Portfolio Research Analyst

Portfolio Research Analyst (Quantitative Research & Development)

About the Role

We're looking for an exceptional Portfolio Research Analyst (Quantitative Research & Development) to join our Energy & Commodity Category team.

This is a unique opportunity for a quantitative professional who enjoys combining advanced market research, statistical modelling and software engineering in a single role. Working at the intersection of commodity markets, data science and technology, you will develop actionable market insights whilst building the analytical platforms, models and applications that support hedging decisions across DS Smith's energy and commodity portfolio.

Reporting to the Head of Trading & Risk, you will play a critical role in analysing European energy and commodity markets, forecasting price movements, developing quantitative models and delivering production-quality tools that enable effective portfolio management and risk mitigation. The position has EMEA-wide scope and supports decisions across a portfolio with significant financial exposure.

This role offers an exciting blend of approximately 50% quantitative research and modelling, and 50% software engineering and application development, making it ideal for candidates who enjoy taking ideas from concept through to implementation.

Key responsibilities include:

• Conducting quantitative and fundamental analysis across European power, natural gas, carbon and agricultural commodity markets

• Producing market outlooks, forecasts and research insights to support trading and hedging decisions

• Designing and developing quantitative forecasting models using econometric, statistical and machine learning techniques

• Building scenario analysis, stochastic modelling and Monte Carlo simulation capabilities

• Developing robust backtesting frameworks and validating model performance

• Creating and maintaining production-quality applications, analytical tools and dashboards used across the Trading & Risk team

• Writing clean, scalable and maintainable Python code using modern software engineering practices

• Developing high-performance components where required using Rust or C++

• Building automated data pipelines that integrate market, weather, consumption and financial data

• Managing data infrastructure and ensuring high standards of data quality, governance and reproducibility

• Supporting the development of hedging strategies through quantitative analysis and market intelligence

• Providing clear recommendations and presentations to senior stakeholders and governance forums

• Collaborating closely with Procurement, Treasury, Finance, IT and Data teams across the organisation

• Driving automation and continuous improvement initiatives that enhance analytical capability and reduce operational risk

• Contributing to ESG-related commodity analytics, including carbon market and Scope 3 insights.

This is a rare opportunity to influence how quantitative research, technology and data-driven decision making shape procurement and risk management strategy within a major international organisation.

About You

You're a highly analytical problem-solver who combines strong quantitative capabilities with hands-on software development expertise. You enjoy working with complex datasets, building scalable solutions and translating technical findings into commercial value.

We're looking for:

• A degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Statistics, Quantitative Finance, Economics or another highly quantitative discipline

• Proven experience in a quantitative research, quantitative development, data science, trading systems or similar role

• Strong Python programming skills and experience with scientific and data analysis libraries including NumPy, pandas, SciPy, scikit-learn and stats models

• Experience applying statistical, econometric or machine learning techniques to forecasting and time-series analysis

• Strong understanding of software engineering principles including version control, testing, code review and CI/CD

• Experience designing and maintaining data pipelines and working with SQL-based data environments

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills

• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences

• A collaborative mindset and the ability to work effectively across multiple functions and stakeholder groups.

Desirable experience includes:

• Experience with Rust and/or C++

• Knowledge of energy, commodity or derivatives markets

• Experience with trading, portfolio management or risk management systems

• Familiarity with Bloomberg, Refinitiv/LSEG, Argus, ICIS or similar market data platforms

• Experience with cloud technologies, containerisation and modern deployment practices

• A Master's degree or PhD in a relevant quantitative field

• Understanding of European energy markets, carbon markets and ESG-related commodity dynamics.

About Us

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people who challenge and support one another to create positive change.

Our colleagues across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America bring expertise across innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain and technology. Together, we help our customers make the world safer, more productive and more sustainable.

"To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bringing different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria."

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