Head of Trade Compliance: Energy & Financial Commodities and Derivatives

Job Description

Role summary:

The Senior Trade Compliance Officer is responsible for designing, operating and continuously enhancing the compliance framework for physical and financial energy and commodities trading activities, with particular focus on REMIT, EMIR, MAR and MiFID II obligations across EU, UK and (where applicable) Swiss markets. The role acts as a senior advisor to trading, risk, legal and middle-office, providing real‑time guidance on market conduct, reporting, disclosure, and surveillance matters.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the primary day‑to‑day compliance contact for trading desks across physical and financial commodities (e.g. power, gas, emissions, oil, certificates, derivatives).
• Provide timely, pragmatic advice on trade compliance questions, including REMIT inside information and disclosure, MAR market abuse risk, EMIR and MiFID II transaction and trade reporting, and conduct requirements.
• Design, operate and continuously improve the trade compliance framework, including policies, procedures, controls and governance for energy and commodities trading businesses.
• Lead or oversee trade surveillance across relevant asset classes (power, gas, emissions, oil and commodity derivatives), including calibration and optimisation of surveillance tools and alert scenarios for MAR and REMIT risks.
• Monitor, investigate and document alerts and potential breaches relating to insider trading, market manipulation, capacity hoarding, spoofing, layering and other abusive practices under MAR and REMIT.
• Oversee regulatory reporting, notifications and disclosures under REMIT, EMIR, MiFID II/MiFIR and other applicable regimes (e.g. inside information disclosures, ACER/ENTSOs reporting, EMIR trade reporting, MiFID II transaction reporting).
• Coordinate responses to inquiries, audits and investigations from regulators, exchanges, TSOs, and other competent authorities relating to trading activities and market conduct.
• Support the regulatory impact assessment and implementation of new or amended requirements (e.g. REMIT II implementing acts, EMIR refit, MAR/MiFID II updates), translating them into business‑ready processes and controls.
• Provide compliance input into new products, trading strategies, market entries and business initiatives, ensuring regulatory obligations are identified and addressed at an early stage.
• Develop and deliver targeted training for front office, operations, risk and support functions on REMIT, EMIR, MAR, MiFID II and broader trade compliance topics.
• Maintain and update internal policy documents, guidance notes and desk procedures related to market conduct, reporting, surveillance, conflicts of interest, and use of inside information.
• Conduct periodic compliance risk assessments of trading activities, identify key regulatory and conduct risks, and define remediation actions and monitoring plans.
• Track regulatory and market design developments across relevant jurisdictions and advise senior management on emerging compliance risks and strategic implications.
• Represent the company in relevant industry forums, working groups and external engagements with regulators or system operators on trade compliance and market design topics.

Qualifications

• University degree in law, economics, finance or a related field; postgraduate specialization in financial or energy regulation is an advantage.
• Minimum 7–10 years of professional experience in trade compliance, legal or regulatory roles within energy or commodities trading, investment firms or financial institutions, with at least several years in a senior advisory capacity.
• Deep, hands‑on knowledge of REMIT, REMIT II EMIR, MAR and MiFID II/MiFIR as applied to physical and financial energy and commodities markets, including reporting, conduct and disclosure obligation.
• Proven experience designing and operating compliance frameworks for trading businesses, including policies, trade surveillance, reporting controls and training programmes.
• Strong understanding of European power and gas markets, wholesale trading structures (physical and derivatives), and the interfaces with TSOs, exchanges and brokers.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex regulation, assess practical impact on trading strategies and contracts, and communicate clear, balanced advice to front‑office stakeholders.
• Experience with trade surveillance tools and regulatory reporting systems; familiarity with algorithmic or short‑term power trade compliance is an advantage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; additional European languages are an asset.
• High level of integrity, independence and sound judgement, with the ability to challenge senior stakeholders constructively and escalate issues appropriately.

Additional Information