Head of Odds & Trading

Oval is a joint venture between Ellipse and Prospect Sport and is the world's leading rugby data and analytics business working with the biggest rights holders in the sport. Combining the sport's most extensive database and unique predictive models with the expertise of our diverse team of data scientists, engineers and analysts, Oval provides unrivalled analysis and insight to clients around the world. Our current market position creates a unique growth opportunity for the company to provide world leading services to the betting industry and the business is now looking to scale rapidly to capitalise on this potential.

Oval, in partnership with rightsholders, has identified a significant opportunity to use the official rugby data that it collects, analyses and stores to drive greater value in betting. Specifically in the compilation and delivery of world leading odds across new and existing rugby markets. We are building a trading team to operationalise our model output into pricing which can deliver a step change in revenue and productisation. Oval is therefore looking to appoint a Head of Odds & Trading, who will play a critical role in the growth of the business, with a particular focus on the operation of our global rugby pricing (odds modelling) service and strategy, as we continue to scale up our capability. This is a hands on leadership role combining: operational trading responsibility (pre match and in play model oversight) domain expertise in rugby markets product development partnership with wider teams.

Responsibilities

• Drive P&L impact, utilising historical trading knowledge to assist in the operation and development of mathematical and statistical models for pricing core and derivative rugby markets leveraging highly granular data.
• Supervise, validate and adjust pre match and in play modelled pricing in real time to ensure accurate and competitive market integrity.
• Adjust odds in real time based on live events maintaining accurate, competitive pricing and market integrity.
• Act as the final arbiter for accurate and timely resulting of all rugby markets (automated and manual).
• Serve as the de facto product owner, translating betting domain expertise and trading insight into model enhancements through close collaboration with Data Science, Engineering and wider teams.
• Establish best practice trading frameworks and analyse odds compilation processes to identify and implement improvements.
• Conduct proactive market monitoring and competitive analysis to ensure the betting offer is continually optimised.
• Champion innovative, differentiated product development that utilises Oval's unique proprietary data, aligning products with market needs to secure long term partnerships.
• Working with the Director of Operations to ensure all operational work adheres to industry best practice.
• Build and lead a small, skilled team of rugby traders to guarantee smooth and consistent delivery of market leading services as our proposition and coverage expand.

Requirements

• Professional Experience: Minimum 5+ years in sports trading, with rugby experience strongly preferred.
• Domain Expertise: Demonstrable knowledge of rugby betting markets, including odds calculation, betting types, market trends, and in play pricing mechanics. Must possess a profound passion for rugby betting.
• Analytical Aptitude: Strong numerical and data analysis skills; familiarity with probabilistic thinking and modelling. Experience working with Data Science or Quant teams is beneficial.
• Trading Intuition: Proven ability to spot and rectify market errors, anomalies, or poor trading decisions.
• Technical Environment: Familiarity with low latency and high throughput sports trading systems, including experience with betting platforms, trading software, and statistical tools.
• Leadership & Communication: Exceptional decision making capability under pressure in a fast paced live environment. Excellent teamwork skills required for effective collaboration with data scientists and software engineers.
• Business Acumen: Strong interpersonal and communication skills necessary for building peer relationships, translating complex pricing information, and supporting product sales.
• Work Ethic: Drive for completing high quality, outcomes focused work, demonstrating the ability to work independently.
• Culture: Comfortable operating within a startup/build phase environment.

Equality & diversity

Oval is committed to building an open and inclusive culture that supports personal development and learning. Ellipse believes in the principle of equal opportunity in employment and its employment policies for recruitment, training, development and promotion despite any differences based on individual grounds of race, colour, nationality, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ethnic and national origin, disability or gender reassignment.

• Hybrid role with an expectation to work from our new offices in London and Leeds when required
• Company pension scheme
• Company life insurance
• Flexible Employee Benefits