Job Title: Regional Agronomy Operations Lead/Dispatcher

Hours/Week: 40 hours per week with more hours required as needed

FLSA Status: Salary Exempt

Reports to: Agronomy Operations Manager

Job Summary

This position is responsible for the management of daily operations and service within Five Star’s Regional Agronomy department. Responsible for servicing customers, maintaining existing customer’s business, and obtaining new customer’s business where applicable. This position will be a resource for customers to come to for industry information. The individual is responsible for inventory control of all products/commodities for proper quantity and quality. This person will attend management meetings and training as directed.

This position is responsible for planning, scheduling, communicating, and executing Five Star Cooperative’s agronomy application services, including but not limited to the agronomy applicators and tender truck fleet during the application season. The incumbent will be directly responsible for the daily dispatch to applicators within the assigned region.

The incumbent is responsible for communicating expectations, routes, and other pertinent information to the Agronomy Operations Manager, while maintaining full compliance to company safety, regulatory, service and insurance standards. This person is responsible for coordinating, directing, and managing time for applicators by using best communication methods to the other Regional Agronomy Operations Lead, as well as the Agronomy Operations Manager. 

This individual must have the ability to adapt schedules and priorities to changing dynamics. This individual must be able to communicate effectively to multiple stakeholders.  

The position must determine delivery efficiency, while providing extraordinary service to the customer. The incumbent communicates frequently with sales agronomists, Location Operations Managers, and other supervisors to enable on-going application excellence. The incumbent must serve as a company resource, advising and consulting with Location Operations Managers and Sales Agronomists on timely application of products and on farm deliveries. 

The incumbent will be responsible for communicating the equipment needs, as well as assisting Agronomy Operations Manager with purchasing decisions and maintaining Five Star’s agronomy fleet. This position will be accountable for providing input which influences the decisions of Five Star’s Agronomy equipment grow-out plans.

The incumbent will be expected to assist other locations and departments as assigned by management. Will communicate availability regularly and assist with projects as needed. 

Incumbent maintains efficiency in a manner that will optimize the cooperative’s market share and savings, improve the cooperative’s efficiency, help achieve the cooperative’s mission and goals, and result in outstanding customer service.

This position will maintain a positive attitude that promotes teamwork within the location, as well as within the cooperative and upholds a favorable image of Five Star Cooperative at all times.

Qualifications:

Education: High school diploma or equivalent; fluent reading, writing, and speaking the English language; 

Experience:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills necessary
• Computer skills required – Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Good customer service skills and approach necessary
• Ag background a plus

License, Certificate or Registration: Class A CDL with tankers, doubles, and HAZ-MAT, valid DOT physical card, custom applicators license, or the ability to obtain all of the above.

Basic Skills—Speaking, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Listening, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management

Essential Duties

• Assists other Regional Operations Lead/Dispatcher in reviewing whole company applicator needs on a daily basis
• Sends agronomy equipment to other areas/locations as directed by Agronomy Operations Manager
• Be present at Central and Western Agronomy locations for better understanding of operations and dispatching, as requested.
• Alternate eastern region personnel during season to train on plant operations.
• Assist Location Operations Managers with criteria and evaluation of Five Star commercial applicators.
• Be a true leader and champion in establishing and maintaining a vision and required behaviors for our culture of ensuring human safety.
• Deliver a courteous, pleasant and positive attitude in providing extraordinary service to all customers, coworkers and others ensuring open lines of communication.
• Maintain a working knowledge of inbound and outbound fertilizer logistics, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage Five Star’s application equipment and personnel, including dispatching, scheduling and compliance 
• Create and distribute daily work assignments/schedule, review daily work for employees and contractors.
• Perform other related duties within job scope as assigned by Agronomy Operations Manager.
• Follows regulatory guidelines for all areas.
• Continually upgrades training by learning on the job, attending schools, seminars, and/or by reading product and industry information.
• Handles customer complaints smoothly. Solves the problem as soon as possible, either personally, or through communication with supervisor.
• Maintains open communication with Operations Managers, COO, CEO, other departments, fellow employees, etc.
• Follows Five Star’s safety policies.
• Abides and enforces policies set forth in the employee policy manual.
• Assisting other departments when needed.

Maintenance & Safety:

• Observe OSHA, state, and federal safety regulations
• Maintains company compliance, enters any compliance data and completes monthly preventative maintenance schedules. 
• Operates trucks and equipment safely
• Receives no OSHA, state, or federal citations
• Receives no valid customer complaints concerning driving
• Maintain clean and neat facilities
• Maintain housekeeping and sanitation standards
• Upholds Five Star’s Safety regulations and procedures

Service and Skills:

• Excellent customer service required – Applicant must be neat and approachable
• Handles customer complaints smoothly – notifies supervisor of any problems and strives to solve any problems quickly, either personally or through communication with the supervisor. 
• Excellent telephone skills – applicant must promptly and courteously answer the phone
• Requires acute attention to detail
• Requires making decisions that affect customers, other employees, Five Star Coop’s financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization
• Commitment to excellence and high standards
• Actively work to increase personal skills and knowledge
• Attend product, merchandising, safety, and cooperative meetings as requested

Work Context for the Essential Functions of the Job

• Requires face-to-face and telephone communication with individuals, customers, or teams daily
• Opportunity to make decisions without supervision, 
• Requires making decisions that impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company, 
• Requires being exact or highly accurate, 
• Requires repeating the same physical activities or mental activities over and over, 
• Requires meeting strict deadlines daily to ensure customer service when unloading and product delivery deadlines.
• Requires work with others in a group or team, 
• Requires work with external customers or the public, 
• Includes responsibility for work outcomes and results, 
• Includes responsibility for the health and safety of others, 
• Requires wearing common protective or safety equipment, 

Other Duties:

• Must be able to meet physical requirements of the position, including prolonged periods of standing, working in confined spaces and elevated heights, bending, kneeling, climbing stairs and ladders.
• Ability to deal effectively with a diversity of individuals at all organizational levels
• Good judgment with the ability to make timely and sound decisions
• Versatility, flexibility, and a willingness to work within constantly changing priorities with enthusiasm
• Ability to work independently and as a team player
• Must be able to climb stairs, reach above, below, and at shoulder level. 
• Willingness to work from multiple locations within the cooperative

Work Conditions and Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This job is performed indoors or outdoors and will have exposure to external elements including: weather extremes of Northern Iowa, heights, confined spaces, and other variable and unique environments. Employee will have exposure to dust from feed, grain, or fertilizer products.

Physical Abilities

• Far Vision—The ability to see details at a distance.
• Near Vision—The ability to see details at close range to complete detailed paperwork and computer work (within a few feet of the observer).
• Reaction Time—The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
• Static Strength—The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
• Response Orientation—The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.   
• Spatial Orientation—The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
• Depth Perception—The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or further away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.  
• Extent Flexibility—The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Multilimb Coordination—The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
• Manual Dexterity—The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble or move objects 
• Climbing—Ability to climb stairs.