Energy and commodity trading roles in Ireland are few and far between. But talent and experience can reap big rewards in this niche sector.

Jakob Block, managing director of London-based Commodity Appointments, is currently recruiting for two key management posts: a head of wholesale energy trading and procurement, based in Cork, and a pricing, regulatory and strategy manager, based in Dublin. The salaries are reportedly ‘competitive’, with a strong bonus and significant career and professional development opportunities.

As with energy trading roles in London and other European cities, due to the tiny pool of talent, candidates are asked to indicate their salary on application as a basis for negotiation. However, Block indicates that the salaries for his current Irish vacancies should be between €30k and €120k.

Another firm in this niche sector is Dublin-based Geneva Trading. “We foresee energy and commodity trading as an important growth area this year, reflecting the worldwide growth in this sector,” says managing director Justin Mealy.

“We’ve extended and specialised our training programmes to support this, and we recruit graduates from Irish and European universities, and we always look at applications from experienced traders,” he says. Although the salary is modest during training, talented mid-career and senior traders can match remuneration levels in London and Chicago. “Six figures in the first few years, right up to seven figures for superstars,” he says, declining to give specific numbers.