Power System Planner

INDEPENDENT ELECTRICITY SYSTEM OPERATOR (IESO)

Why join us? 

You’ve got great skills. And you want to use them in an organization where you know what you do every day matters. We get that.
We also know that ensuring Ontarians have access to affordable and reliable power doesn’t happen by accident. So we give you the tools, flexibility and support you need to achieve your goals, and development opportunities to help you grow. You’ll thrive in a collaborative, team-based environment that values your unique skills and experiences – and recognizes that when you do better, we become even better too.  

Who we are 

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) works at the centre of the province’s power system, ensuring Ontarians have access to reliable and cost-effective electricity when and where they need it. We operate the province’s electricity grid 24/7, design, run and oversee the wholesale electricity markets, and plan and prepare to meet Ontario’s electricity needs – now and into the future.

 

The opportunity 
 
As part of the Resource Planning Division, the Planning Models group is responsible for maintaining resource planning models and databases, and providing capacity and energy modeling and analysis, including capacity expansion assessments. The Planner will primarily focus on resource adequacy assessments and the maintenance of planning models databases, while also having the opportunity to support the upcoming transition to PLEXOS.

The Planner is accountable to lead and/or participate in power system plan development and preparation in Resource Planning. The Planner is also responsible for conceiving, initiating, conducting, overseeing, and coordinating the necessary research and analysis involved in the development of integrated electricity system plans and supporting their implementation to advance and inform decision making at the IESO to ensure system reliability. This may include interactions with relevant parties and participation in the stakeholder engagement, regulatory, and procurement processes.

What you’ll do

• Perform various aspects of power system plan development and preparation, with a focus Resource Planning.  This includes identifying needs, developing and evaluating options, making recommendations, and establishing a rationale for a preferred solution; working with those responsible for other planning streams to balance all aspects into distinct integrated plans; developing and maintaining tools and processes to support the requirements of their stream ; developing formal business cases and/or evidence required to support regulatory or other approvals processes to implement elements of integrated plans and, as required, representing IESO, defending these in public and regulatory forums.
• Conduct and often lead complex power system and other technical, economic, scenario, and risk studies or assessments as part of the integrated power system planning process. This includes the development or use of complex analytical models and data in order to simulate and assess the behaviour and performance of the power system in the Ontario context. Conduct research on technologies, planning methods and practices, bringing relevant external trends and practices to benefit Ontario’s planning. This requires each incumbent to work together with staff from the other streams to ensure well integrated plans. Specifically:
• Resource & Economic Planning:
  • Competent in planning system resource mix to meet the short- and long-term system adequacy while balancing economic and environmental attributes.
  • Be able to develop, maintain and implement processes that apply the principles related to reliability, operability, environmental and economic requirements as they apply to electricity system resources in Ontario.
  • Demonstrated ability to undertake assessments leading to practical proposals as part of the system planning process that reflects an appropriate balance of these principles so that electricity customer resource requirements are best met within the Ontario context. This includes conducting capacity, energy, emissions, and risk analysis with analytical tools including: industry tools such as GE MARS, UPLAN, PLEXOS etc.; and risk analysis software (e.g., @Risk). It requires the ability to produce adequate reliability, emission and costing information that result from plan alternatives.
  • Understand and apply NERC, NPCC, and IESO standards and criteria in development and conducting of analysis
  • Responsible for developing and maintaining updated assessments to inform system needs, acquisition processes and policy decisions.
  • Responsible to work with Demand & Conservation Planning to understand the demand requirements and conservation opportunities; and with Transmission Planning to ensure the most effective deployment and utilization of resources for energy, operability and capacity
  • Responsible to work with other groups (e.g. Markets, Operations) in the IESO to integrate information and insights to advance planning analysis.
• Participate, and frequently act as team leader, in the development of integrated bulk and/or regional plans. This includes the following:
  • Managing relations on the team as well as with internal and external industry partners / customers /stakeholders/ communities etc.
  • Managing the planning and study work;
  • Developing and getting buy-in on objectives, solutions and actions;
  • Developing the economic and/or sustainability rationale for system investments in preparation for any required approvals including regulatory review; and,
  • Preparing required supporting documentation.
• Support the implementation of integrated and/or regional plans, including defining the scope and timing of the solutions to be implemented and assisting on design and consultation matters. This includes:
  • Identify and assess options for addressing needs, including opportunities for distributed generation in specific regions; potential for improving transmission to achieve more optimal utilization of supply resources; provide support for acquisition mechanisms/processes such as procurements, markets or others; support related regulatory and/or community/based processes.
  • Serve as the planning spokesperson as appropriate when participating in stakeholder meetings, including officials from other jurisdictions, private sector companies, community engagements, public forums and consultations with government on proposed solutions and planning issues. This may include interacting with and advising community leaders, company executives, government officials and/or other agency staff and interfacing with media. This requires demonstrated competence in enabling the common understanding with stakeholders of resource characteristics along with the challenges and opportunities for sustainably balancing demand and supply at the bulk and regional/distributed level over the short and long term.
• Participate and lead in the preparation of broader technical, economic and policy-based reports, presentations, memos and submissions related to planning (i.e., projects, recent developments) for stakeholder reviews, Board of Directors’ information, Ministry of Energy, regulatory proceedings, or other purposes.
• Support the IESO participation in external industry regulatory forums, both in Canada and the U.S (e.g. joint studies, standards, planning, and regulatory proceedings).
• Keep abreast of electricity industry developments, government, energy, environment, and economic policy and regulatory changes; Recommend participation approach and propose strategies to address matters that are relevant to the functional area.
• Occasionally, provide mentoring, advice and guidance to more junior or less experienced staff; Provide quality control and review of work and products of junior staff (Planning Analyst) in these occasions.
• Strong knowledge of and experience programming in Python, VBA, R, MATLAB, etc., including writing and testing code. Be able to write programming scripts to do analysis and/or modelling.
• Other duties or responsibilities as may be assigned.

What you need to succeed

Required

• A university degree in Engineering, Science, Mathematics, Economics, Planning or other relevant discipline is required. A curriculum or experience that includes exposure to power systems, electrical theory, power system analysis and equipment, energy systems and conversion, mathematics, statistics or economic analysis is preferred.
• 6- 8 years of experience in a power system planning or operation or analytical studies related to integrated planning is typically required.

Assets

• Experience programming and developing code in Python, VBA, MATLAB, R, etc. is preferred.
• Experience in the Ontario electricity sector is preferred.

What’s in it for you

• A comprehensive total rewards program, including best-in-class benefits and a flexible workplace 
• A challenging, fast-paced and collaborative team environment, where your perspectives and experiences matter 
• Leaders who support your growth and success through regular feedback and coaching 
• The opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the industry 
   

Deadline: August 20, 2025

For future reference, please ensure to save a copy of the job description as it will no longer be available once the posting closes.

At the IESO, we know that achieving great results depends on embracing diversity by attracting, developing and retaining people from a wide variety of backgrounds. We do this by ensuring our recruitment and advancement policies are fair and equitable, and by creating an accessible and inclusive environment – one that values every team member’s unique skills and experiences and ensures they have the support they need to achieve their potential. If you require accommodation during the recruitment process, please let us know. 

We thank you for your interest in a career at the IESO, but we will only contact those candidates selected for an interview. 

Note: The successful candidate must be eligible to work in Canada and will be subject to a background check.

The IESO offers a hybrid work model program to most of our employees, based on business needs. Individuals participating in the program can work an average of three days per week remotely within Ontario. It also offers three flex weeks when individuals can work remotely within Ontario. When working in the office, you will be located at our Toronto location.

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