  Works with Credit and customers to achieve more electronic payment methods.
• Participate in the preparation of the annual G&A expense budget (including controllable expenses such as travel, entertainment, subscriptions, and consulting services) and monitor conformance to planned expenditures.

Selection Criteria

Specific Knowledge requirements: The role requires a solid understanding of the dry bulk freight market and how it interacts with relevant petcoke and sulfur markets. 

• An understanding of the economic, commercial, technical and political issues affecting the shipping market.
• Strong understanding and capability to conduct detailed freight calculations for various products and vessel types.
• Expertise in global commodity markets and their drivers with particular relevance back to ocean freight markets.
• Experience/knowledge of the freight market, technical requirements and operational knowledge
• Knowledge of hedging and FFA concept
• Sound knowledge of financial management.
• Sounds knowledge of contract management.
• Deep understanding of marketing fundamentals (ie. pricing, delivery strategy, value chain dynamics, voyage calculations).

Chartering Vessel Experience:

• Dry bulk marine charterer preferably with experience chartering petcoke and sulfur vessels.
• Strong negotiating experience of marine chartering spot and term contracts direct with vessel owners and through tanker brokerage.
• Understanding of global tanker markets and short-term market fundamentals, marine economics and their impacts on Chevron value chain optimization, and vessel optimization strategies.
• Manage COA performance and nominate laycan to Owners and the Port – across multiple commodities and multiple countries.  This role will liaise with Port staff in South Africa, Chile, Peru and Brazil. Closely monitor freight markets at all times of day and collect current fixture information.
• Utilize technical freight knowledge to provide voyage calculations and assessments of the dry bulk freight market as requested.
• Review, negotiate and conclude demurrage and brokerage settlements for the Commodity business unit’s dry bulk freight activities. Align chartering activities with monthly scheduling requirements.

Logistics Experience: Including railcar operations and fleet management, product scheduling (rail, barge, vessel, pipeline, and trucks).

Customer Service: Liaise and interface with the commodity teams to develop dry bulk freight plans and forecast, including the utilization of their dry bulk knowledge to increase delivered sales. Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key industry stakeholders. Collaborate closely with the operations and commercials teams to ensure seamless charter execution. Develop business relationships and to build-up a database of contacts.

Commercial:  Aptitude or experience in sales, other commercial positions, or negotiations with parties external to Chevron. Experience or ability to learn and understand market forces such as supply and demand, industry logistics limits, competitive assessments, import/exports and analysis of industries which use managed products and utilize this information to establish price direction.

Business Management: Demonstrated business management skills and experience including P&L responsibility, financial performance analysis, inventory control, contract administration and sales coordination. Commercial acumen and a results-oriented approach to drive revenue and profitability.

Personal Computer: Demonstrated ability or aptitude to apply personal computer skills in managing a business including spreadsheet development and data analysis, database applications, outlook, SAP, naverik, Microsoft, word, power point, excel, railtrac, BOL.

Leadership skills: Demonstrated ability to promote business goals and objectives to others with no direct authority and responsibility over their activities.  Ability to influence decisions in other organizations.  Ability to project authority and leadership in meeting customer service requirements.

Teamwork skills: Ability to build a shared-responsibility team creating an environment that fosters personal ownership in job responsibilities and strategy deployment.  Utilizes constructive coaching to increase skills and performance of others.  Can provide guidance, positive support and shares information to create a win-win work environment internally and with other organizations.

Communication skills: Highly developed ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing.  Ability to advocate a position in a constructive professional manner while addressing and responding to opposing or alternate viewpoints.  Demonstrated ability to tailor communications according to the intended audience.  Ability to conduct formal and informal presentations and to conduct and facilitate business meetings.

Process Development and Improvement skills: Ability to achieve superior work processes.  Can identify and lead process change.  Defines and communicates a meaningful vision and builds team commitment in achieving the vision.  Communicates goals, expectations, requirements and challenging tasks.  Provides focus and direction and creates alignment by focusing team on common goals.  Leads by example in developing superior processes.

Preferred qualifications

• A commercial degree or an associated shipping qualification is desired.
• Position requires travel averaging 15-20% with 30% peak periods occurring occasionally. Travel frequently involves air travel, rental cars and overnight stays.  Most travel is conducted Monday through Friday.
• Customer relations occasionally involve dinners or other typical industry social events outside of normal business hours.
• Position requires weekend and holiday coverage to manage inventories and respond to any unusual occurrence/disruption to normal business.

Relocation Options:

Relocation benefits may be considered.

International Considerations:

Expatriate assignments will not be considered.

Chevron regrets that it is unable to sponsor employment Visas or consider individuals on time-limited Visa status for this position.

Regulatory Disclosure for US Positions:

Chevron is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin or ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, medical condition, reproductive health decision-making, military or veteran status, political preference, marital status, citizenship, genetic information or other characteristics protected by applicable law.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation, please email us at emplymnt@chevron.com.

Chevron participates in E-Verify in certain locations as required by law.