Principal Energy Trader (SmartBidder)

Key Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for SmartBidder’s trading analytics by defining success metrics and leading initiatives that improve performance across the fleet.
• Serve as a senior individual contributor and thought leader within the SmartBidder analyst and engineering teams, establishing best practices for performance monitoring, analytical rigor, and ongoing strategy refinement.
• Act as the team’s primary subject matter expert on wholesale electricity trading, market fundamentals, bidding strategy, and ISO protocols and operations.
• Own fleet-level trading performance monitoring, benchmarking, and reporting across customers and markets.
• Identify trends, diagnose underperformance, surface emerging opportunities, and direct the team’s analytical response.
• Develop and maintain repeatable processes for evaluating bidding strategies, model performance, market outcomes, and customer-specific constraints.
• Partner closely with product and engineering to manage the market performance backlog, translate analytical findings into product requirements, and inform roadmap prioritization.
• Monitor regulatory developments and market design changes across relevant ISOs. Evaluate their commercial and operational implications and communicate proactively with internal teams and customers.
• Serve as a technical expert and trusted advisor to customers and sales prospects, including leading executive-level discussions, supporting strategic account conversations, and presenting complex market concepts clearly.
• Represent Ascend as an industry thought leader through market commentary, customer education, conference presentations, webinars, and other external forums.
• Support the development and mentorship of SmartBidder analysts.

Required Key Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, data science, economics, finance, mathematics, or another relevant quantitative field.
• 6+ years of professional or postgraduate experience in wholesale power markets, electricity trading, market analytics, or a related field.
• Experience at a utility, independent power producer, trading firm, market operator, or energy software company is strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of energy modeling systems and analytical methods, including price forecasting, dispatch optimization, revenue analysis, or related frameworks.
• Deep expertise in at least one major U.S. ISO, with working knowledge across multiple markets.
• Demonstrated ability and interest in using AI-enabled tools to support research, coding, data analysis, and workflow automation.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex datasets and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Proficiency in Python is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex market dynamics to technical teams, commercial stakeholders, and executive audiences and to produce polished customer-facing materials.
• Experience in a customer-facing, consulting, trading, or advisory role, with a demonstrated ability to establish credibility, build trust, and manage client relationships effectively.
• Self-directed, highly organized, and able to manage multiple priorities independently while maintaining analytical rigor in a fast-paced operational environment.

Preferred

• 10+ years of experience in wholesale power trading, energy market analytics, or related fields.
• Trading and risk management structuring and transactional experience including with forward energy contracts, hedges, FTRs, CRRs and other electricity derivatives.
• Deep knowledge of power market operating protocols, rules, and stakeholder processes.
• Graduate degree in economics, engineering, finance, business, energy systems, or a related field, ideally with a concentration in energy.
• Demonstrated industry thought leadership through publications, conference presentations, participation in industry or ISO working groups, or equivalent external engagement.
• Experience influencing product and engineering roadmaps through market, customer, and operational insights.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional projects or programs through influence rather than direct authority.