Specialist Contracts

Date: March 25, 2025

Location: Toronto, ON – Hybrid

Requisition ID: 20912

Status: Temporary

Business Unit: Legal Resources and Corporate Governance

Grade/Band: MP4

Shift Work: No

Annual Pay Range: For standard 35-hour work week

Step 1: $111,072 to Step 10: $158,704

The successful candidate will be placed at the appropriate step within the salary grade, based on relevant years of experience and other applicable considerations.

Why join us?

The IESO is committed to ensuring Ontario’s electricity system meets the province’s needs today and into the future. We are charged with purpose, delivering reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity for homes, businesses, and communities across the province. We are energized to grow, embracing opportunities to shape the future of a dynamic and evolving energy sector while advancing our careers. We are powered by teamwork, supported by diverse and passionate colleagues who foster respect, celebrate successes, and thrive on shared achievements. At the IESO, it’s not just what we do—it’s who we are! 

Who we are

Our central role includes managing the provincial power grid in real-time, overseeing and evolving Ontario’s electricity market, engaging with government, municipalities and Indigenous communities, and planning for Ontario’s future electricity needs. Our employees play a key role in driving grid innovation, protecting the system from threats, advancing the province’s energy conservation programs, and forecasting and procuring the electricity resources we’ll need in the decades to come. 
This is a unionized position that falls within the Legal Resources and Corporate Governance Business Unit.

What makes this role exciting

The energy sector is rapidly evolving, offering exciting new opportunities for those who want to make a difference.

The Specialist, Contracts provides accurate, in-depth, value-added policy and commercial analysis for the design of contract management processes and the management of contracts for renewable electricity supply projects for the Small Renewables portfolio. As required, the Specialist, Contracts manages and is directly accountable for projects, as part of larger initiatives.

The Specialist, Contracts provides analytical support and recommendations to ensure that contract management processes and documents are effective, efficient, expeditious, ethical, and provides the best possible value to the IESO, Ontario’s power system, and Ontario’s ratepayers.  

What you’ll do

In this role, you’ll make a meaningful impact by contributing to the IESO team and supporting the electricity needs of the province through:

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

• Contract Management Design: Assist, or lead projects, in the design of project management mechanisms and processes appropriate for the type of contract and the type of supply resource being contracted for.
• Contract Administration: Manage contract processes, ensuring that all obligations are fulfilled in accordance with the contract requirements, culminating in successful commercial operation of facilities. Responsible for scheduling and coordinating timely completion of all associated milestones required for each contract. 
• Negotiation: Support Supervisor/Senior Manager/Director in contract negotiations with potential to lead negotiations for smaller projects as required. Assist in the development of negotiation principles, strategies and processes for existing projects/contracts.
• Contract Development:  Participate in the analysis and development of contracting terms and conditions for contract management documents, program rules, request for proposals, and supply contracts for renewable electricity.  Provide input to internal and external legal teams in drafting documents.  Advise on contract management issues.  
• Stakeholder Relations: Regularly provide customer assistance including those of escalated nature. Represent the IESO at meetings with proponents, maintaining positive relationships and seek feedback to enhance initiatives.
• Compliance: Ensure Program compliance by ensuring Supplier representations, warranties, and covenants are upheld.
• Contract Management System Design: Assist in the planning, analysis, design, implementation, testing and sustainment of updates to contract management information system.

SUPPORT OF CORPORATE INITIATIVES

• Renewable Energy Procurements: Provide a contract management perspective to support the development and design of renewable energy procurements and lead the development of any downstream contract management processes
• Ministerial Directives: Provide a contract management perspective to lead the fulfilment of Ministerial Directives which are issued from time-to-time.
• LDC Relationships: Liaise with LDC representatives to ensure that contract management processes provide sufficient information to LDCs to ensure that contracts are settled in a timely and accurate manner.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITES

