Operator - Crude Oil (1491)

Position Overview:

The Crude Oil Operator is a part of the Crude Oil Trading team and reports to the Head of Crude Oil Trading, in the Aramco Trading Americas (ATA) organization.  The Scheduler will be responsible to plan for crude deliveries up to three months in advance to accommodate the current crude purchasing plans while also managing day-to-day adjustments as needed. This role will be responsible for crude scheduling to and from Port Arthur refinery (PAR) facility, Motiva Port Neches terminal (PNT), Energy Transfer Nederland Sour Lake terminal (SUN Nederland), P66 Beaumont terminal, and other customer(s) and supplier(s) locations.  Schedulers will frequently communicate with customers in the process of receiving crude oil orders and with suppliers to secure barrels for the facility.  Additionally, from time to time, due to weather, refinery upsets, turnarounds etc., scheduler may be required to adjust the supply schedule to the refinery.  This role will be required to independently work alongside other schedulers as the commercial team and refinery operations. The Crude Scheduler executes activities related to crude oil movements and handling consistent with local requirements as well as ATA’s HSSE & Product Quality (PQ) standards in a cost effective, safe, and efficient manner.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for last-mile crude oil scheduling into the Port Arthur Refinery (PAR). Consequently, must be knowledgeable about dock, pipeline and terminal operations and scheduling obligations. Familiar with Port Neches Terminal (PNT), Inter-plant pipeline (IPL) and connections of the Port Arthur Refinery with nearby crude-oil storage hubs (i.e., SUN Nederland, P66 Beaumont, etc.).
• Experience with marine scheduling of various vessel class crude and feedstocks cargoes (i.e., from Suez max to inland barges).
• Development of a crude oil schedule for up to 3 months out.
• Will act as the first contact with oil shippers, oil carriers, and connecting facilities to resolve problems and issues within contractual obligations, regulations, and company policy.
• Continuous update of crude oil schedule to react to market opportunities and shifts in refineries availability to crude oil volumes.
• Responsible for nominating the movement of crude oil on various pipelines and terminals to meet contractual obligations.
• Understand and deliver the base needs of ATA’s business, while always striving to understand how to optimize and improve the supply chain. 
• Always maintain an up-to-date scope of work for planned supply activities and continencies. Advise on supply contingency plans to prepare for major events (e.g., planned, and unplanned outages, hurricanes preparedness, etc.).
• Continuous update of crude oil schedule to react to market opportunities and shifts in refinery supply and production.
• Ensure imbalances are mitigated. Provide trading with accurate and timely notice of operational developments including imbalance positions, capacity availability and pipeline operational status to purchase or sell barrels.
• Coordinate cross-functional communications to maintain alignment for daily operations as well as during planned and unplanned events.
• Tracking and coordination of terms of spot contracts, term contracts, and exchange contracts.
• Quickly ascertain the impact of supply disruptions, communicate effectively to businesses and trading interfaces to reach best-integrated solution quickly and make the required adjustments to schedules to minimize overall impact.
• Remain capable and available in times of business disruption, and always ready to support the business and team 365 days a year. (Hurricane, 3rd party logistics failures, power outages, etc.).
• Understand and respond to crude oil quality issues while understanding industry specifications.
• Communicate all rate, tariff, fuel and operational condition changes for pipe and vessels.
• Must be knowledgeable concerning pipeline and terminal operations and scheduling obligations.
• Gather and disseminate market information to facilitate effective and efficient trader decisions.
• Coordinate with other team members to ensure optimal utilization of shared assets with other business lines (e.g., crude and feedstock docks activity) and appropriate transfer of information and market knowledge.
• Maintain routine communication with affiliate and third-party carrier to provide traders updates on current month flows or potential operational issues.
• Assist in securing information and resolving discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Work closely with accounting to resolve rate and volume discrepancies.
• Manage special projects and operational activity as assigned.
• Accurate and precise entry of scheduling information into scheduling systems to meet requirements of daily scheduler check out process.
• Maintain adequate records to meet legal and fiscal obligations, as per ATA’s policies.
• Develop relationships with third party logistics companies (i.e., pipelines, terminals, etc.) to facilitate gathering of industry intelligence and operational effectiveness.
   

Experience and Qualifications Required:

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or hold a valid work visa that does not require sponsorship to legally work full-time in the United States.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Engineering, or related field required.
• Minimum 3 years in petroleum products supply logistics, preferably in crude oil or intermediate feedstocks (i.e., Fuel Oil, VGO, Untreated Distillate, others) scheduling. Commercial acumen with a basic understanding of Supply, Trading, Logistics, Marine Chartering, and refinery economics.
• Experience with supply operations and an understanding of crude oil scheduling. Working experience with clean products, light-ends products, and/or chemicals & specialty products scheduling would be considered.  Trading and/or commercial experience is a plus.
• Knowledge of FERC rules and regulations is a plus.
• Knowledge of crude oil pipeline grid/system, and waterborne operations.
• Leader who is a team player with enterprise first decision making abilities who can work independently.
• Ability to analyze and multi-task through multiple complex business issues.
• Ability to understand market conditions and relationship to trading business.
• Self-starter/responsible for nominations and scheduling.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-task environment. Ability to work flexible hours to accommodate occasional overtime work.
• Possess quantitative and interpersonal skills, with an ability to work in a situation of ambiguity, constant change, and conflicting priorities without losing sight of the overall goal.
• Strong relationship skills to interface across multiple internal and external businesses with conflicting expectations.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective industry relationships.
• Excellent industry reputation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills working in team environment both virtual and face to face.
• Proficiency with data management and reporting.
• Strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong computer skills, including MS Excel.
• Strong attention to detail.
• 24-hour availability.  Must carry cell phone and company assigned laptop computer in the evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
• Experience in RightAngle software and SAP, preferred.
• Requires solid written and verbal skills along with the ability to work virtually effectively.
• Requires a high degree of negotiation and influencing skills, and relationship building for success.
   

Ability to work in an office-based environment, located in downtown Houston, Texas.
 

NO THIRD PARTY CANDIDATES ACCEPTED