Data Scientist - Battery Trading

At Octopus Energy Trading, we’re on a mission to reshape the future of energy. As part of Octopus Energy Group, we’re creating an innovative approach to trading that will accelerate the transition to a Net Zero world. With the growth of renewables and a push toward decarbonising heating and transport, greater flexibility in the grid is essential. We are building cutting-edge technology to optimise everything from domestic EV charging to grid-scale batteries, to meet the global demand for energy flexibility.

We’re looking for passionate and unconventional thinkers to join us on this journey, bringing a diversity of experience and ideas to shape a more efficient, flexible, and sustainable energy system.

Flexible assets - batteries, EVs, heat pumps, and more - are key to the reliable operation of low-carbon grids. Maximising the impact of these assets across electricity markets and grid services requires making thousands of highly complex, data-driven decisions. Octopus has always had a tech-first approach, and our trading and analytics tools are all built in-house. We are looking for a Battery Trading Data Scientist who's comfortable building trading and forecasting algorithms based on mathematical methods (numerical optimization, stochastic modeling, or ML techniques) and market expertise. This will include analysing market dynamics, building simulation, benchmarking and backtesting tools. Our team works closely with traders, data scientists and platform engineers to deliver end-to-end trading solutions.

What You'll Do... :
• Scope, design, build, test and monitor automated bidding algorithms for our battery assets
• Build simulation and benchmarking infrastructure and analyse past and prospective performance
• Develop a deep, quantitative understanding of power and grid services markets
• Research and prototype new models, algorithms and tools and assess their potential impact on the fleet performance
• Troubleshoot issues, identify potential improvements
• Collaborate with Trading, Renewables, Flexibility and other teams to utilise our combined knowledge and data

What You'll Need... :
• 4+ years in algorithmic trading, quantitative developer, optimisation engineering or equivalent roles
• Experience writing and maintaining production software in python is essential
• Direct experience applying mathematical optimisation, machine learning and/or reinforcement learning techniques to real-world problems
• Experience using applied probability and statistical analysis to assess (trading) performance and evaluate decision making processes/policies
• Familiarity with CI/CD tools, version control, docker, SQL
• Ability to identify requirements, clearly communicate your approach, articulate trade-offs, share results
• Able to quickly understand commercial and industry concepts
• Team player excited at the idea of ownership across lots of different projects and tools
• Self-driven and adaptable, comfortable working autonomously in a fast-paced environment where priorities can shift
• Passion for driving towards Net Zero

It would be a bonus if you have...
• Experience building and evaluating models/algorithms for sequential decision making problems under uncertainty
• Experience in the electricity industry in GB or other European market
• Experience building algorithmic trading solutions for power markets
• Experience building asset optimization and dispatch algorithms
• Proficiency in other programming languages (Go, Rust, Scala, ...)

💚 Why else you'll love it here 💚

• 💰 Wondering what the salary for this role is? Just ask us! On a call with one of our recruiters it's something we always cover as we genuinely want to match your experience with the correct salary. The reason why we don't advertise is because we honestly have a degree of flexibility and would never want salary to be a reason why someone doesn't apply to Octopus - what's more important to us is finding the right octofit!
• 🎉 Octopus Energy Group is a unique culture. An organisation where people learn, decide, and build quicker. Where people work with autonomy, alongside a wide range of amazing co-owners, on projects that break new ground. We want your hard work to be rewarded with perks you actually care about! We were recently named the UK's top company to work for, and we ranked in the top ten in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024. Our Group CEO, Greg has recorded a podcast about our culture and how we empower our people. We’ve also been placed in the top 10 companies for senior leadership
• 🎁 Visit our UK perks hub - Octopus Employee Benefits

If this sounds like you then we'd love to hear from you. 🚀

P.S. Our process usually takes up to 4 weeks, but we’ll always do our best to flex around what works for you. Along the way, you’ll chat with our recruitment team and your Recruiter will help you throughout different stages. Got any burning questions before then? Drop us a message at [email protected] and we’d love to help!

Are you ready for a career with us? We want to ensure you have all the tools and environment you need to unleash your potential. Need any specific accommodations? Whether you require specific accommodations or have a unique preference, let us know, and we'll do what we can to customise your interview process for comfort and maximum magic!

Studies have shown that some groups of people, like women, are less likely to apply to a role unless they meet 100% of the job requirements. Whoever you are, if you like one of our jobs, we encourage you to apply as you might just be the candidate we hire. Across Octopus, we're looking for genuinely decent people who are honest and empathetic. Our people are our strongest asset and the unique skills and perspectives people bring to the team are the driving force of our success. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute. Our commitment is to provide equal opportunities, an inclusive work environment, and fairness for everyone.