Director, Asset-Backed Trading

Habitat Energy; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Personal development

Some weekend hours

Job summary

Habitat Energy seeks an experienced Director of Asset-Backed Trading to lead the day-to-day and strategic management of BESS and RES portfolios across ERCOT and PJM. You will own the trading operating model, coordinate Day Ahead and Real Time workflows, ensure performance benchmarks, and manage client relationships under a defined risk mandate.

You will collaborate with Analytics, Software and Product teams to improve models, controls and platform capabilities, while maintaining compliance with

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of US wholesale market rules for batteries and renewables.
• Ability to lead a 24/7 asset-backed trading desk and team.
• Define and enforce performance benchmarks by resource/contract.
• Experience establishing trading limits and tail-risks protocols.
• Set standards for quarterly reviews, onboarding, and comms protocols.
• Collaborate with Quant, Analytics, and Product teams on models.
• Maintain up-to-date process documentation and bi-annual reviews.
• Communicate clearly with data and defend positions to leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day and strategic management of BESS and RES portfolios.
• Own end-to-end asset management and trading operating model.
• Coordinate Day Ahead and Real Time workflows with teams.
• Expand markets and improve platform capabilities.

Skills

Market knowledge

Team leadership

Commercial ownership

Risk discipline

Client management

Cross-functional collaboration

Process rigor

Communication

Tools

Excel

SQL

Python

Job description

Habitat Energy is a fast growing technology company focussed on the physical and financial optimization of energy storage and renewable generation assets globally through complex models and trading. By maximizing the returns from these assets we aim to drive investment in renewable energy and accelerate the transition to a low carbon world. Our rapidly growing team of 130+ people in Austin, TX, Oxford, UK, and Melbourne, Australia brings together exceptionally talented and passionate people in the domains of energy trading, data science, software engineering and renewable energy management.

We are seeking an experienced, commercially-minded Director of Asset-Backed Trading to lead the day-to-day and strategic management of Habitat's contracted battery storage (BESS) and renewable energy (RES) portfolios, with primary responsibility across ERCOT and PJM. This role sits at the head of two integrated functions – the Asset-Backed Trading team (Day Ahead positioning and portfolio management) and the RT Dispatch team (real-time execution and operations) – and is accountable for the commercial performance, risk discipline, and client experience delivered across both. Trading and dispatch decisions are made at Habitat's discretion within an agreed risk mandate for each client – this is active portfolio management and risk-taking on client-owned assets, not instructed, trade-by-trade execution.

The Director will own the end-to-end asset management and trading operating model: ensuring positions are prepared and defended with rigor, that Day Ahead and Real Time workflows are tightly coordinated, that performance is tracked and benchmarked systematically, and that client relationships are managed proactively through both steady-state operations and high-risk events. This individual will also play a lead role in market expansion efforts – evaluating new protocols, tariffs, resource types, and markets – and in partnering with Analytics, Software, and Product teams to continuously improve trading models, control mechanisms, and platform capabilities.

The Director will maintain responsibility for ensuring asset operations remain in line with QSE and MP regulations and requirements across relevant markets.

This role is well suited to someone who has grown their capabilities on asset management desk, has led people through high-stakes, time-sensitive operations, and is comfortable owning commercial outcomes across a diverse and growing asset base – batteries, renewables, and increasingly data centers – through rapidly changing market conditions across the US.

Requirements

• Market Expertise: Deep working knowledge of US wholesale market structures; ability to apply market rules to battery, renewable, and load-based assets
• Team Leadership: Proven ability to lead and develop a team of asset managers operating in a 24/7, high-stakes environment
• Commercial Ownership: Ability to define and enforce performance benchmarks by resource type and contract, and to drive remediation when performance trends below target
• Risk Discipline: Experience establishing and enforcing trading limits, and leading written protocols for tail-event risk management, with clear sign-off and training processes
• Client Management: Set standards for asset-backed trading desk in conducting of quarterly reviews, coordination of RFI responses, onboarding, and drafting of communications protocols - ensuring clients have clear visibility into trading and performance decisions made under mandate
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to partner effectively with Quant, Applied Analytics, and Product teams on model development and platform features
• Process Rigor: Comfort owning and maintaining up-to-date process documentation, and running regular (at least bi-annual) team process reviews
• Communication: Clear, confident communicator able to defend positions with data, work across technical and non-technical audiences, and represent the desk to senior leadership and clients

Nice to have skills and experience

• Direct experience managing load or controllable loads in ERCOT and/or PJM
• Familiarity with battery storage optimization/dispatch strategies and renewable forecasting fundamentals
• Experience evaluating new market protocols, tariffs, or resource types and leading operational build-out for market expansion
• Working knowledge of Excel, SQL, Python, or similar tools sufficient to engage credibly with quant/engineering partners on model logic and data needs
• Experience with NERC/Market Operator training and certification requirements
• Prior experience scaling a desk or team through a market-entry or growth phase (e.g., new ISO, new resource type, new client segment)

Personal Attributes

• Ownership mentality: Treats commercial and operational outcomes as personally accountable, not just process-following
• Composure under pressure: Stays sharp and decisive during high-value, time-sensitive events
• Builder mindset: Comfortable creating structure and process where none exists, particularly as the desk expands into new resource types and markets
• Collaborative but direct: Works well across Trading, Asset Operations, Analytics, and Product, while being willing to challenge assumptions and hold a clear point of view"

We value diversity and our environment is supportive, challenging and focused on the consistent delivery of high quality, meaningful work.

Benefits

• In return, we'll give you a competitive salary and considerable personal development opportunities.
• Shift patterns that include some weekend and non-business-hour work.

When you apply for a job with us, we process some of your personal information. You can find out more about how we process your information on our company website: https://habitat.energy/privacy-policy/.