Power Trader

We’re making zero carbon happen

We’re OVO Group, a big family of companies united by a single vision: to get to zero carbon, fast. 

We call this Plan Zero – and it shows how we’ll be fighting the climate crisis and transforming the way people use energy over the next decade. To do this, we need the sharpest minds. Are you up for the challenge?

Do great green things with OVO Energy

So much has changed since we launched in 2009.  Our goal remains the same though: make energy cheaper, greener, and simpler. Just as it was on day one.

Everyone belongs at OVO

Our aim is to build a diverse and inclusive movement: teams of brilliant people, with unique talents, skills, passions, and experiences. 

We encourage everyone to join us, whatever your gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, life experience, or background. So please come as you are – we can’t wait to meet you.

Where in the world of OVO will I be working?

Working within the Energy department, OVO’s Energy Traders play a vital role in developing and implementing hedging and optimisation strategies to manage some of the key risks that face the business.

This role is a new role for OVO and reports into the Head of Trading. The Short Term Power Trader is responsible for the development of OVO’s new Within Day Power Trading  capability, the design of a new toolset to optimise OVO’s Short Term power balancing activity and ultimately, the execution of OVO’s day ahead and within day power balancing activities.

What will I be doing?

The Short Term Power Trader will use their extensive Short Team Power Trading experience to lead the development of OVO’s short term power trading capability. In conjunction with existing teams within OVO, you will ensure that OVO has a functional capability to execute transactions on the within day power market. This will include working with EPEX/ECC and internal teams to ensure OVO’s exchange membership, setting up books inside the company ETRM system and developing performance reporting.

The Short Term Power Trader will work closely with OVO’s Trading Data Scientists and Analysts to develop an analytical toolkit to support trade execution. There will be dedicated resource in place to support the development phase of this capability, in particular to develop a toolkit capable of surfacing critical market information in a timely manner to enable efficient trade execution.

The Short Term Power Trader will be responsible for the optimisation and balancing of OVO’s short term (Day Ahead and Within Day) Power portfolio. They will be expected to make intelligent, data led decisions on management of the hedge portfolio.

As the role develops, the Short Term Power Trader, alongside the rest of the team and other teams in OVO, will look to exploit the new within day power trading capability alongside OVO’s Kaluza platform to optimise OVO customer assets to maximise value.

OVO is also willing to explore the potential of creating additional value add through proprietary trading on day ahead and within day power markets, subject to a demonstrable track record. 

Responsibilities will include:

• Delivery of P&L value through the management of OVO’s power balancing activity, achieving targets agreed by OVO’s Energy management team.
• Leading on the development of OVO’s within day Power trading capability.
• Design and development of OVO’s short term Power trading analytical toolkit.
• Development of the link between the Trading and the Kaluza flex platform.
• Being a business expert in energy trading, especially on short term Power markets, with good knowledge of gas and associated markets.
• Development of a case for proprietary trading activity and delivery of P&L.
• Compliance with all trading policies and limit structures.
• Day to day ownership and development of key relationships with Trading partners.
• Monitoring market developments to enable clear and concise explanation of wholesale market movements and assessment of potential future wholesale price movements that will influence hedge strategy development.

Is this the job for me?

We are looking for:

• An experienced Energy Trading professional, with prior experience in UK Power markets preferred, as well as a strong understanding of connected global energy markets.
• An excellent track record of trading value add, particularly through the optimisation of Power balancing activity.
• A strong mathematical background with experience of developing analytical models.
• A strong track record of working across teams to deliver projects. 
• A Degree level education (2:1 or better in numerical or science based subject preferred).
• A creative thinker who thrives off direct responsibility and delivering value.
• An ability to own and operate critical business processes in a robust manner.
• An ability to critically interrogate model outputs and feedback to model owners to drive continuous improvement and accuracy.
• Ability to act autonomously and with loose guidelines, operating and a thought leader and designing strategies to maximise value. 
• Strong interpersonal and social skills with an ability to create clear recommendations, respond quickly and act decisively. 
• Ability to support and develop other traders and analysts across Trading. 
• Programming experience, ideally Python, beneficial.
• Database querying using SQL, essential.
• Strong Excel skills, essential.

This role requires an individual who will relish taking ownership of decisions where material value is at risk daily.  We are seeking someone with a passion for energy markets, an organised and structured approach, and the drive to optimise all trading activity.

Let’s talk about what’s in it for you

We’ll pay you between £52,840 and £85,870, depending on your specific skills and experience. If your expectations are a little different, have a chat with us! We keep our pay ranges broad on purpose to give us, and you, flexibility to match your experience to our zero carbon mission.

You may be eligible for an on-target bonus. We have one OVO bonus plan that focuses on the collective performance of our people to deliver our Plan Zero goal. 

We also offer plenty of green benefits and progressive policies to help you feel like you belong at OVO…and there’s flex pay.  It’s an extra 9% of your salary on top of your core pay to use as you like. You can take it as cash, add to your pension, or choose to spend it on a huge range of flex benefits. 

Here’s a taster of what’s on offer: 

For starters, you’ll get 34 days of holiday (including bank holidays).

For your health
With benefits like a healthcare cash plan or private medical insurance depending on your career level, critical illness cover, life assurance, health assessments, and more

For your wellbeing
With gym membership, gadget, travel and cyber insurance, workplace ISA, will writing services, DNA testing, dental insurance, and more

For your lifestyle
With extra holiday buying, discount dining, culture cards, tech loans, and supporting your favourite charities with give-as-you-earn donations

For your home 
Get up to £300 off any OVO Energy plan (when you pay by Direct Debit), plus personal carbon offsetting and great discounts on smart thermostats and EV chargers

For your commute
Nab a great deal on ultra-low emission car leasing, plus our cycle to work scheme and public transport season ticket loans 

Want to hear about our full range of flexible benefits and progressive people policies? Our People Team can tell you everything you need to know.

Oh, and one last thing...

We’d be thrilled if you tick off all our boxes yet we also believe it’s just as important we tick off all of yours. And if you think you have most of what we’re looking for but not every single thing, go ahead and hit apply. We’d still love to hear from you!