Energy Markets - Principal Data Scientist in Edinburgh

Base Location: You'll be expected to spend 50% of your working week in one of the following locations: Glasgow, Perth, Edinburgh or Reading.

Salary: £58,100 - £87,100 + performance-related bonus + a range of benefits to support your finances, wellbeing and family.

Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time | Flexible First options available.

The role: Energy Markets (EM) is the commercial heart of SSE, working closely with teams across the organisation to unlock value from asset portfolios in wholesale energy markets as the company progresses toward its net-zero vision. EM collaborates across SSE’s Business Units - including Wind, Hydro, Low Carbon Thermal, Distributed Energy, and Customer portfolios - to optimise assets, enable market participation, and thoughtfully manage risk.

By bringing together expertise in Trading, Risk Management, Energy Economics, and Advanced Analytics within a shared centre of excellence, EM supports thoughtful decision-making and sustainable value creation across the wider SSE Group. The Advanced Analytics & Data (AAD) team plays a vital role in supporting automated wholesale market trading through the creative use of data, modelling, and Generative AI.

As Principal Data Scientist, you will help shape the future of Data Science within Energy Markets. This role blends strong commercial awareness with technical depth and people‑centred leadership. You will develop models that support the optimisation of SSE’s asset portfolio while guiding and empowering the Trading Data Science team.

You will also help establish thoughtful frameworks for model deployment, monitoring, and risk management, ensuring robust outcomes, strong commercial value, and alignment with Market Risk governance.

• Lead strategic initiatives that strengthen data science capability across the Trading Analytics team, fostering an open and collaborative environment where knowledge is shared and ideas can grow.
• Champion best practices in data and modelling, support colleagues’ development through coaching and mentorship, and help cultivate a culture where people feel empowered to do their best work.
• Support confident and informed decision‑making across approximately £2.3 billion of daily Trading exposure by developing meaningful analytics that contribute to £5 m-£10 m of annual Trading value.
• Guide the evolution of EM’s Analytics capabilities by nurturing the development and performance of the Analytics Platform and encouraging the thoughtful reuse of tools and components.
• Contribute to long‑term capability building by helping shape project priorities and supporting the development of a roadmap that prepares Energy Markets for the future.
• Build trusted relationships across EPM and with the EPM Executive Committee, creating space for open dialogue around market exposures and asset optimisation.

You have:

• Deep expertise in wholesale energy markets, with strong commercial understanding and the ability to translate complex market dynamics into clear and meaningful insights, including at Executive Committee level.
• A strategic and forward‑looking mindset, with awareness of the opportunities and challenges shaping the future energy landscape and the ability to bring people together around thoughtful, practical solutions.
• Advanced data science and analytics experience, including working with modern modelling and visualisation approaches and designing, building, and supporting analytics solutions and trading models using Azure cloud technologies.
• Clear and empathetic communication skills, with the ability to explain complex ideas, build trust with senior stakeholders, and support shared understanding across Energy Markets and the wider organisation.
• Curiosity and collaborative problem‑solving, with strong quantitative capability and a passion for exploring innovative approaches while working alongside others to deliver meaningful and lasting impact.

About SSE: SSE’s purpose is to provide energy needed today while building a better world of energy for tomorrow. We do this by developing, building, operating and investing in electricity infrastructure and businesses needed in the energy transition. Our Transforming for Growth investment plan sees us investing £33bn in critical electricity infrastructure across the five years to 2030.

SSE Energy Markets secure the energy needed to power customers’ lives, while creating value for SSE. Our Energy Markets trading teams buy the fuel needed to deliver cleaner energy and sell power generated in our wind farm, hydro and thermal assets back to the markets.

Flexible Benefits To Fit Your Life: Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships. Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service. Interest‑free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme. As well as generous family entitlements such as maternity and adoption pay, and paternity leave.

Work with an equal opportunity employer: SSE will make any reasonable adjustments you need to ensure that your application and experience with us is positive. We're dedicated to fostering an open and inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We create equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and especially welcome applications from those who may not be well represented in our workforce or industry.

Ready to apply? Start your online application using the Apply Now box on this page. We only accept applications made online. We'll be in touch after the closing date to let you know if we’ll be taking your application further. If you’re offered a role with SSE, you’ll need to complete a criminality check and a credit check before you start work.