Talent Advisory for Energy, Commodities & Data Centre Technology
Turning mandates into milestones.
Case studies
Market Mapping
The Mandate
Hartree came to us with a clear question: where should they open a new office to best support their growth? They needed insight into which nearshore location to the US offered the strongest mix of trading, technology, and operations talent.
Advisory
We analysed the talent landscape across cities in the Americas, assessing the depth of relevant skill sets, sector specialisation, and the presence of leading players in both energy and finance.
Outcome
Our final report provided a clear, ranked recommendation across candidate locations. It highlighted Toronto's strength in finance and technology, and Calgary's depth in energy operations — giving Hartree the market intelligence to make a location decision aligned with their strategic priorities rather than assumptions.
Case studies
The Mandate
EnBW's Head of Trading Technology asked us to help build a centralised systematic trading capability. Trading was still largely voice-based, with limited and siloed systematic activity across the business.
Advisory
With 28+ years in the industry, we have seen this modernisation play out across multiple asset classes. Combining our commodities expertise with a network of proven leaders from broader financial markets, we built a highly targeted shortlist of candidates who had delivered comparable transformations elsewhere.
Outcome
EnBW hired a senior leader from this shortlist to work with their executive team in Germany on a transformation plan and lead its execution, accelerating their shift to a modern, data-driven trading model.
Case studies
The Mandate
As the trusted technology recruitment partner for one of the world's leading commodities firms, we were selected as the exclusive hiring partner for their newly formed spin-off. The business consisted only of its CEO, CTO, and Head of UI/UX, with a mandate to build a market-leading platform from the ground up.
Advisory
We shaped their talent strategy, organisational design, and hiring priorities from day one. We advised on salary benchmarking and equity allocation, and delivered market intelligence to identify and secure niche data engineering and platform development talent in a competitive market.
Outcome
We built their core technology team ahead of schedule; every hire sourced, engaged, and secured before the original timeline required it. The business moved from founding team to market-ready product within months.
“Cititec's deep understanding of the commodities industry, especially with niche roles like CTRM analyst developers or data specialists, has been transformative for our business.”
Workforce planning
Being reactive is a trap many leaders fall into. When you're constantly playing catch-up, everything becomes a blocker: non-competes, notice periods, even internal approvals. What should be manageable risks quickly turn into major delays. At Cititec, we’ll help you define your goals, identify the capabilities you'll need, and build a clear, realistic plan to get there. Whether you're a CTO modernising legacy systems, a Head of Trading improving efficiency, or a CDO paving the way for AI and automation, we help you shape your team around the future. That way, you never have to compromise on quality.
Your 12-18 month roadmap
Why plan ahead?
Keep projects on track
Notice periods in energy trading and commodities technology average eight to twelve weeks at senior level. Non-compete clauses can extend that significantly. A hire that could have been in place before a project kicked off becomes a critical path blocker when the search starts too late. Workforce planning moves the timeline forward so resourcing decisions happen before they become urgent.
Retain the people you already have
Reactive hiring signals organisational uncertainty to the team you're trying to keep. When people see roles being filled under pressure at inflated rates, it raises questions about planning, culture, and whether leadership has a clear view of where the business is going. Structured workforce planning reduces that signal.
Hire for fit, not for availability
The best candidates in energy, commodities, and data centre technology are rarely available at short notice. Senior engineers, quant developers, and technology leaders at the level most firms need are almost always in roles, often without plans to move. That is, until the right opportunity reaches them at the right moment. Planning ahead is what gives you access to that market.
Need help mapping out your roadmap?
Faced with a new mandate or complex project? Success starts with an honest conversation about where you want to take your team. Book your free strategy call to get started.
