The Vice President of Supply, Gulf Coast is responsible for natural gas procurement and optimization of transportation and storage assets in meeting Symmetry’s load sales in the Gulf Coast region (TX, LA, GA, FL). This role requires a diverse network of supplier and customer relationships, forecasting knowledge, financial acumen, market and competitor intelligence, in-depth knowledge of supply and demand fundamentals, strategic insight, and team leadership. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading and developing a team of traders and schedulers engaged in gas supply logistics, price hedging/risk management, and asset optimization, in a dynamic environment.
Essential Functions
Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Supply, Asset Management and Optimization, the VP of Supply, Gulf Coast will be responsible for the following:
Optimization of natural gas procurement and pipeline and storage capacity
Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with key producers and suppliers of natural gas to optimize the cost, term, and reliability of supply purchases.
Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with natural gas pipeline companies and other owners of pipeline and gas storage assets.
Identifying opportunities to negotiate and acquire transportation and storage capacity.
Valuing and negotiating Asset Management Agreements with utilities and Symmetry customers.
Optimizing the financial opportunity of transport, storage, and AMA capacity in supplying customers’ needs in the most efficient manner possible, realizing the intrinsic and extrinsic value of such capacity as real options.
Partnering with Sales and Risk Management to ensure all market and operational risks are understood and are being proactively managed strategically, and are being appropriately priced into Symmetry’s sales transactions, and balancing risk management with competitiveness.
Partnering with Sales and Finance to manage the process for new deal approvals and investment in supply, transport, and storage assets.
Commodity position management and market understanding to enhance value
Developing a view of fundamentals as well as technical trading impacts and procurement and optimization strategies to enhance Symmetry’s business agendas.
Providing insight into near-term and seasonal weather forecasts and the potential impacts those forecasts and other events may have on Symmetry’s, positions, supply costs, and gross margin.
Providing insight into and optimally managing monthly and seasonal positional setup.
Monitoring storage activities, demand and supply fundamentals, and commodity markets.
Maintaining a deep understanding of current cash month, prompt month, and forward P&L impacts of all supply transport and storage activities.
Being a leading contributor to the annual budgeting and strategic planning processes and helping explain results versus plan as realized.
Lead a team of highly skilled Supply, Trading, and Scheduling professionals
Managing the forward and intra-month supply portfolio, balancing demand factors from the Sales organization, while mitigating price risk through daily incremental purchases and sales utilizing transportation and storage assets.
Scheduling and monitoring gas supply, transportation, market sales and storage volumes on pipeline and/or LDC systems to effectuate gas flow to serve Symmetry customers.
Monitoring the management of nominations, confirmations, imbalances, and other activities related to the purchase and sale of natural gas on various natural gas pipelines and avoiding overruns or other unforeseen incremental transportation charges.
Tracking and interpreting pipeline curtailments, maintenance, and other operational issues to aid in the efficiency of transporting natural gas and mitigating against potential imbalance penalties, particularly during periods of Operational Flow Orders.
Monitoring and advising on pipeline capacity release opportunities.
Ensuring positions in accounting and operational systems balance and reconcile to actual activity.
Organizational Leadership
As a senior leader in the organization, develop and augment the corporate strategic planning and development process, identify opportunities for medium and long-term value creation, ensure KPIs are identified and executed against, and ensure regular and qualitative reporting on business activities is communicated as required.
Enhance and develop the Gulf Coast Supply team via talent acquisition, performance management, employee engagement and development, leadership development, and succession planning
Providing support to the Legal team on contractual language and regulatory matters, and to other functional areas across the organization including risk, IT, FP&A, Accounting, Operations and, HR as appropriate to ensure the effective running of Symmetry’s business.
Performing financial analyses, and/ or providing business cases, as required in pursuit of strategic initiatives.
