Merchant II

Cargill • Fort Dodge, IA

10h

About The Position

The Merchant II generates value by executing and monitoring merchandising strategies for a specific commodity or market. The role originates, buys, and sells commodities to support target volumes, margins, and business performance. With limited supervision, the Merchant II monitors physical positions, contract exposures, and lower-risk cash positions; gathers and analyzes market, customer, and supplier information; and coordinates with cross-functional and cross-business teams to support efficient execution of physical flows and contracts within defined risk parameters.

This position is in Cargill’s Food Enterprise, which serves food manufacturers, food service customers, and retailers with ingredients and branded products, including poultry, beef, egg, alternative protein, salt, oils, starches, sweeteners, cocoa, and chocolate.

Requirements

• At least 2 years of relevant work experience; the posting indicates the role typically reflects 3 or more years of relevant experience.
• Flexibility to work off-hours for activities and events as necessary, up to 10%.

Nice To Haves

• Commodity merchandising experience.
• Agriculture industry experience.
• Customer service experience.

Responsibilities

• Implement short-term merchandising strategies by originating, buying, and selling commodities to optimize margins, achieve target volumes, and support business performance for a specific commodity or market.
• Monitor physical positions, contract exposures, and lower-risk cash positions, including futures hedges, and ensure transactions meet timing, volume, quality, specification, and cost requirements.
• Gather and analyze moderately complex supply-and-demand trends, pricing dynamics, logistics constraints, customer requirements, product specifications, sustainability considerations, and market movements to support merchandising decisions and opportunities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, brokers, and market participants to support transactions, understand needs, identify opportunities, and bring value.
• Implement and monitor short-term merchandising plans for a specific commodity or market, providing ideas and insights to support broader merchandising strategies.
• Monitor market, credit, price, volume, and operational risks associated with cash positions, futures hedges, contracts, and physical flows; escalate or recommend mitigation actions in line with business guidelines and risk management expectations.
• Collaborate with logistics, supply chain, plant operations, finance, pricing, technical, trading, commercial, analytics, and operational teams to support efficient execution of physical flows, contracts, and merchandising activities.
• Engage with market participants and industry networks to gather customer, supplier, and market insights that support market intelligence and business opportunities.
• Work off-hours for activities and events as necessary, including corn harvest and producer marketing meetings, up to 10%.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed