Senior Trader

Job description

Job Title: Senior Trader

Band: 4

Salary: £48,027 - £54,751

(The successful candidate will also receive a non-consolidated trading allowance of £15,000 per annum)

Location: Liverpool

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time

Closing Date: 12/11/26

Insight into GCA - Webinar 

Watch our Webinar on the above link and gain valuable insight into GCA and our recruitment processes. 

Would you like to use your energy trading and wider energy industry knowledge for public good?  

Then become part of the expert team within the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) managing over £1bn p.a. commodity exposure and providing energy industry expertise for the central government and wider public sector.

Job Summary

You will work as one of 4 senior traders reporting to the Trading Manager. The team works collaboratively to hedge energy demand for aggregated portfolios and individual public sector organisations, delivering value for money within risk parameters.  The team oversees the full operational lifecycle of trading products, including hedging, forecasting, validations, analysis and reporting.

As subject matter expert, you will also provide strategic technical guidance to the wider energy team, playing a pivotal role in evolving areas such as corporate Power Purchase Agreements and direct wire offerings, to meet the shifting needs of our public sector customers.

Key Accountabilities:

• Proactively execute electricity and gas hedging to deliver value to public sector customers, whilst adhering to relevant risk strategies
• Provide expert level understanding of UK power and gas markets, their underlying fundamental drivers, policy frameworks
• Undertake or oversee all back office and forecasting tasks needed to support all aspects of customer price-setting activities 
• Draft accurate, informative and reports to a wide range of stakeholders
• Support, and represent if required, at strategic meetings with key stakeholders 
• Provide expertise to the wider energy team on key GCA development areas, such as direct wire, corporate PPAs, flexibility

Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):

• Trading / Hedging Execution: Proven experience in the proactive execution of gas and electricity hedging, with a demonstrable track record of adhering to formal risk parameters
• Market Analysis: Proven ability to successfully utilise fundamental and technical analysis to inform trading decisions
• Stakeholder Influence: Strong communication skills alongside a proven ability to translate complex market movements into clear, easy to read reports for a wide range of stakeholders 
• IT capability and quantitative aptitude: Proven experience of Microsoft Excel for energy modelling, including the use of advanced formulae, pivot tables, and data visualization to analyse market trends; High standard of general IT literacy. Demonstrable experience in managing and interpreting large, complex datasets to support price-setting or forecasting
• Specialist Energy Structures: demonstrate knowledge and / or experience of non-standard assets, for example direct wire, corporate PPAs, flexibility / DSR

Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):

Technical

• Understanding of UK energy trading & policy landscape (Lead Success Profile)
• IT capability and quantitative aptitude 

Experience

Behaviours

• Communicating & Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a quality service

(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)

Success Profiles Framework

Valuing our people:

• Competitive salary 
• Generous pension scheme
• A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus 
• Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location
• Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)
• Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays

Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact [email protected]

Working flexibly, delivering outcomes

GCA operates a smarter working model that balances flexibility with collaboration. Successful candidates are expected to spend at least 26 days per quarter (approximately 2 days per week, pro-rata) at their contracted office, another GCA site, or off-site for meetings. For the remainder of the time, you may work from home or another suitable location that meets business needs.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection Process

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact [email protected].

Please note that as part of this recruitment process, if you are unsuccessful at the interview stage but are close to the benchmark score you may be considered for and offered a role at a lower pay band within the same job family.

#GCAIND

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. 

Complaints Procedure

 Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact [email protected] in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at [email protected]

Internal candidates should apply using their Workday account. Please use the careers hub for your application.