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.