Barge Dispatcher - St Louis, MO or Decatur, IL

Barge Dispatcher - St Louis, MO or Decatur, IL

American River Transportation Company (ARTCo), an ADM company, is seeking a highly organized, motivated, and solutions-focused Barge Dispatcher I to join our team in St. Louis, Missouri or Decatur, Illinois. ARTCo is a critical part of ADM's global supply chain, operating an extensive network of barges, towboats, and terminals that support the safe and efficient movement of dry and liquid cargo throughout the U.S. inland waterway system. The Barge Dispatcher plays an important role in keeping our operations moving. This position coordinates vessel and barge movements, manages daily scheduling and operational priorities, supports customer deliveries, maintains accurate fleet information, and serves as a key communication link between vessel crews, harbor tugs, customers, dispatch teams, and local leadership. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced logistics environment, enjoys solving problems in real time, and can confidently manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and clear communication. Previous marine dispatch experience is highly valued; however, candidates with strong transferable experience in transportation, trucking, rail, logistics, fleet operations, or supply chain coordination may also be well suited for this opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and update vessel positions and barge traffic utilizing IBM and Fleet-com systems.
• Coordinate and expedite barge movements through proactive scheduling, daily updates, inquiries, and operational follow-up.
• Assist harbor tugs with tow-building requirements and proper tow configurations.
• Monitor fleet activity, vessel availability, and inventory to support efficient utilization of resources.
• Develop a strong understanding of fleet capabilities, horsepower allocation, inventory management, and assigned river mile points.
• Respond to changing operational priorities and communicate adjustments quickly and accurately.

• Schedule and book barges to meet contractual delivery obligations and customer requirements.
• Monitor and update barge placement, including constructive placement loads and reloads.
• Coordinate harbor deliveries based on grain facility needs, operational priorities, and available fleet inventory.
• Notify customers, dispatch, and marine personnel when loaded barges are released and available for pickup.
• Prepare and distribute night orders to local harbor tugs and follow up to ensure orders are executed accurately and efficiently.
• Adjust schedules and priorities as operational needs change while minimizing delays and maintaining service expectations.

• Serve as a central point of communication between customers, vessel crews, marine personnel, dispatch teams, and local management.
• Partner closely with lead fleet boats to establish and prioritize daily fleet operations.
• Communicate critical operational updates, changes, delays, and priorities to appropriate stakeholders.
• Provide thorough and accurate information during shift transitions to ensure continuity of operations.
• Build effective working relationships across operations and maintain professional communication in time-sensitive situations.

• Accurately enter and maintain barge information, including consignments, re-consignments, unloads, loadings, cleanings, and other operational activity.
• Maintain order sheets, billing records, and related documentation.
• Process billing transactions at least twice daily, including miscellaneous and special fleeting functions.
• Support local accounting by managing billing notifications, reconciliations, and related documentation.
• Maintain accurate operational records and ensure information is entered into appropriate systems in a timely manner.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Logistics, Transportation, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant work experience will be considered.
• Previous marine or barge dispatch experience is highly valued.
• Experience in transportation dispatch, trucking, rail, logistics, fleet coordination, supply chain, or another time-sensitive operational environment is strongly preferred.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple competing demands.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to accuracy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with customers, vessel crews, operations personnel, and leadership.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative team environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Ability and willingness to learn specialized fleet-management, dispatch, and proprietary systems.
• Ability to adapt quickly as schedules, customer needs, vessel availability, and operational priorities change.

What Success Looks Like in This Role

A successful Barge Dispatcher is someone who can see the bigger operational picture while maintaining attention to the details. You'll need to anticipate potential issues, communicate proactively, make sound decisions, and continuously reprioritize as conditions change. The ideal candidate is dependable, organized, calm under pressure, responsive, detail-oriented, and comfortable taking ownership. You should enjoy working with people, solving problems, coordinating moving pieces, and knowing that the decisions you make directly contribute to keeping ARTCo's operations moving safely and efficiently.

Work Environment & Schedule

• MondayFriday, 7:00 AM4:00 PM, with flexibility to work extended hours and/or weekends when operational needs require.
• Fast-paced, open-office dispatch environment requiring the ability to maintain focus while managing multiple priorities.
• Extended periods of computer and desk-based work.
• Must be able to safely board and exit vessels when required.

Excited about this role but don't think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings. ADM requires the successful completion of a background check. REF:112601BR