Job Summary

This position is a key member of CITGO’s Crude Supply & Trading team, responsible for buying, selling, and trading Western Canadian crude oils to optimize refinery operations and maximize profit margins. The role involves coordinating commercial activities with various internal teams, including logistics, scheduling, and risk management, while developing trading for light, synthetics and heavy Canadian crude oils. The position includes negotiating deals, managing market exposure, and evaluating profit/loss performance to identify opportunities.

The incumbent will analyze market trends, assess hydrocarbon values, and explore business development opportunities to optimize the supply chain. They will also be responsible for implementing hedging strategies and managing price risks. Compliance with trade restrictions and regulations is critical, and the role requires close collaboration with the Risk Control team to adhere to established policies.

Key responsibilities include executing market trades, monitoring supply optimization, maintaining detailed documentation, managing inventory positions, and ensuring the timely delivery of crude oil. The position requires strong negotiation skills, knowledge of the Western Canadian crude market, and the ability to work independently to identify and act on commercial opportunities.

Minimum Qualifications

Required Education:

High school diploma

Minimum years of job-related experience required:          

A Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of experience or a Master’s degree and 3 years of experience.  If no degree, 9 years of experience in lieu of degree. 

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated commercial experience on physical trading and paper trading of crude oils, feedstocks and/or products.
• Demonstrated leadership, positive influence, and teamwork behaviors.
• A self-starter with excellent communication skills and the ability to multi-task in a dynamic high-pressure diverse team environment.
• Demonstrated understanding and utilization of fundamental and technical market data to propose profitable trades and trading strategies and to manage company exposure.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in physical marketing, supply and/or trading, including inventory management, hedging, and position taking.
• Demonstrated experience with commercial negotiations.
• Demonstrated experience in using analytical and problem-solving techniques.
• A flexible approach to working hours is vital to accommodate the significant variation in workloads associated with a busy trading operation.
• Periodic travel may be required.
• 24 hr availability - must carry cell phone.

Preferred Skills:

Western Canadian crude oil trading experience is preferred.

Job Duties

• At any given time, the Senior Hydrocarbon Trader should have a well-defined scope of work for a specific hydrocarbon commodity, and a network of internal and external contacts across the supply chain for the specific hydrocarbon commodity under his/her responsibility. The Senior Hydrocarbon Trader is a key member of the hydrocarbon commercial team, and as such should develop work processes to strengthen the coordination with all the other commercial team members involved. The Senior Hydrocarbon Trader should use his/her knowledge of the trading cycles, Canadian crude main pipelines, terminals and feeders, market contacts and market intelligence to position himself/herself to capturing the opportunities visualized during the trading cycles. As an example, the Senior Hydrocarbon Trader should survey and analyze crude markets for light-heavy Canadian pricing, as the case may be for an inventory/supply reoptimization under his/her responsibility.  Collaborate with Supply Chain/Refinery Coordination personnel to ensure an optimal mix of crude types is economically secured for refinery processing. As an example, a Senior Hydrocarbon Trader in the Crude Oil area should be in the position to be able to purchase approximately 160 MBD of light and heavy Canadian crude for the Lemont refinery; all purchased following refinery economics to the given market conditions.    
• The Sr. Hydrocarbon Trader should implement and develop risk management strategies when applicable within the hydrocarbon commodities under his/her responsibilities. The Sr. Trader uses derivatives, including futures and OTC instruments, to manage risk and add incremental trading revenue for the company.

Job Duties II

• The Senior Hydrocarbon Trader should always be looking beyond the routine aspects of the job to help identify technological solutions leading to higher efficiency, meaningful data collection and data management and process improvement. The Senior Hydrocarbon Trader should be able to keep current his/her market point of view and market intelligence for the specific hydrocarbon commodity under his/her responsibility, using this knowledge to provide short term commercial analysis or medium-term planning scenarios.  
• Develops a culture of excellence that identifies and pursues entrepreneurial commercial opportunities.  Engages with industry experts and maintains strong internal and external relationships.  Communicates clearly on trading strategies, transactions, and positions. Develops and supports new business markets and new business opportunities to increase margins and commercial profitability.
• The Senior Hydrocarbon Trader should engage with the Credit and Treasury departments to devise innovative controls of payables and receivables according to the negotiated contracts or transactions and to participate in the development of presentations to suppliers and customers to enhance trade credit.