Job Summary

The objective of this role is to deliver well-developed and cost-effective marine logistics while leveraging industry knowledge and market conditions to ensure our refinery network is supplied in the most efficient manner.  Provides day to day oversight of desk operations, providing support and guidance to Freight Traders, Scheduling, and Traders. Coordinates all operational aspects of Marine Freight book activities, ensuring voyages are optimized with cost-effective methods to minimize running costs and maximize value as per contractual terms. Assess operational and physical risks associated with oil tankers on the water and escalate accordingly if issues arise. Assess operational and business risks, minimizing impacts that may impede success or growth of the Company and Freight/trading P&L’s. Participate and maintain a positive, respectful, and professional work environment. Overcome challenges encountered and learn how to propose, and potentially implement, practices to avoid them going forward. Be prompt, efficient, and professional when passing information between parties and find ways to create value for the desk. The operations team is expected to have a commercial mindset.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ability to work in a fast-pace, multi-task environment
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills leading to effective decision making
• Strong attention to detail and ability to successfully prioritize and complete tasks
• Ability to manage across multiple interfaces and stakeholders
• Knowledge of customs regulations and trade compliance
• Proficiency in shipping logistics software
• Ability to make presentations to Middle Management
• Represent CITGO with integrity, trust, and CITGO key values.
• A Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years  of marine experience in a trading environment. OR a Maritime University degree and 1 year of marine experience in a trading environment.

Job Duties

1. Optimizes the marine assets to reduce logistics costs and increase value for various Trading teams by evaluating alternatives, based on changing market conditions. Consolidate shipping requirements of the various business units and define the lowest costs shipping solutions.

2. Build and maintain effective networks and strategic relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, offering support and providing guidance to ensure the safe, compliant, and reliable planning and execution of voyages, while maximizing commercial value. Partnering with:

a.         The wider  CITGO Group

b.         Teams within  CITGO (Vetting & Clearance,  Freight Trading, Demurrage, Trading, Accounting, Right Angle, Credit, Compliance, Scheduling)

c.         External bodies (such as owners, brokers, and agents)

d.         Masters of Vessels

Job Duties II

3. Management of all  seaborne activity including day-to-day operations of allocated voyages for, time chartered and spot-charted vessels in accordance with the charter party terms

a.         Management of vessels, port, and berth clearances

b.         Generation and issue of Voyage Orders (including load and discharge instructions)

c.         Intake optimization

d.         Appointment of port agents

e.         Management of Charter Parties terms

f.          Identify opportunities for optimum bunker procurement

g.         Manage and input voyage data entry promptly and accurately into the appropriate trading systems (i.e., Veson IMOS, Right Angle, etc.).

h.         Familiar knowledge of shipping routes, straits/canal passage, tank cleaning procedures between different commodities and being able to challenge owners on excessive/unnecessary cleaning time.

i.          Experience with voyage P&L analysis, making sure that it is accurate for reporting. Raise any concerns when there are noticeable swings and challenge any discrepancies.

j.          Issue letters of Indemnity’s as needed to ensure that vessel will discharge cargo per CITGO’s instructions. Arrange operations for AMPD coverage if necessary for all vessels that are to be lightered.

k.         Generate, issue, and collect certain Freight and miscellaneous claims invoices with familiar knowledge in how to calculate and recover rebillable terms or costs.

l.          Interpret various charterparty clauses and understand financial exposures between contracts. Understand obligations and risks of various charterparty forms.

m.        Ensure incidents are sent to appropriate channels and escalated immediately when they arise. May be called upon to participate in response teams in the case of Oil Spill Response, Crisis Response or Business Continuity Planning.

n.         Work with schedulers and local port agents to ensure the most advantageous rotation or port and/or terminals to keep costs to CITGO at a minimum and prevent cargo outages at terminals. Assist traders and schedulers in calculating freight and/or shifting costs for proposed changes in voyage instructions.

o.         Coordinate with the scheduling team and nominate load port/disport agents. Communicate voyage orders and load plans with appropriate parties.

p.         Integrate a commercial mindset while also keeping CITGO’s best interests in mind and remaining within compliance measures.

q.         Make innovative commercial decisions to maximize voyage earnings and opportunities for cost savings. Drive marine initiatives forward to meet or exceed industry standard practices.

r.          Act as a point of contact for routine internal and external inquiries on the desk, consolidate information into reports if necessary. Maintain close communication with customers, Traders, and relevant teams to ensure smooth communication and cooperation. Proactively offer creative solutions to trading teams.

s.          Focus on cultivating a team mentality. Be flexible to cover multiple desks.

4. Support outside of office hours and weekends to cover relevant movements.