Sr Specialist Operational Assessments MTI

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 

Ontario's electricity system is embarking on an unprecedented transformation due to increasing reliance on electricity, driven by economic growth and decarbonization, alongside an aging supply mix. This shift is compounded by new and emerging technologies such as Distributed Energy Resources and Energy Storage which have significantly different operating characteristics and requirements than traditional generators. As the operator of Ontario's electrical system and market, the IESO has a crucial mandate to ensure reliable, cost-effective, and efficient electricity for all Ontarians.

We are seeking bright, talented, and motivated people to join our team in supporting the operation of a cost-effective, reliable and sustainable Ontario power grid. A successful candidate is an effective team player, a creative problem solver, a strong communicator, and has, or shows a high degree of potential to obtain, an excellent grasp of power system operations and electricity market fundamentals.

This posting is for the Operational Transformation team who is responsible for, but not limited to, the following functions:

• Initial scoping, development, implementation, and execution of projects to transform tools, processes, and efficiently operationalize and reliably integrate new resource technologies
• Execution of forward markets, including the Transmission Rights Market and Capacity Auction, and enhancements to current IESO administered markets

The Sr. Specialist, Operational Assessments MTI will be a key contributor within the team to deliver on group functions.

What you'll be doing

• Lead development of appropriate processes to support Operations activities. Identify the objectives of business processes, assess the risk of not meeting those objectives and identify process controls to mitigate risk as appropriate. Document process objectives, tasks, risks and controls in summary documentation (e.g. risk-control matrices).
• Provide guidance and mentorship to other members of the team.  This may include problem resolution, training, and quality checks on their work.
• Work with SMEs within and outside Operations as necessary to integrate new technology/market design into IESO Operations by:
  • Determining different stakeholders impacted and coordinate development of appropriate processes, tools and procedures to enable seamless integration
  • Managing risks by developing proper controls and monitoring to ensure that processes/tools are functioning as designed
• Liaise with Operations staff to understand issues with the performance of existing operational tools, and follow-up with relevant groups including Information Technology (IT) to facilitate their resolution.
• Maintain a current knowledge of Operations processes (including but not limited to day-ahead scheduling, control room procedures, real-time scheduling) for the purposes of interpreting and assessing the priority of issues regarding Operations tools and processes.
• Oversee execution of forward market functions in a timely manner and track their performance by
• Coordinating with different business units within operations to conduct assessment of forward market participation requests, preparation of required inputs for forward market execution, and reporting of results
• Developing proper monitoring including tools to assess validity of results against the market objectives
• Contribute to, lead and manage internal and external working groups and provide Operations perspective by participating in various stakeholder engagements that impact the operation of the IESO administered markets.
• Assess the effectiveness of new programs and potential solutions to address operational and market inefficiencies.
• Support, as required, specialized system and market efficiency studies
• Provide support, as required to other business units, agencies, and market participants to fulfill strategic plans.
• Ensure proper development of end user computing tools as necessary to support Operations tasks, including operation of the IESO controlled grid and operation of the IESO administered markets.
• Lead assessment of operational events for their compliance with legislation, regulations and standards including the market rules and market manuals, NERC standards and NPCC criteria Where needed, conduct root cause analysis to develop appropriate mitigation plans to contain IESO’s compliance risk exposure.
• Lead ex-post and ex-ante operational assessments to identify operating and ancillary services’ needs to mitigate any reliability and operability risks. Where required, assist appropriate business units in procuring these services to meet reliability and operability needs.
• On an on-going basis, assist process owners/stewards in reviewing the effectiveness of existing Operations processes.  Recommend, develop and implement effectiveness and efficiency improvements, as necessary.
• Work with subject matter experts from different business units to produce business process documentations including procedural instructions for Operations activities. Ensure that the documentation is consistent with NERC standards, NPCC criteria, the market rules, relevant government regulations and other industry standards, and is consistent with IESO processes for managing controlled documents. Ensure that the documentation is appropriate for the targeted audience (e.g. internal vs market manuals) and contains the appropriate level of detail.
• Support and as necessary lead maintaining operating agreements with transmitters and interconnection agreements with our neighbours
• Provide guidance to other business units on market operations including, but not limited to, clarifying policies and principles in making operational decisions.
• Perform other duties as required.

What you need to succeed

Background expereince will include:

• electrical engineering design concepts as they relate to the functions and characteristics of power system components
• familiarity with power system operation, practices, and policies
• familiarity with energy and forward market operations, practices, policies, and Market Rules
• competitive market operations
• particulars of power system operation, including technical features of generation and transmission equipment and facilities, system interconnection
• A period of over 8 years, up to and including 10 years is considered necessary to gain this experience.

Experience will be related to the fields of:

• The IESO Administered Markets and interconnected power system operations
• reliability and operability assessment
• NERC, NPCC and IESO Market Rules compliance assessments

Experience:

• Requires exposure to the overall power system operation. 
• Requires an overall understanding of the IESO-Administered Markets, their operation and the characteristic of the interconnected systems to support the activities of the IESO. 
• Requires excellent facility in written and oral communications, including the ability to prepare effective documentation, recommendations and reports.
• Requires experience to develop a good overall understanding of system and market operation practices and procedures, including legislation, regulatory standards, resource utilization, and, system control orders and an ability to undertake complex market or system event analysis.
• Requires working with multiple stakeholders including customers and good judgement in dealing with multiple priorities.
• Requires computer experience including exposure to statistical and database software, desktop software applications, computer data conversion, various PC-based query and calculation tools, and computer system interfaces.
• Requires experience in applying, testing and considering the merits of alternatives.
• Requires good customer service skills.

 Education:

• Requires an engineering knowledge of electrical theory, power system analysis and control, mathematics, computer science, economics and other specialty related courses to undertake engineering, economic or analytical studies related to the management and control of the bulk power system. 
• Requires knowledge of technical writing to prepare effective reports and data analysis to conduct quantitative assessments.
• This knowledge is considered to be normally acquired, either through the successful completion of a four-year university education in an appropriate field/discipline or by having the equivalent education.

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: March 18, 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 Mississauga, Toronto, or Oakville location.

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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.
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