• Interface with others – internally with other IESO Departments; externally with Government and its other external stakeholders, such as but not limited to, the Ministry of Energy and Mines, LDCs, and industry groups.
• Provide updates, reports and presentations to project team and senior management on a regular basis.  As required, act as point of contact and issue expert in support of other IESO departments’ projects
• Monitor sector evolution as it relates to issues affecting generation supply procurements and contracts
• Source, secure and manage external staff (e.g., legal counsel, technical consultants) as required
• Designing and producing reports with a high level of accuracy, routinely and on an ad hoc basis
• Support resolution of major issues, particularly those that cross contracts or have broad ramifications
• Supporting complex projects/issues within the Division, including from time-to-time those outside of Contract Management
• Advising on methods and recommend changes in IESO Contract Management policies, procedures, standards, processes, and strategies
• Demonstrate leadership and mentor, advise, and guide less experienced staff
• Development and continual maintenance of standard procedures and internal document control
• Implement processes, procedures and templates/documents to be used; and
• Ensure consistent tools and methodologies are utilized and adhered to in all issues and where absent develop the necessary tools and make recommendations to improve processes/procedures to create consistency within the group
• Other duties or responsibilities as may be assigned

Role Requirements

Our team consists of experts from diverse backgrounds, each bringing their unique perspectives and skills. 
To succeed in this role, you’ll need: 

• Undergraduate Degree in Business or Renewables is an asset
• 5+ years of progressive electricity industry experience which may include generation development
• Project management and project scheduling experience with an emphasis on being a self-directed and highly motivated individual
• Demonstrated ability to advance competing priorities in defined timeframes
• Electricity industry – a solid grounding in legal, economic and/or technical aspects of electricity generation and conservation and demand management programs
• Electricity generation – knowledge of the technical aspects of electricity generation from renewable sources, including wind, solar PV, biogas, and water.
• Generation contracts – understanding of existing and future generation contracts and their associated documents such as Rules, including the rational and importance for each of the various provisions in the contracts
• Counterparty focus – strong negotiation skills with a focus on problem solving; demonstrated ability to work with contract counterparties in a challenging environment
• Works well in translating business requirements to resources (internal and external)
• Ability to work effectively within a group and must be able to effectively coordinate with IESO staff and external stakeholders
• Knowledge and ability to prepare audience specific presentations using PowerPoint and the creation of financial models Excel
• Must be analytical and driven to improve processes and take initiative to highlight opportunities
• Must be detail oriented and must be able to handle multiple priorities in a faced-paced environment
• Communication – excellent oral, written and presentation skills are a must
• Excellent people skills; experience working with and leading teams in a matrix environment is an asset
• Ability to adapt and embrace change in a fast-paced, changing environment

How We Support You

From a comprehensive total rewards program to dynamic learning and development opportunities—including job rotations to broaden your expertise—we empower you to define and shape your own success. When you join the IESO, here’s what you can expect:

• Best-in-class benefits and long-term support in the form of a defined benefit pension plan. 
• Work in a dynamic and evolving sector that offers exciting opportunities and the chance to explore new career paths.
• Leadership that values meaningful discussions, welcomes feedback, and prioritizes career development. 
• A strong, inclusive culture and a collaborative team environment with a shared passion for impactful work.
• Compensation packages that are regularly reviewed to remain competitive and to best accommodate the diverse needs of our employees. 

Deadline

April 8, 2026. For future reference, please save a copy of the job posting as it will no longer be available once the posting closes.

Thank you for your interest in a career at the IESO. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Please note that the successful candidate must be legally eligible to work in Canada and will be subject to applicable background checks. 

IESO will not conduct interviews or offer positions via online, text, chat or social media platforms. We will not gather personal information directly from candidates or potential candidates. Selected candidates will work with our Talent Acquisition team to ensure their application is processed.

The IESO currently has a 3-day in-office work week for applicable roles. Over the course of 2026, the IESO will advance plans to acquire additional office space to accommodate more in-office time. While the timeline for moving to a full 5-day in-office model has not yet been established, we are committed to keeping employees and candidates informed as plans progress and give them as much advance notice as possible to prepare for any changes. 

We believe in opportunities for everyone. 

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’re proud to say we’ve been recognized as a supportive, inclusive employer. 

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