Lead Optimization Analyst - Clean Products Exports Coordinator

At Motiva, our employees’ energy, passion, and dedication to excellence are what make us who we are and what allows us to generate energy that makes a house a home, gets us from point A to point B, and enables our health and wellbeing. We invest in every aspect of our employees’ lives because, at Motiva, our people matter.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the Americas. The company’s Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex in Port Arthur, TX, is comprised of North America’s largest refinery with a total throughput of 720,000 barrels per day, the largest base oil plant in the western hemisphere, and an integrated chemical plant. Under exclusive long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76® brand), Motiva’s commercial operations supply more than 12 billion gallons of fuel to customers annually. Motiva is wholly owned by Aramco, one of the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals companies.

Position Overview:

Reporting to the Director, Commercial Supply – Clean Products & Compliance Credits, the Lead Optimization Analyst – Clean Products Exports Coordinator will serve as the focal point for coordinating evaluation, optimization, and analysis for clean products export activities across multiple stakeholder groups to drive value for the enterprise.

This position is responsible for coordination of Port Arthur Terminal dock optimization, with a focus on best-netback decision making and clean products exports. The role requires close coordination across various Manufacturing Optimization functions, Marketing & Sales, PAMC Operations, and Aramco Trading Americas (ATA) to support short-term refined product placement and long-term, data-driven improvement opportunities (including supporting project ideation and economics). It combines responsibilities traditionally performed by Commercial Performance Analysts, Supply Managers, Gasoline Coordinators, and Optimizers, providing broad exposure across commercial analysis, supply optimization, export execution, trading support, and business development.

Day-to-day priorities will flex based on business requirements and market conditions. Related to clean products exports, the role will provide export opportunity evaluation, coordination, and execution.  Additional primary responsibilities include backup coverage for Supply Managers (and potentially other functions as needed) and developing / sustaining analytics and scorecard metrics for clean products.   

This is an in-office position based at Motiva's Corporate Headquarters in Houston, Texas. Occasional travel to Port Arthur, Texas is required.

Responsibilities:
Export Opportunity Evaluation & Execution

• Coordinates supply into and out of key refining / downstream / product demand / operational areas, utilizing financial instruments to enhance decision-based economics.
• Primary interface between Aramco Trading Americas (ATA) and PAMC based staff regarding export-related opportunities, evaluations, and execution.
• Assess inventory positions, logistics constraints, and market opportunities to support optimal product placement and value realization.
• Support export market expansion initiatives through economic evaluation, market analysis, and opportunity assessment.
• Develop preliminary export economics, blend evaluations, break even values (BEVs), and feasibility assessments for prospective export opportunities.
• Utilize MBO Blend Optimization and LP model results in break-even value calculations.
• Coordinate feasibility reviews and alignment discussions regarding export recommendations with key commercial and operational stakeholders.
• Facilitate resolution discussions for scheduling, inventory, dock, logistics, and operational conflicts associated with export activities.
• Develop and maintain export opportunity tracking tools and commercial performance reporting, including approved grades, execution performance, bid outcomes, and market feedback.
• Provide tracking for KPIs related to exports and related activities
• Provide after-hours export coordination as business conditions require.

Commercial Performance Analytics

• Manage daily trading-related P&L performance across gasoline, distillates, renewable fuels, compliance credits, exports, and inventory positions to support profitability optimization and decision-making.
• Provide continuous market intelligence regarding supply and demand fundamentals, pricing trends, competitive activity, export market dynamics, customer demand, and emerging commercial opportunities.
• Conduct economic evaluations, forecasting activities, scenario analyses, sensitivities, and business case assessments.
• Assess commercial opportunities, risks, and market trends to develop recommendations that improve profitability, market position, and decision quality.
• Prepare presentations, reports, and executive-ready commercial summaries enabling decision-making and planning activities.
• Lead optimization analyses supporting annual business planning, forecasting activities, and strategic commercial decision-making
• Evaluate commercial exposures associated with supply, pricing, exports, inventory positions, and market opportunities.
• Assess commercial risks associated with pricing, inventory positions, export activities, counterparties, and market volatility, partnering with Finance and Risk Management to recommend mitigation strategies.
• Identify and champion continuous improvement opportunities in both process and systems, including supporting goals for digitalization and automation where appropriate in the clean products space.

Supply Management Support

• Provide backup coverage for Supply Management, including deal execution, hedging support, inventory optimization, market analysis, and market briefings, as needed for daily support and short- to medium-term absences.
• Prepare weekly and monthly deal analytics to highlight optimization value added.
• Understand end-to-end exposures in Motiva’s clean products business and demonstrate commercial stewardship by recommending improvements.

Cross-Functional Integration & Stakeholder Management

• Coordinate closely with Operations, Scheduling, Chartering, Finance, Risk, Trading, Global Optimization, and other stakeholders across Motiva and Aramco to optimize commercial outcomes, manage business risks, and capture market opportunities.
• Serve as a key communication point between commercial and operational stakeholders related to all waterborne clean products activities at PAMC.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with stakeholders across Motiva, Aramco Trading Americas, and external counterparties as needed.
• Facilitate implementation of approved commercial opportunities and monitor performance through completion.

Experience and Qualifications
Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, or related discipline.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in commercial operations, supply, scheduling, optimization, logistics, trading support, business development, or related downstream energy functions.
• Strong understanding of refined products markets, supply chain economics, and downstream commercial operations.
• Experience conducting commercial analyses, economic evaluations, forecasting, and business performance assessments.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to interpret market dynamics and develop actionable business recommendations.
• Experience working independently across multiple stakeholder groups in a fast-paced commercial environment.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and business analytics tools.
• Awareness of refinery gasoline blending and associated trading risks and exposures.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• Gasoline blending with refinery operations and economic experience – LP modeling, recipe development and fine tuning using MBO, plus understanding of trading/marketing international gasoline grades. 
• MBA or advanced degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Engineering, or a related field.
• Knowledge of marine logistics, terminal operations, shipping, and export execution processes.
• Knowledge of financial risk management, hedging concepts, and commercial exposure analysis.
• Experience with compliance credits, renewable fuels, or regulatory market programs.
• Experience developing business cases and supporting strategic initiatives.

We reserve the right to amend or withdraw Motiva jobs at any time, including prior to the closing date. Depending on qualifications, the successful candidate may be offered a position at a more appropriate level and/or grade.

Applicants for regular U.S. positions must be authorized to work in the United States for Motiva Enterprises LLC without the need for sponsorship of an immigration authorization or visa (for example, TN, H-1B, or other employment-based immigration authorization or visa).

Motiva participates in E-Verify.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information, or other protected status under federal, state, or local laws.