Solutions Architect

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

Solution Architect is a role responsible for designing, describing, and managing end-to-end solution for specific business need. Solution architect identifies processes, system components and technologies to solve business problem; engages and collaborates with business and technology stakeholder to ensure alignment with corporate standards, IT policies and best practices; manages solution delivery life-cycle; and provides detailed architecture specifications to inform, support and guide solution implementation.

What you'll be doing

• Perform complex analysis of business problems and develop business solutions and the creation of associated architecture deliverables for any change initiative supported by I&TS.
• Identify and describe the current state of architecture, analyze and design target state architecture, identify and assess alternative solutions, technology selection and architectural configurations. Indicate architecture requirements, major gaps, delivery strategy including solution plateaus to achieve target state.
• Analyze objectives of change initiatives and assess opportunities, risks, benefits, and costs; as well as to identify improvements to existing systems.
• Propose and conduct assessment of solution alternatives to assist with recommendation and key decisions for solution architecture approach, including assessment of new technology solution, platforms, products, information architecture needs or innovative methods for IT solutions.
• Facilitate stakeholder collaboration to ensure alignment of IESO’s business and technical strategies related to business change initiatives.
• Leverage enterprise architecture frameworks, tools, reference models and technology standards as part of solution analysis, design and delivery.
• Develop Solution Architecture Definition Documents by providing details on the Application, Information and Technology Architecture artefacts to serve as comprehensive architecture specification and delivery strategy that aligns with business needs.
• Maintain and update architecture repository to reflect changes applied by the change initiatives, including traceability and relationship of various components of the architecture model.
• Act as a consultant or mentor to junior staff to advance their learning in becoming a solutions architect.
• Contribute to cross-functional technical teams with varying levels and areas of expertise and goals
• Perform other duties as required. 

What you need to succeed

Education

• Bachelor’s degree related to Information Technology, Engineering or Computer Science is required

• Requires a strong academic knowledge of computer science and associated subjects, including knowledge of IT service management processes, Solution Delivery Lifecycle, business analysis, common software applications, programming languages, database management, operating systems, network configuration, server hardware, virtualization, converged infrastructure

• Requires technical and verbal communication skills, including technical report writing and business presentation skills

• This knowledge is considered to be normally acquired either through the successful completion of a four-year University education in the appropriate field/discipline or by having the equivalent education

Experience

• A minimum of 5-8 years of experience working as an IT software developer and/or solutions support and delivery professional is necessary in order to possess the expertise required in performing this role adequately at the IESO
• TOGAF® 9 Certification and ArchiMate® 3 Certification are preferred
• Possesses hands-on experience and comprehensive understanding obtained by working within the solution design, development and delivery environments\Previous in assessing, reviewing, designing, developing and delivering business solutions
• Familiarity with information/application design patterns and analytic best practices
• Ability to abstract business problems and break down to functional requirements, information requirements, technology requirements and identify affected/supported processes, capabilities
• Previous experience with;
  • All aspects of the project management, requirements development, solution delivery, and software development lifecycle;
  • Industry information modeling methodologies;
  • Authoring technical specifications, process documentation and accompanying diagrams;
  • Working on application and data integration initiatives;
  • APIs and/or middleware, as part of large system implementation, integration, and ongoing support;
  • Diverse solution deployment configurations, practices (physical, virtual or cloud) and integration patterns;
  • Information/Data management, Design and Implementation of Relational Databases to meet information requirements;
  • SQL and database systems such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server and knowledge of NoSQL databases such as MongoDB; and
  • Handling multiple projects and deadlines with conflicting priorities with minimal supervision. 
     

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: April 21, 2023

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 Mississauga, Toronto, or Oakville location.

Join our talent community

Sign up for talent community; stay in touch, find out about new opportunities – and discover how you can make a difference. Discover how we use our expertise and commitment to deliver reliable and affordable electricity to Ontario’s businesses and communities, and how we’re innovating to secure a stronger energy future for all Ontarians. Visit Careers at IESO and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

Find out why we were selected as Greater Toronto’s Top 2023 Employers, and what we offer.