Trainee, Plant Management - Renewables

About the role

As a North American leader in agribusiness and renewable fuels, The Andersons operates in a unique space, bringing together agriculture, energy, and global markets. From the farm to customers around the world, we help move food, feed, and fuel where it's needed most.

Our business spans the full value chain, which means the work we do directly supports farmers, customers, and communities every day. Whether it's helping producers succeed, delivering essential products, or advancing more sustainable energy solutions, our impact is both local and global.

What truly sets us apart is how we work together. We are a performance-driven, people-powered organization where employees are owners, sharing in our success and helping shape our future. We invest in our team through development opportunities, meaningful career paths, and a culture that encourages growth, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

At the core of everything we do is our Statement of Principles. We are committed to providing extraordinary service to our customers, helping our employees improve, supporting our communities, and increasing the value of the company for our shareholders.

Position Summary

The Renewables Plant Management Trainee Program is an 18-to-24-month training initiative aimed at developing future leaders for our ethanol fuel production plants. Participants will gain hands-on-leadership experience through rotational assignments across all key plant functions, providing a thorough understanding of ethanol production, plant operations, and team management. This program is focused on developing the leadership skills necessary for a future managerial role, while equipping trainees with the knowledge and practical experience required to optimize plant performance and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the ethanol production process, including ethanol fuel production, co-products, and grain elevator co-product load-out processes. Gain practical experience in all stages of production, from raw material intake to finished product shipment
• Acquire hands-on experience in leading diverse teams. Focus on building effective communication, conflict resolution, and team development skills, preparing for a future managerial role
• Learn and apply principles of financial planning, including budgeting, capital expenditure planning and labor management. Understand how financial decisions impact plant operations and production goals
• Work closely with plant leadership to identify opportunities for process improvement. Develop and implement strategies to enhance operational performance, streamline workflows and contribute to meeting or exceeding production targets

What is expected of you and others at this level

• Coordinates and supervises the daily activities of a business or technical support or production team
• Sets priorities for the team to ensure task completion; coordinates work activities with other supervisors
• Decisions are guided by policies, procedures and business plan, receives guidance and oversight from a manager
• Typically, does not spend more than 20% of time performing the work supervised

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree required or 3-5 years' relevant experience preferred (Engineering, Chemistry, or related disciplines in Production or Chemical environment preferred)
• Based on business need, future relocation may be required
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software

Physical Requirements and Working Environment

• Work is performed in a 24x7 Ethanol production plant
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working at a computer
• This position involves frequent exposure to adverse weather conditions, dust, fumes, noise, heights, and potentially hazardous material
• Must be flexible to work either day or night shift based on plant needs
• Must be willing and able to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as required

Additional information

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. It does not include all responsibilities and skills required of the job and may be changed at any time. All responsibilities must be completed in compliance with all safety protocols, policies, procedures and consistent with the spirit and philosophy of The Andersons' Statement of Principles.