Commodities Trainee

Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee•Mississauga, ON

3d•CA$65,000 - CA$70,000

About The Position

The Commodities Trainee Program is a unique opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of coffee and tea, which are at the heart of Mother Parkers’ business. You will learn Commodities supply chain and procurement, while also develop sensory skills to recognize different origin attributes, qualities and common faults found in coffee and/or tea. The program will progress to more involvement across key functions, including commodities inventory management, risk management/futures hedging, and sustainability execution. The Commodities trainee program starts you at the core of our very exciting business and offers deep insights and understanding that will promote your growth within the team or to other areas of focus within the business.

Requirements

Post-Secondary education in Business and at least 1 years' relevant work experience (Could be Co-Op experience) in a Supply Chain, Risk Management, or Procurement role
Strong financial acumen
Strong oral and written communication
Team player
Ability to operate independently, and take initiative with minimal supervision
Proactive and efficient at solving problems
Attention to detail and organization
Experience operating in a fast paced & changing environment
High proficiency with MS Office, in particular excel
Coffee and/or Tea cupping experience, otherwise willing and able to learn the nuances of coffee cupping and grading
Interest in commodities trading, procurement, agriculture, or global supply chains
Eager, willing and capable to help where needed in a fast-paced customer focused environment
A positive attitude and a desire to have fun!

Responsibilities

Participate in regular coffee and tea market updates and assist team to develop procurement strategy
Support buyers on forward physical contract negotiation, execution, administration
Assist in preparing supplier scorecards and business review materials
Support Risk Management team on futures execution, ie risk hedging. Over time, understand what drives the futures market and its implications to the physical market. Assist in developing market presentations for internal and external customers.
Develop relationships with global trade partners to facilitate market information exchange
Support buyers with inventory management and associated negotiations with importers
Participate in ideating and executing cost savings and growth initiatives
Manage reconciliation and facilitate payment of miscellaneous invoices
Manage commodities contract reconciliations, working with buyers and importers to solve for discrepancies
Work with internal and external customers and suppliers to assure optimal commodity inventory levels in warehouse and plant, balancing short-term & mid-term demand with inventory turn requirements, inform buying team of traffic issues and/or delays and creatively problem solve for lowest cost solutions.
Timely and accurate maintenance/updates of systems data, holding our suppliers accountable for quality of data
Regular coffee and/or tea ‘cupping’ – tasting and grading the commodity to ensure quality and profile adhere to customer requirements and specifications
Develop working knowledge of key coffee origins, harvest cycles, quality profiles, certifications, logistics flows and how they translate to the cupping table
Understand the intricacies of each sustainability option to make informed buying decisions
Ensure purchases comply with all sustainability requirements