Senior Trader, Day Ahead Physical Natural Gas Trader and Scheduler

At PGE, our work involves dreaming about, planning for, and realizing a smarter, cleaner, more enduring Oregon neighborhood. Its core to our DNA and we haven’t stopped since we started in 1888. We energize lives, strengthen communities and drive advancements in energy that promote social, economic and environmental progress. We’re always on the lookout for people passionate about leading and being a part of teams that are advancing innovative clean energy solutions that are also affordable and accessible to all.

Department Summary

We are looking for a Senior level Trader and Scheduler to join our Day Ahead Natural Gas Trading team. This opening may be filled as a mid or senior level role and salary will be commensurate with skills and experience.

Day-Ahead Trading conducts purchase and sales transactions to increase margin. Responsible for interacting with the market participants to develop, negotiate and execute opportunistic business opportunities that create value for the company. Analyzes and reacts to current market and competitive conditions. Responsible for analyzing and evaluating complex energy transactions to ensure that all relevant aspects, including energy price, transportation, counterparty and contractual terms, are favorable to and consistent with company guidelines for risk management.

Key Responsibilities Preschedule Planning:

Leads a team or personally determines optimal preschedule fuel plan to hand off to real time traders; identifies and evaluates more complex price/risk tradeoffs of various system operating strategies, including plant Heat Rate, gas transportation, gas storage optimization, EIM fuel strategy and related economies; provides training and guidance on developing preschedule plan to less experienced traders.

Preschedule Transactions:

Orchestrates implementing term and preschedule contracts based on negotiated terms and communicating plans to counterparties; leads a team or personally evaluates unused transportation capacity and monetizes in the market excess levels not necessary for compliant, reliable system operations; ensures that term and preschedule gas transactions are scheduled. Transact within PGE’s risk management policy at multiple locations to ensure low cost fuel supply for PGE’s generating facilities. Provide training and guidance on managing preschedule transactions to less experienced traders.

Marketing Strategies:

Serves as an authority on the commodity energy markets and captures market information that will facilitate economic transactions; evaluates business-related software applications and implements improvements to products; provides training and guidance on gas marketing to less experienced traders.

Transaction Execution:

Acquires sufficient and cost-effective supplies of wholesale energy commodities to reliably serve PGE load and contractual commitments. Independently negotiates and executes approved transactions to meet customer demand, optimize company assets and maintain system integrity. Executes short-term (next-day) and long-term (up to 24 months) gas trades in commodity markets with approved counterparties. Works with Credit and Contracts Department to establish new trading partnerships and opportunities.

Power and Gas Portfolio Management:

Analyzes PGE’s commodity positions and makes recommendations on optimizing the value of PGE’s assets. Evaluates and coordinates the timing of scheduled plant outages with the resource coordinator to ensure that plant availability is maximized when plant profitability is highest, while performing necessary plant maintenance.

Strategy:

Assists in managing PGE’s forward probabilistic power and gas positions consistent with approved hedging strategies and exposure limits. Research commodity electricity and natural gas markets to understand market fundamentals and develop trading strategies.

Internal Guidance and Coordination:

Assists in training Operations staff in gas trading and delivery. Provides technical oversight and coordination of trader activities to ensure alignment. Coordinates with Real- Time managers to align program goals concerning trading and position strategy; interfaces with traders to provide real-time decision support. Ensures cross-functional alignment for implementation of programs. Cooperates with Term, Prescheduling and Risk Management to ensure compliance with policies and practices. Provides operational guidance concerning state and federal regulatory impacts to Power Operations and helps coordinate compliance with applicable Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) orders, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) and other applicable reliability standards and transmission tariffs and business practices. Assists in the development of gas policies and procedures. Monitors industry and market trends and developments and updates management on relevant changes. Assists in development of testimony and response to data requests to support rate case requirements and outside stakeholder data requests.

Accounting and Reporting:

Accounts for all details of term and prescheduled transactions; ensures real-time and back-office personnel are provided with daily preschedule documentation. External Relations Represents PGE in industry-related regional and national organizations and forums, including technical committees and workgroups.

Education/Experience Minimum Qualifications Mid-Level:

Bachelor’s degree economics, engineering, math, science, marketing or other related field or equivalent experience. Typically, five or more years in the energy trading, derivatives, marketing or bulk electronic and gas system management or related field.

Senior Level:

Bachelor’s degree in economics, engineering, math, science, marketing or other related field or equivalent experience. Typically, eight or more years in energy trading, derivatives, marketing or bulk electronic and gas system management or related field.

Desired Qualifications

Experience in Western United States energy or gas trading is highly desired.

Experience in generation dispatching or real- time operation of power plants or transmission and Pipeline systems.

Ability to analyze data, find solutions and make decisions quickly.

Strong communication skills; verbal and written.

Ability to learn and understand changing technologies.

Competencies (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities)

Advanced knowledge of electrical and natural gas grid’s supply and demand components.

Advanced ability to function with an entrepreneurial and competitive perspective to assist PGE in actively trading in commodities and executing power transactions.

Advanced skills in analyzing energy market conditions or trends.

Advanced knowledge of California Independent System Operator (CAISO) bidding and strategy as it pertains to Day-Ahead.

Advanced knowledge of the operational capabilities of hydroelectric, coal and natural gas plants.

Advanced knowledge of WECC trading and scheduling practices.

Advanced knowledge of physical/financial gas trading fundamentals and dynamics.

Advanced knowledge of PGE organization, business objectives and marketing capabilities. Advanced knowledge of electric utility operations, PGE accounting and economics.

Advanced knowledge of PGE business practices.

Advanced ability to develop and present proposals and information to a diverse group of customers and clients.

Advanced ability to manage trading book and earn a profit.

Advanced spreadsheet and database computer skills.

Working knowledge of WSPP, International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), Gas Industry Standards Board (GISB) and North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) agreements.

Advanced analytical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills.

Advanced interpersonal skills.

Advanced written and oral communication skills.

Cognitive Demands and Ability

Ability to adhere to set response times, deadlines and time-sensitive tasks

Ability to follow accuracy standards

Ability to follow through on decision-making tasks

Ability to interact effectively and collaboratively within a team environment

Ability to communicate and problem solve when under stress

Ability to respond and adapt to frequent change

Ability to accept and demonstrate self-awareness when provided constructive feedback

Ability to discern feedback and acknowledge ownership of areas of improvement

Ability to avoid future mistakes by applying reasonable skills to new but similar work situations or tasks

Ability to successfully collaborate with peers, managers and others within the organization

Demonstrates sound memory

Ability to process new information to be applied consistently to work tasks

Schedule/Attendance

Ability to adhere to pre-established schedule, including start/stop time and break/lunch schedule

Ability to work long hours

Ability to work a variable schedule

Ability to report to work and perform work during periods of severe inclement weather

Ability to consistently meet attendance standards for regular, reliable, predictable, full-time attendance

Ability to work shift and work on-call schedule

Physical Capabilities

Driving/travel/commute: Overnight inside/outside the service territory - Occasionally (one to two times a month or less)

Computer use (use computer regularly for entire work shift)

Environment – Indoor Hybrid: Office in Tualatin/Work from home – 3 days in office

Compensation Range:

$110,025.00 - $217,125.00

Actual total compensation, including a performance based incentive bonus, is commensurate with experience, skills, qualifications, education, training, and internal equity. While we anticipate the selected candidate for this position will fall towards the middle or entry point of the compensation range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis.

PGE believes in rewarding dedicated performance. We provide a total rewards package that is designed to reward your contributions to the company, and, at the same time, support your well-being and professional development, both now and into the future. To find out more, click here.