Job Title: Operations Director – South America

CHS Inc. is a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States that provides grain, food and energy resources to businesses and consumers around the world. We serve agriculture customers and consumers across the United States and around the world. Most of our 10,000employees are in the United States, but today we have employees in 19 countries. At CHS, we are creating connections to empower agriculture.


Summary
CHS in South America, a subsidiary of CHS Inc. has an exciting opportunity within our Global Grain organization in Brazil. We are seeking a highly qualified Director of Operations to lead our operations in the agribusiness sector, focusing on grain export and fertilizer import flows. Responsible for managing operational units of silos, transshipment operations and joint venture operations spread across Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, this position will report to the VP South America and will be executing the strategic approach within business units (Grain Procurement and Barter Solutions). The new Operations Director for South America will provide direction and leadership to all aspects of CHS facility locations, with emphasis on safety, efficiency, regulatory compliance, long-range strategic planning, and assets operational excellence. Additionally, we are seeking for an effective leader that is inspired to motivate a diverse group of employees to work as a team to accomplish strategic goals for the organization.


Overall Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement growth and strategic plans for operational assets, along with associated goals and targets for the operations leadership team.
• Formulate and track KPI’s to evaluate efficiency and overall effectiveness of the operations platform to optimize profitability. Identifies and implements best practices.
• Responsible for the operational financial performance of the businesses, resource allocation, budgeting, capital planning and expenditures.
• Establish and implement short-term goals that are consistent with long-range plans for growth in operation, including facility, equipment and personnel.
• Responsible for professional development of employees and creating a talent pipeline and succession plan. Cultivates an environment of high engagement, transparency, and teamwork.
• Represent agribusiness through involvement and collaboration with CHS enterprise-wide initiatives. Build and maintain positive working relations with industry groups, key customers, and other CHS business units.
• Apply in-depth knowledge of operating facilities and industry best practices to strategically lead cross-functional teams to create a consistent operating approach across all operational and administrative facilities.
• Champion and promote a strong safety culture and follow all company safety policies, procedures, and regulations; identify and communicate workplace hazards; correct or seek assistance in correcting unsafe actions or conditions in the workplace.

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  Supervision of Critical Areas: Oversee the areas of EHS (Environmental, Health, and Safety), Facility Services Management, Travel, and Fleet Administration and ensuring all operations comply with applicable standards and regulations.
• Asset Management: Manage and optimize all operational assets, including strong interaction with partner companies and joint ventures to ensure efficiency and resource maximization.
• Continuous Improvement: Implement and promote continuous improvement practices across all operations, utilizing methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
• Operations Integration: Collaborate with other company areas to ensure the integration and alignment of operations with the agribusiness supply chain.
• Project Management: Lead expansion and modernization projects of operational units, including budget, schedule, and resource management.
• Stakeholder Relationship Management: Maintain and develop relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including suppliers, customers to ensure the continuity and success of operations.

Minimum Qualifications (required):

• Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Agronomy, or related fields.
• Fluency in Portuguese, English and desired Spanish.
• Proven experience in leadership positions in multinational environments.

• Strong technical experience in the agribusiness sector, especially in silo and transshipment operations, including deep knowledge of technologies and operational processes.
• Strong orientation towards continuous improvement and team management.
• Strategic and business vision, with a focus on the agribusiness supply chain.
• In-depth knowledge of governance and compliance.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Availability for frequent travel, including remote places in Brazil.

Additional Qualifications:

• Postgraduate degree or MBA will be considered a plus.
• Understanding of ag processing business and competitive strategies, operation strengths and weaknesses, short and long-term vulnerabilities.
• Management experience in a union work environment.
• Emergency response training and management experience.
• Capital project development, engineering, construction, and project management experience.
• Fiscal responsibility for controlling business expenses and financial performance.

CHS offers a competitive total reward. Benefits include Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Pension Plan, armored company car, annual variable pay, wellness incentive and meal voucher.