Senior Quantitative Analyst

Acumen Group; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 2,500,000 - 3,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Acumen Group is seeking a senior leader to build and run its trading and risk functions in South Africa. The role oversees ETRM deployment, GPPA/CPPA integration and regulatory licensing with NERSA, while shaping risk controls as the trading book grows.

Experience across electricity trading and cross-functional leadership is essential. The successful candidate will drive market access readiness, engage with Eskom, municipalities and SAETA, and grow the team with a strong governance culture.

Qualifications

• Six years of post-graduate professional experience across electricity operations, wheeling, metering and trading.
• At least three years in a senior leadership or executive role with P&L or risk ownership.
• Hands-on experience within SA electricity trading, CPPA/GPPA structures and NERSA-licensed trading.
• Familiarity with SAWEM, NERSA rules, Eskom and municipal wheeling frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Design, procure and implement ETRM and supporting systems for end-to-end operations.
• Operationalise signed GPPAs/CPPAs including settlements, invoicing and dispute management.
• Lead regulatory licensing and market authorisations with NERSA and market operators.
• Build trading desk capabilities and establish desk culture and conduct standards.
• Provide regular risk, liquidity and credit reporting to the CEO and Board.

Skills

Trading operations

Risk management

Executive leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory engagement

Strategic thinking

Education

Undergraduate degree in Engineering/Finance/Economics

Postgraduate qualification in energy/finance

Job description

This position leads the company's trading and risk function, The role is accountable for building the company into a fully operational electricity trader, creating and maturing the trading platform and controls, securing the regulatory licences and market authorisations required, operationalising signed power purchase agreements into the trading desk, and establishing the risk framework that protects the business as transaction volumes grow.

This is a build role. South African competitive electricity trading is a young industry. The private trader cohort has largely built its capability over the past three to four years, and the market is still maturing. SAWEM is being established, NERSA's trading rules are being finalised, cross-border trading through SAPP is opening up to private participants, and municipal wheeling frameworks are still being shaped.

The successful candidate is expected to grow the mandate as the market matures and as the company's trading book and counterparty mix evolve. Comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to build the role over time are core requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Trading Operations and Platform

• Design, procure and implement the ETRM and supporting systems; ensure straight-through processing from origination to settlement and integration with finance and reporting.
• Operationalise signed GPPAs and CPPAs into the desk, including nominations, scheduling, settlements, invoicing, reconciliations, dispute management, and lead day-to-day trading execution.
• Build pricing, dispatch and portfolio optimisation models for bilateral, day-ahead and, in due course, SAWEM activity.

Market Access, Regulatory Engagement and Operationalisation

• Own the company's regulatory licensing and market authorisations, including applications, conditions, compliance and ongoing engagement with NERSA.
• Drive market-access readiness as South Africa's trading framework develops, including certification, market code compliance, nominations and settlement.
• Lead operational engagement with Eskom, NTCSA, municipal distributors and the market operator; secure and maintain wheeling, use-of-system, network access and metering arrangements.
• Represent the company in SAETA and industry forums on trading rules and market design, coordinating with Legal Counsel on formal regulatory matters.

Risk Management, Hedging and Treasury

• Own the company's market, credit and counterparty risk framework, including risk appetite, position and exposure limits, stress and scenario testing, KYC and credit assessment together with in-house Legal.
• Provide regular reporting on market, credit, liquidity and operational risk to the CEO, the Board and Group Risk and Audit stakeholders.

Trading Desk Build and Team Leadership

• Lead and grow the trading and risk team, including developing the Trading and Risk Manager into the next layer of trading leadership.
• Establish desk culture, code of conduct, dealing mandates and continuous-improvement disciplines befitting a regulated trader.

Executive Contribution and Governance

• Contribute to strategy, budget and major commercial decisions, and challenge the trading and risk implications of those decisions.
• Act as the primary trading and risk interface with the Board and Group stakeholders, including Renewable Energy Cluster, Group Risk, Group Treasury, Group Internal Audit and external auditors.
• Identify and assess medium-term market opportunities as the industry develops, and build the analytical basis for entering them.

Qualifications and Experience

• Undergraduate degree in Engineering, Finance, Economics, Business, Built Environment or a related quantitative or technical discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification or specialist certification in project finance, energy markets, risk management, contracts or a related field.
• At least six years of post-graduate professional experience, with a track record across electricity operations, wheeling, metering and billing, project management, and energy or financial-market trading.
• At least three of those years in a senior leadership or executive role carrying profit-and-loss, mandate or risk-ownership accountability.
• Hands-on experience within a South African electricity trader, aggregator, utility, IPP or comparable platform, with exposure to NERSA-licensed trading, wheeling and CPPA/GPPA structures.
• Practical understanding of SAWEM, the NERSA trading rules, Eskom and municipal wheeling frameworks, and SAPP.
• Track record of constructive engagement with Eskom, NERSA, municipalities and industry associations such as SAETA or the Energy Council of South Africa.