Summary: The Commodity & Logistics Supervisor is a hybrid leadership role that supports both grain origination and logistics operations. This position plays a critical role in optimizing plant performance by managing inbound grain supply, overseeing outbound shipments of ethanol and distillers’ grain, and leading the logistics team. This role bridges operations and commercial functions to ensure communication, execution, visibility, and accountability across teams. The ideal candidate combines hands-on experience in grain merchandising and plant logistics with strong troubleshooting and leadership capabilities.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Lead grain procurement and maintain inventory to support production while managing basis, pricing, and origination strategies.
- Collaborate with leadership to monitor CBOT trends, USDA reports, and local market dynamics.
- Build and maintain long-term relationships with producers and local grain suppliers.
- Ensure compliance with grain grading and weighing practices based on USDA and state standards.
- Provide field-level support during key procurement periods—spending ~50% of time with producers and customers.
- Act as a commercial extension of plant operations, ensuring alignment between supply needs and marketing plans.
- Oversee day-to-day operations related to truck and rail movement, including ethanol and DDG loadouts.
- Lead the logistics team, including dispatch coordination, equipment usage, crew scheduling, and on-site supervision.
- Ensure proper functioning of all critical logistics and loading equipment (e.g., rail scales, front loaders, locomotives); initiate troubleshooting and repairs when issues arise.
- Manage the placement, switching, and scheduling of railcars in coordination with transportation and operations teams.
- Coordinate with production, maintenance, and scheduling teams to reduce downtime from equipment or communication failures.
- Support consistent adherence to company safety, FSMA, DOT, FRA, and OSHA policies and procedures.
- Proactively identify and resolve operational issues related to equipment reliability, scheduling, and loadout execution.
- Serve as a key communication link between operations, maintenance, and accounting to streamline process handoffs.
- Apply strong critical thinking skills to troubleshoot real-time operational issues, including ASOM alerts and equipment resets (e.g., rail scale reprogramming).
- Partner with accounting to ensure accurate and timely load ticketing, split payments, and settlements.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, Business Administration, Agriculture, or related field preferred.
- 3–5 years in grain procurement, merchandising, or plant logistics.
- Prior experience supervising teams and working in a fast-paced, industrial/agricultural environment.
- Technically proficient in Microsoft Office and plant/commodity software platforms.
- Strong communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Ability to diagnose equipment and process failures and take initiative for corrective action.
- Understanding of commodity markets, USDA standards, DOT/FRA/OSHA regulations, and rail/truck logistics.
Work Environment/Physical Demands:
- This role operates in both office and plant/field environments. Time will be split between office-based commercial work and on-site supervision of logistics and grain origination activities.
- Frequent exposure to industrial/agricultural environments, including grain handling facilities, rail yards, truck loadout areas, and ethanol plant operations.
- May be exposed to varying weather conditions, dust, noise, and moving mechanical equipment.
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk working on a computer, combined with frequent walking, standing, climbing stairs, and overseeing plant/rail operations.
- Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally and perform basic equipment troubleshooting or inspections as needed.
- Requires the ability to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hard hats, safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, and protective footwear.
- Work hours may extend beyond a standard schedule, including evenings and weekends, particularly during harvest and peak procurement/logistics periods.
Green Plains Inc. offers competitive pay: a generous benefit package including business casual work environment, health, dental, vision, life insurance, paid holidays, Paid Time Off (PTO) and a 401(k) retirement plan with immediate vesting and company safe harbor matching. All potential employees of Green Plains Inc. will be required to successfully pass a pre-employment drug screening and background check prior to employment.
Equal Opportunity Employer
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned.
Company Description
Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE) is a leading biorefining company advancing the transition to a low-carbon world through the production of renewable fuels and sustainable, high-impact ingredients. The company leverages agricultural, biological, and fermentation expertise to transform annually renewable crops into low-carbon energy and sustainable feedstocks. Green Plains is actively deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions, with three of its facilities set to begin carbon capture later this year. Through innovation and operational excellence, Green Plains is reducing the carbon intensity of its products while delivering value to stakeholders. For more information, visit www.gpreinc.com.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.