Environmental Commodities TraderEAC & Voluntary Carbon Markets)
South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.
Our Portfolio Management team oversees and develops business for the sale and trading of carbon credits and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). By working collaboratively with both our internal Sales and Projects teams, we play a crucial role in balancing the demand and supply of certificates, in order to best match the needs of our clients with our sourcing capabilities. If you are a smart, ambitious and dynamic sustainability professional with a strong passion to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, the below position may be right for you!
Job summary:
South Pole is looking for a driven Environmental Commodities Trader to join our Amsterdam Procurement & Trading team. This role offers ownership of trading strategy, market positioning, and portfolio performance across Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs), with a core focus on Guarantees of Origin, and the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM).
You will originate, structure, and execute transactions across Europe and beyond, actively managing risk, capturing arbitrage opportunities, and driving both supply and demand in fast-moving, fragmented markets. This is a rare chance to shape a hybrid trading desk at the intersection of renewable energy and carbon markets, with clear responsibility for delivering commercial outcomes.
Main tasks & responsibilities:
Trading & Execution
Own and execute trades across Guarantees of Origin (GOs) and voluntary carbon credits, as well as new environmental commodities should they arise, capturing both flow and opportunistic market opportunities
Actively manage portfolio positions, exposures, and risk, optimising performance within defined mandates
Identify and exploit arbitrage, sourcing, and pricing inefficiencies in fragmented and illiquid markets
Drive deal structuring and pricing strategy across EACs and carbon credits, balancing commercial upside with market integrity
Monitor market dynamics, provide real-time insights, and translate market dislocations into actionable trading decisions
Origination & Market Development
Originate supply of Guarantees of Origin and carbon credits across European and global markets
Develop demand-side opportunities across wholesale, intermediated, and client-driven channels
Build and maintain relationships with utilities, project developers, brokers, and market participants
Represent South Pole in the market and at key industry events
Portfolio Management
Manage and optimise South Pole’s environmental portfolios in coordination with internal teams
Develop and implement trading strategies across markets, including positioning and risk-taking
Contribute to expansion into adjacent products (e.g., biomethane, removals, emerging environmental assets)
Carbon Market Focus (VCM)
Source and evaluate carbon credits across a range of project types (e.g., nature-based, avoidance, removals)
Conduct commercial and qualitative due diligence on projects (standards, methodologies, integrity considerations)
Structure primary and secondary market transactions, including long-term offtake agreements where relevant
Navigate evolving market dynamics, including pricing, liquidity, and integrity frameworks
Client Advisory
Support clients with procurement strategies across EACs and carbon credits
Translate sustainability frameworks (e.g., RE100, CDP, net-zero targets) into executable trading solutions
Partner with internal commercial teams to convert client demand into structured transactions
Strategy & Market Intelligence
Monitor and interpret regulatory and voluntary market developments across EACs and carbon markets
Generate actionable market insights and translate them into commercial opportunities
Contribute to internal views on market direction, pricing, and risk
Requirements:
Essential
3+ years of experience in environmental commodities, energy trading, or carbon markets
Direct experience in Guarantees of Origin and/or voluntary carbon markets
Strong commercial mindset with a track record of originating and executing transactions
Experience managing risk, with the ability to clearly articulate positions and rationale to internal stakeholders
Solid understanding of EAC market structure and/or carbon markets (standards, project types, pricing dynamics)
Strong analytical capability with the ability to convert market insights into trading strategies
Existing network across EAC and/or carbon markets
Fluency in English and at least one additional European language
Desirable
Experience across both EACs and voluntary carbon markets
Familiarity with carbon standards (e.g., Verra, Gold Standard) and evolving integrity frameworks
Experience with structured transactions (e.g., long-term offtakes, portfolio deals)
Knowledge of biomethane or other environmental commodities
Additional European languages (e.g., German, Spanish, French)
What we offer:
At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation.
We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make; South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.
- Department
- Climate Portfolio Management
- Locations
- Amsterdam, Brussels
- Remote status
- Hybrid
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Work-life balance
From flexible working hours to flexible workplace (home office), with above-average vacation allowances, we strive to make the work and family life puzzle an easy one for our employees.
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Flexible Vacation Benefits
Options to buy up to 5 extra days of time off.
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Life Insurance
Available to all employees across the world.
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Care for your Wellbeing
Access to mental, physical and financial wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Program (TELUS Health).
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Parental leave
Should any of our employees need to take time off the Iceberg as a result of a new addition to their household, we are happy to be able to offer competitive Paid Parental leave to support them during this time.
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Compassionate Leave
Sometimes life is unpredictable, and when unfortunate events occur, we want to give you peace of mind so you feel fully supported during this time.
What makes us unique
At South Pole, we are first and foremost a purpose-driven Company. People join us because they believe in our mission and want to be part of a community that fights together for our shared values and beliefs. But that is not the only reason why working at South Pole is such a rewarding experience.
- We know that our vision to help create a greener world is both bold and challenging. To achieve it, we settle for nothing less than the absolute best. We form a Community that is stronger than the sum of its parts.
- Entrepreneurial at heart. It’s not just our founders who are entrepreneurs. We actively promote an innovative mindset at all levels of the organisation, where each and every employee is encouraged to challenge the status quo and empowered to make decisions.
- Growing employees in a growing company. With a team of smart, passionate and engaged colleagues, as well as increasing demand from our clients, opportunities to learn, develop our skills and grow our careers are endless.
- All for one, and one for all! Above all other things, what truly drives our dedication and commitment to our purpose is our colleagues. We learn from each other and grow together. Because that is who Penguins are.
About South Pole
Our story began in Zurich, with 5 friends* in 2002. They had a belief and a vision to shape and change the future of the world through climate empowerment, education and projects with their non-profit organisation; MyClimate. These ‘social entrepreneurs’ went on to pioneer climate change with the introduction of South Pole in 2006*. More than 20 years on, with the support of some of the most passionate and talented entrepreneurs around them, who are empowered to all play their part and with their founding belief in aligning purpose with passion, people and profit, they have created South Pole, an organisation that has gone onto positively impact the lives of over 20 million people across the world through its projects, saving over 20,000 km2 of forests from deforestation.
*Patrick Bürgi, Thomas Camerata, Renat Heuberger, Ingo Puhl, and Christoph Sutter
*2006 Joined by Marco Hirsbrunner and Christoph Grobel