Experience and Qualifications
The ideal candidate will be an experienced and accomplished natural gas leader with prior work experience in an organization known for leading strong supply, asset management, and optimization functions. It is critical that they bring a deep understanding of the broader energy business with a strong strategic vision and thoughtful insights into market dynamics in wholesale and retail natural gas markets. The Vice President of Supply, Gulf Coast must be a team player with the ability to build and develop a high-performing team. Local market knowledge and relationships with key market players in the Texas and other Gulf markets will be important.
Against this backdrop, the executive will have:
Natural Gas Supply Leadership Experience – 10+ years of supply, asset management, and optimization or natural gas marketing experience in a diverse, complex, retail or wholesale environment with a strong understanding of natural gas storage and transportation.
Relevant Industry Knowledge - A long-standing record in the natural gas supply and infrastructure markets, displaying integrity, a sense of urgency, and the ability to make decisions and act quickly to seize market opportunities while maintaining a strong sense of value-creation.
Strategic Planning & Business Acumen – Ability to articulate and execute a clear, concise, and effective supply and asset management strategy that will provide customer value with the ability to adjust to uncertain market dynamics and conditions.
Contract Negotiations Experience - Proven ability to successfully execute commercial contract negotiations including natural gas supply storage and transport agreements.
Forecasting Experience - Strong analytical mind with fundamental views and knowledge of energy supply/demand dynamics with the ability to take a long-term view of the market. The executive maintains a keen and current perspective on market trends as well as environmental and socio- economic issues affecting natural gas supply/demand on a macro scale.
Communication Skills & Stakeholder Management – Strong experience effectively articulating ideas and concepts to a large audience including Senior executives. A track record of collaboration and influencing skills with an ability to build credible and successful relationships with multiple stakeholders, internally & externally
Risk Management – Fully conversant with risk management practices & procedures, with the ability to ‘see around corners’. Ability to anticipate and assess large-scale internal and external issues that may impact the business in the long-term and takes proactive action to mitigate risks.
Skills & Key Leadership Competencies
Results Oriented & Aligns Execution – A results-oriented executive with a communication and personal style that fosters an atmosphere of collegiality, teamwork, and a “roll-up-the sleeves” attitude. Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
Strategic Vision – Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
Navigates Networks – Possesses strong leadership skills with an ability to “check their ego at the door” and the capability to interact, listen, and engage across all areas of the business, effectively building formal and informal relationships.
Ensures Accountability – Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments with a strong reputation for high integrity, accountability, honesty, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Proven experience in establishing performance metrics and motivating and holding the team accountable for results.
Develops Talent – Developing people to meet both their career goals and the organization’s goals.
Engages & Inspires – Creating a climate in which people are motivated to do their best to help the organization to achieve its objectives.
Education
Requires a bachelor’s degree in business or related field from an accredited college or university. Advanced degree preferred.
Physical Requirements
Able to effectively communicate orally and in writing, utilizing clear and concise language.
Able to perceive and understand verbal communication in person, as well as over communication devices such as telephone or mobile phone.
Able to visually perceive information on a personal computer monitor or laptop screen for extended periods of time.
Capable of operating a personal computer, whether it is a desktop or laptop, for extended periods of time to create, compose, and review documents and spreadsheets.
Competent in operating office equipment, including but not limited to telephones, mobile phones, photocopiers, scanners, and calculators.
Able to reach, grasp, and manipulate items necessary to perform job tasks.
Able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time as required by job responsibilities.
Proficient in speaking, reading, and comprehending the English language.
Able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a minimal amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
Working Conditions
Able to work in a fast-paced office environment with a high-volume workload, including the possibility of working beyond standard hours and on nights/weekends to meet deadlines.
Able to work indoors, in an office environment, regardless of whether it is an open office, cubicle or private office.
Able to travel occasionally, possibly overnight, and to attend meetings and conferences, when required.
Symmetry Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. If you are an individual with a disability and need accommodation to complete the application, please email us at recruiting@symmetryenergy.com.
