Risk Analytics Manager - Credit

Optimus - People. Solutions. Delivered.; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Optimus LLC. seeks a senior Risk analytics professional to join a lean credit risk team supporting power and natural gas trading. This hands-on role intersects credit risk, market exposure, margin, liquidity, and commercial risk management.

The position requires strong commercial judgment, portfolio analysis, and day-to-day credit and exposure management in a fast-paced energy trading environment. Power & Nat Gas experience is REQUIRED, with cross-functional collaboration across traders,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Engineering, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of combined experience in energy credit risk, market risk, trading risk, treasury, or related function within power and natural gas markets.
• Strong understanding of ISO/RTO power markets and credit, collateral, settlement, and risk in energy trading.
• Experience with derivatives, hedging, and longer-dated energy transactions.
• Hands-on understanding of exchange-traded and cleared products, margin requirements, and IM/VM drivers.
• Knowledge of PFE and other quantitative exposure concepts.
• Strong financial analysis skills and ability to evaluate counterparty financial info.
• Experience with ISDA or energy trading agreements and credit provisions.
• Familiarity with data structures and risk data flows into reporting.
• Advanced Excel; SQL, Python, VBA desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily credit and counterparty exposure across power and natural gas trading portfolios.
• Monitor margin activity and collateral movements; investigate discrepancies.
• Analyze concentrations, exposure, liquidity needs, and longer-dated transactions.
• Apply PFE and exposure concepts to evaluate risk across horizons and market changes.
• Assess impact of market moves on credit exposure and liquidity.
• Collaborate with traders, treasury, legal, and other stakeholders on risk protections.
• Work with Legal on ISDA and credit documentation; assist credit terms and limits.
• Support stress testing and scenario analysis for adverse market conditions.
• Investigate data issues and ensure accurate exposure reporting.
• Identify opportunities to automate credit and risk processes.
• Maintain controls and auditability around credit/exposure management.
• Produce clear, decision-ready reporting for senior stakeholders.

Skills

Energy credit risk

Market risk

Trading risk

Treasury

Data analysis

Excel

SQL

Python

VBA

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Mathematics, or related field

Tools

Endur

Allegro

SAP

SQL

Python

VBA

Job description

A key Optimus power generation client is seeking a senior-level Risk analytics professional to join their lean credit risk team supporting power and natural gas trading activities. This is a highly hands-on role (not a people manager) that sits at the intersection of credit risk, market exposure, margin, liquidity, and commercial risk management.

This is not a pure quantitative or traditional credit underwriting role. The position requires strong commercial judgment, hands-on portfolio analysis, and the ability to manage the day-to-day mechanics of credit and exposure within a fast-moving energy trading environment.

Power & Nat Gas experience is REQUIRED.

What You’ll Do

• Manage daily credit and counterparty exposure across power and natural gas trading portfolios, identifying significant changes and investigating the underlying drivers.
• Monitor exchange and clearing-related margin activity, including Initial Margin, Variation Margin, and other collateral requirements, and investigate material discrepancies or unexpected movements.
• Analyze portfolio concentrations, counterparty exposure, liquidity requirements, and longer-dated transactions to identify emerging risk.
• Apply Potential Future Exposure (PFE) concepts and other exposure measures to evaluate risk across extended deal horizons and changing market conditions.
• Assess the impact of market movements, volatility, portfolio composition, and valuation changes on credit exposure and liquidity.
• Partner with traders, commercial teams, treasury, legal, and other stakeholders to understand transactions and ensure appropriate risk protections are in place.
• Work with Legal on the development and negotiation of credit provisions within trading agreements, including ISDA and other credit support documentation.
• Help establish and maintain appropriate credit terms, collateral requirements, limits, and exposure parameters.
• Support stress testing and scenario analysis to evaluate potential exposure and liquidity needs under adverse market conditions.
• Investigate data and reporting issues, understand how risk information flows through systems, and ensure exposure and credit data is accurate and reliable.
• Identify opportunities to automate and improve existing credit and risk processes.
• Maintain strong documentation, controls, and auditability around credit and exposure management.
• Produce clear, decision-ready reporting for senior stakeholders and commercial leadership.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of combined experience in energy credit risk, market risk, trading risk, treasury, or a closely related function within the power and natural gas markets.
• Strong understanding of ISO/RTO power markets and the credit, collateral, settlement, and risk considerations associated with energy trading.
• Experience with derivatives, hedging strategies, and longer-dated energy transactions.
• Hands-on understanding of exchange-traded and cleared products, FCM relationships, margin requirements, and the drivers behind IM, VM, and other collateral movements.
• Ability to analyze counterparty and portfolio exposure and recognize when a material change requires further investigation.
• Working knowledge of Potential Future Exposure (PFE) and other quantitative exposure concepts.
• Strong financial analysis skills, including the ability to evaluate counterparty financial information and broader market conditions.
• Experience working with Legal and commercial teams on ISDA or other energy trading agreements and credit provisions.
• Strong understanding of data structures, data flows, and how risk information moves from source systems into reporting and analysis.
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with SQL, Python, VBA, or similar analytical tools is highly desirable.
• Ability to work independently in a lean, hands-on environment where initiative and sound judgment are critical.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to respectfully challenge traders, banks, counterparties, and other stakeholders when the numbers or risk profile do not make sense.
• Experience with ETRM platforms is valuable. Familiarity with systems such as Endur, Allegro, SAP, or quantitative risk tools is a plus.

Optimus LLC. is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We do not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also take affirmative action to ensure that all applicants and employees are treated fairly and equitably throughout their employment with us.