Our backgrounds are diverse, but we all share a passion for understanding how things work and for solving challenging problems.  The markets that we trade in and our approach to investment provide countless opportunities to satisfy analytically minded people.

We believe that our people are extraordinary: exceptionally talented individually, yet modest, approachable, and fully engaged in cohesive teams.

Meet some of our analysts and associates, and read about their experiences in their own words:

Why did you come to work at DC Energy?

I studied mechanical engineering in college and I wasn't sure what direction I wanted to go, but I knew I wanted to work in a team environment that would be engaging and innovative. During the interview process, I got a sense for the company culture and felt like it would be a great fit. At DCE, you have the opportunity to work with a smart, positive group of people in a friendly environment. That really stood out to me relative to other jobs with a more competitive atmosphere.

What is a workday like for you?

I typically spend about two weeks out of the month preparing for our auctions. During this time, I will be looking at conditions on the grid and forecasting electricity prices for the upcoming month. Outside of auctions, I work on long-term development projects that can include exploring new trading strategies, building and expanding our team's toolkit, and conducting research that will help us understand our market. I also split my time on the data team, where I help build the data infrastructure my team needs to do our analysis.

What is your favorite part of your job?

You are doing real work from the start with results you can track. When you start at DCE, you are going to be involved in and contributing to your team's trading decisions right away. Because we work collaboratively on small teams, there is always a place to communicate your ideas and your input is valued. At larger companies you may have to wait a few years for the opportunity to make a real impact, but at DCE you have that from the start.

What do you do outside work?

I like distance running and DC has been a great for training, with lots of trails accessible from inside the city. Rock Creek Park, C&O Canal, Mount Vernon Trail, and East Potomac Park are all great for running, walking, or biking and easy to get to. There are also a lot of social sports leagues in DC from soccer to kickball; I've played in many of these, sometimes getting a team together with other people from the office. When I'm not running or playing sports, I'm often on the hunt for the best cup of coffee and croissant in DC (there is a lot of good competition!).

What have you learned at DCE that you were surprised to learn, but are glad you did?

As a small firm, we generally handle all parts of the analytic process ourselves. I came in with the expectation that I would learn how to interpret and analyze data better, but I have also gained other skills like learning how to build interactive data viewers from the ground up and thinking about the best ways to visualize data. There is a lot of value in being able to communicate information visually in an efficient and effective way. This is a skillset that has been really useful, and it is rewarding to be able to build and customize the tools that you and your team will use.

Why did you come to work at DC Energy?

I learned about electricity markets at school and previous internships, and I really wanted to pursue a career in energy trading. DCE provided a unique opportunity in these markets and the firm’s problem solving approach really appealed to me where trading decisions were backed by rigorous quantitative analysis and strong fundamental understanding. Meeting the people at DCE, I also got a sense that the people working here were not only motivated and friendly, but humble in recognizing that there is always something to learn. The team-focused environment emphasized at DCE also builds real camaraderie.

What is a workday like for you?

My days start with investigating recent market outcomes and building trading portfolios for the next day. Daily trading involves attention to recent grid conditions and events that adds a lot of excitement and engagement with team members and decisions. Other responsibilities include analyzing long-term opportunities during auction cycles and improving quantitative and fundamental tools informing our trading decisions. It never feels like a dull day!

What is your favorite part of your job?

I have never felt pigeon-holed into any role while working for DCE, and there are always opportunities to contribute and collaborate with peers to reach team objectives. It's very rewarding to be able to see contributions to trading decisions whether it be operational improvements, analysis, idea generation, or other aspects and ultimately seeing the results. There is a genuine sense of accomplishment reaching objectives as a team.

What do you do outside work?

I enjoy going to the gym and spending time with my family. You'll find me occasionally at small country concerts in DC. Growing up in Maryland, there are plenty of outdoor activities nearby such as national parks. DC is also a short drive away with many great restaurants and bars and sporting events all near the city (go Washington Commanders!).

What have you learned at DCE that you were surprised to learn, but are glad you did?

There are so many nuances in actual power markets that make it incredibly exciting to learn. Although the goal of each team is executing profitable trades, the ability to uncover the day-to-day fundamental drivers of value and gain understanding of market operations is something very satisfying and rewarding. The opportunity to be on the front lines and gain a deep understanding of real-world power market dynamics is a unique offering from DCE and something I never would have imagined being able to learn from academic research or reading the news.

Why did you come to work at DC Energy?

At the start of my senior year of college, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do post graduation but I knew that I was interested in problem-solving, analytic methods and an opportunity that kept me interested through a variety of projects to tackle. When I met DC Energy at my University’s career fair and began the interview process, it quickly became clear that these were all key elements of the job. But what really convinced me was that as I got know the company further, all of the current employees I met were friendly, quick thinkers and I saw I had a lot in common interests with many of them. This meant that I felt confident I would both enjoy the work and also be successful long term.

What is a workday like for you?

A workday for me varies quite significantly depending on the week. If we are preparing for an auction, that will be my full focus for the day and I will either be generating price forecasts for the various areas of the grid that I am responsible for, providing input as other team members review their components, or helping convert these price forecasts into auction bids. Outside of these auction preparation periods I am focused on long-term development projects. These can cover a variety of subjects but have included things such as an analysis of market dynamics or creating a dashboard to help visualize auction results.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of the job is the people I interact with on a daily basis. Everyone I have met at DC Energy is smart, a good communicator and engaged in the work they are doing. This means that they are always available to help when you’re stuck and excited to hear about interesting things you’ve encountered. They are also a fun group to interact with outside of the office, either at firm sponsored events or more casual get togethers like board game nights or bar trivia. The office donuts on Mondays are a close second!

What do you do outside work?

Washington DC is a great city to live in if you like to try a bunch of different types of food. From Ethiopian to Puerto Rican to dim sum, my friends and I are frequently trying different new restaurants and returning to our favorites. The city also has a great selection of both bookstores and public green spaces so I try to spend as much time as possible reading outside near my apartment. Finally I like to participate in competitive puzzle solving competitions. While super nerdy, these contests are also very fun and often involve strange things like solving a crossword puzzle except the grid is shaped like a stained glass window and some of the clue words need to be translated into Gothic.

What have you learned at DCE that you were surprised to learn, but are glad you did?

A lot of the skills that I use in my day to day work are similar to those I learned in school but the main difference is the confidence level and uncertainty that you have. While in school, when you are presented with data it is almost always taken at face value and has set analysis methods to follow. This contrasts pretty heavily with my work at DC Energy where I am often faced with a set of many variables, each of which has a potentially unknown set of outcomes. Learning how to combine these input distributions into an accurate result is challenging and it is even trickier to summarize this work in a way that is digestible for others to provide input. I’ve been really glad to gain experience with these types of problems since they are new to me and also a skill set that I think will be valuable going forwards in whatever work I do.