Data Scientist - Battery Trading

Overview

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 is 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.

Responsibilities

• 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 fleet performance
• Troubleshoot issues, identify potential improvements
• Collaborate with Trading, Renewables, Flexibility and other teams to utilise our combined knowledge and data

Qualifications

• 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

Nice to 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 you'll love it here

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. We don't advertise salary because we have a degree of flexibility and would never want salary to be a reason not to apply. What matters most is finding the right fit.

• Octopus Energy Group has a unique culture. An organisation where people learn, decide, and build quicker, with autonomy and co-owners on projects that break new ground. We were named the UK's top company to work for, among other recognitions, and we highlight leadership and culture initiatives.

• Visit our UK perks hub - Octopus Employee Benefits

Application process and inquiries

If this sounds like you then we'd love to hear from you. Our process usually takes up to 4 weeks, but we'll flex around what works for you. You'll chat with our recruitment team and your recruiter will help you throughout different stages. For any questions, email 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. If 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 impact. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of background, as an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on any protected attribute.