What's it like to work in the Wholesale Markets Optimisation team at EDF?
We asked Hannah Loebl, Senior Manager in Software Engineering (Wholesale Markets Optimisation), to tell us a little more about her job and why she thinks EDF is a great place to work…
Hannah, what is Wholesale Markets Optimisation (WMO) and how does Software Engineering fit in?
WMO sits in the centre of EDF, between our Generation and Customers businesses. It’s our job to maximise the value of our generation assets, and to ensure we buy the right amount of energy to cover our customers’ demand. The different teams across WMO manage the risk of trading in wholesale energy markets, build and maintain models to understand customer demand and renewable generation, and provide services to National Grid to help them balance the electricity system.
My Software Engineering team are responsible for the more complex tools that our traders use to manage our energy assets, e.g. optimising the scheduling of batteries, managing trading strategies and understanding our trading position in real time.
The best part of my role is getting to meet all sorts of different people and being involved in really interesting challenges. The size of the company means I get the opportunity to work on projects that are outside of my day job and offer insights into completely different challenges.
Why EDF?
EDF is a brilliant company to work for, as we all look out for each other. I really feel that we have a great integrity, speak the truth and always try to do the right thing. We’re all working to help Britain Achieve Net Zero and this is reflected in our day to day work.
At EDF you’ll get the opportunity to network beyond your day job, allowing you to meet people across the company. We’re part of EDF Group, which means there are opportunities to have a really varied career, working in multiple countries, and in different areas of energy. The size of the company means we have a strong influence on the industry.
What excites you about the Energy Industry?
The energy industry is incredibly interesting and relevant to each and every one of us, as we all use energy!
I’ve been doing a similar job for the last 17 years (!) but the industry is constantly evolving and I never get bored. Every day is different and it’s exciting that EDF strives to be at the forefront of energy market changes.
The problems we work on have never been solved before. We’re at the forefront of change in the energy industry and we’re working with the rest of the sector to design and use new products to manage the electricity grid.
Hannah Loebl, Senior Manager in Software Engineering
Getting the balance right
EDF is a great employer and we love working flexibly. I’m happy for the people in my team to work at the time of day that best suits them. Many of the team start early in the morning and finish early in the afternoon so that they can make the most of their days. We’re all working from home and this really suits us as we can chat via video conference and share our screens for pair programming.
Which part of the rewards and benefits package do you appreciate most?
The best perk I’ve been able to take up recently is the electric car lease scheme, which means I now have a Tesla Model 3! This a great way of having an amazing car as the cost comes out my salary before the tax, and so it’s really financially efficient.