NGL Product Export Specialist

Company:

INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA

Interested in joining a winning team? A team whose employees share in the ownership of the business and are empowered to make a difference?

Organizational context and job purpose

INEOS Organization:  INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products. Its produciton network spans 60 manufacturing facilities in 13 countries throughout the world.  INEOS is one of the world’s largest chemical companies with $40b of sales per annum and 15,000 employees worldwide.  INOES Olefins & Polymers (O&P) USA is one of the largest subsidiaries within the INEOS group of companies and is headquartered in League City, TX.

Business Context:  The O&P USA business produces a variety of commodity grade petrochemicals, of which the most important are Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene, Polypropylene and Polyethylene.  Manufacturing sites include Chocolate Bayou Works (Alvin, TX), Battleground Manufacturing Complex (LaPorte, TX), and Carson (Carson, CA).  The O&P USA business purchases significant quantities of Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs), Naphtha, and other energy commodities for the production of the above mentioned product lines.  The O&P USA business manages all of its raw material acquisition and has a robust trading and optimization group.  The US NGL Team also serves as face to market and manages logistics for NGL exports to INEOS plants in Europe and 3rd party export sales from the East and Gulf Coasts.  O&P USA supports NGL exports for the INEOS Trading and Shipping (ITS) organization under a Service Letter Agreement (SLA).  .   

How the Role Fits In:

The NGL Product Export Specialist is a critical supply role for European plants feedstocks and export marine sales.  The role reports to the NGL Export Sourcing Manager and serves as face to the market for originating, negotiating and administering NGL contracts and coordinating spot transactions related to NGL exports from North America. 

The Main Purpose of the Role: 

The role is responsible for acquiring NGL feedstocks in the Northeast and US Gulf Coast for export from North America.  The role is the face to market for identifying ethane, propane and butane opportunities, networking through ITS to obtain Authority to Negotiate (ATN) and then negotiating deals.  It is a key purchasing and hedging role, responsible for long and short term supply contracts of NGLs.

 The role works closely with the NGL Export Logistics Specialist and the ITS team in Europe on operational and logistical activities to ensure material is available to load onto ships at marine terminals on the East Coast and Gulf Coast.  The role works on supply balancing and inventory management in a marine and plant operations environment.  The NGL Product Export Specialist also manages NGL feedstock supply with the Feedstock Supply Manager for Olefins and Polymers USA feedstock needs.  The role requires knowledge of marine terminaling and exports in order to communicate with marine schedulers.  In the course of the monthly activities, the role interacts with approximately 15-20 trading partners and approximately 1-5 term supply partners.

Responsibilities AND Accountabilities

Accountability 1: NGL Supply for Export Activities

• Face to market for negotiating and administering contracts for the purchase of NGL feedstock in North America for supply of three INEOS ethylene-manufacturing sites in Europe and third party sales and purchases.
• Utilize commercial and logistics experience to ensure feedstock purchases meet financial performance metrics are effectively coordinated with marine shipping schedules and satisfy manufacturing and sales specs.
• Provide market updates and feedstock strategy recommendations to O&P USA and ITS Management.
• Provide commercial guidance and input to the monthly ITS feedstock supply plan.
• Manage inventory balances to ensure compliance with contractual nominations and obligations.
• Monitor and report on volumes transacted.
• Manage feedstock supply in response to unplanned outages, shipping delays, etc.
• Establish guidelines and ensure compliance with export requirements related to quality specifications, regulatory documentation and international tax laws.
• Manage business relationships with key industry participants. Facilitate discussion and execute tactical plans with US Feedstock Team to leverage synergies across INEOS to improve overall business profitability.
• Identify new suppliers and establish business relationships, which may include negotiating contractual terms and establishing lines of credit.  
• Provide input and strategy recommendations to the U.S. and ITS organizations.
• Purchase or Sell physical NGL’s as required to manage working capital and physical needs to load various vessels (185 to 800 kbbls) while managing storage limitations at Enterprise and Marcus Hook terminals.
• Purchase or sell MB ethane trading financial instruments to ensure the ethane purchased to load the gulf coast vessels is properly hedged. 

Accountability 2: Term Contract Management

• Manage relationships with suppliers and trading partners to ensure effective communication and reliable supply.
• Interact with commercial counterparts on a regular basis.
• Negotiate contractual amendments and new supply agreements as opportunities present themselves.
• Assist in the development and monitoring of KPIs with individual suppliers to drive reliability and economic performance of supply for export.
• Assist with handling of off-spec product, operational upsets, FM events, scheduled/unscheduled maintenance, turn-arounds, etc.. 
•  Maintain a strong working knowledge of term contracts and commercial provisions (pricing, term, performance requirements, cover for non-performance, FM, payment terms, assurance/credit language, specs, nominations, scheduling, etc.).
• Proactively manage key supply contract triggers and provisions.
• Liaise with tax department to ensure that INEOS complies with all regulations and operates in a tax efficient manner.

Accountability 3: Propane and Butane (LPG)  Logistics and Operations

• Serve as North American face-to-market for logistics, operations, and nomination activities with suppliers, pipelines, and terminal operators for LPG.
• Manage and update US Propane and Butane Plan spreadsheets for ITS supply planning and US supply management. 
• Monitor and report on LPG volumes transported, product imbalances/losses, and volume deficiencies.
• Manage intra-month changes to the supply plan in response to disruptions (unplanned outages, shipping delays, etc.).

Accountability 4: Product Quality Management

• Assist with management of off-spec product waiver process, interfacing with the ITS team to determine response to off-spec product situations as they arise.

Accountability 5: New Business Development

• Assist in negotiating logistics contracts and implement business management processes.
• Provide commercial input and strategy recommendations to ITS and O&P USA Management on new opportunities to improve connectivity, optionality, and security of supply for export product.
• Support broader ITS Business Development activities on an as-needed basis.
• Maintain industry model of the Northeast market to identify key players, assets, supply/demand balances on critical pipelines and supply locations.

Most important activities:

• HSE (OSHA recordable, environmental, near miss) – Ensure responsible operation of assets and follow best practices for management of change processes.
• Security of Supply – Manage product supply balance to ensure timely supply of feedstock.
• Product Quality – Ensure compliance with contractual and manufacturing product specifications.
• Communication Skills – Communicate up and down organizations.
• Market Knowledge – Understand NGL markets and have the ability to get deals done.
• Organization – Pay attention to details.
• Cost Control – Optimize contractual optionality and minimize supply costs, such as demurrage.

Skills & Knowledge Required

Education/Experience

• Engineering, Science, or Business Degree
• 5+ years of experience in the Oil, Energy, or Chemical businesses

Skills/Competencies

Technical skills

• Ability to understand and negotiate contracts
• Ability to understand financial markets and trading instruments.
• Risk management principles.
• Ability to work with finance on accounting for transactions, Ability to complete fundamental market analysis and modeling.

Behavioral skills

• Highly motivated.
• Capable of working well within and leading a team.
• Effective interpersonal skills with both internal and external contacts.
• Strong leadership, project management, and influencing skills.
• Strong negotiation skills and performance bias.
• Ability to think strategically and broadly across a range of opportunities and market positions.
• Willing to travel (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Houston, London, Rolle) 

Candidates must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Our culture is one of honesty and integrity with an emphasis on safety, health and environmental performance.On our team, people are acknowledged for embracing new practices that help create real value for customers.