Advisor Market Development

Independent Electricity System Operator

2d • Onsite

About The Position

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!

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 role is a part of the Enabling Resources Program within Markets and Reliability. This is a union job.

The energy sector is rapidly evolving, offering exciting new opportunities for those who want to make a difference.
The Enabling Resources Program (‘ERP’ or ‘Program’) is a set of projects that will enable key emerging resources, specifically electricity storage (“storage”), hybrid generation-storage pairings (“hybrids”) and small individual or aggregations of dispatchable Distributed Energy Resources (DER) into the IESO-administered markets, tools, and processes. The aim of ERP is to allow these resources to more effectively provide required system services and contribute to the safe and reliable operation of the bulk power system in Ontario.

Reporting to one of the Supervisors in ERP, the Program is looking for 2 advisors to support the Storage/Hybrid work. These roles will interact with the external sector, software vendors, and numerous IESO areas such as Enterprise Change, IT, M&R, Settlements and MACD to name a few.

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

Support the design team on ERP storage, hybrid and DER work related to market development and integration initiatives.  This may include the management of external consultants retained for the same.
Lead and support a cross-functional group of subject matter experts to deliver on specific objectives
Assess and link short-term analysis to long term strategies; consider whether short-term goals will meet long term market development objectives for storage and hybrids.  Examine the big picture when considering possible opportunities or projections.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of developments in market theory and in current or proposed methods for energy/capacity markets.  Review academic, technical and financial reports, studies, books, journals etc., dealing with various aspects of energy markets.  Keep abreast of technological developments and best practices in the industry as they apply to electricity markets, storage and hybrids.
Prepare contingency plans for problems and situations that might occur and propose a course of action to accomplish long-term goals.
Analyze and review market development plans that could be required with the OEB, other government agencies, and/or electrical utilities
Review and analyze input from MACD and incorporate findings into ERP market development plans. 
Coordinate and align ERP market design and development plans with the IESO business development plans.
Review regulatory decisions both abroad and in Ontario to determine possible implications on Ontario electricity market relevant to storage, hybrids, and DERs. Synthesize and incorporate any possible implications into the ERP market design and development plans.
Represent the Division or the IESO, as assigned, on committees, task forces and in various forums. Make presentations concerning methods, results or analytical studies pertaining to market development plans to internal and external groups, as needed. 
Analyze and produce recommendations and reports on specific ERP energy market development initiatives.
Organize, conduct and participate in external engagement processes of ERP recommendations and reports prior to developing final recommendations.
Respond to internal and external sector engagement feedback received on ERP development initiatives
Contribute to the development of Market Rule, Manual and internal procedure amendments as required.
Contribute to the development and delivery of internal and external training as required.
Provide market participants and others both within and outside of the IESO with advice regarding market development related to ERP.
Work collaboratively with other members of the ERP team to effectively implement the goals of the team within the context of the broader corporate direction.
Perform other duties/tasks that may be required/assigned.

In a typical day, you will lead activities supporting ERP’s Storage and Hybrid Integration project or DER Integration project. This includes leading groups of subject matter experts from across the organization to develop market design, drive design decisions, develop design documents and memos for leadership approval. In addition, you will be involved in reviewing business requirements documents, market rules and manual updates, and testing, among other activities. You will play an important role in internal and external stakeholder engagement, presenting material and cultivating relationships to support successful project delivery. You will work closely with the Project Management team supporting activities related to the schedule, risk mitigation and audit.

Requirements

• Requires academic training in business, commerce, engineering, math, economics, or other applicable field of study at a level to understand and apply the technical/economical legislative parameters governing the energy industry and market place.
• Requires analytical and organization skills, excellent command of the English language, written and oral communication skills, in order to undertake studies, programs and projects of major issue, to develop strategies, communicate and effectively interface with all contacts involved in accomplishing the work objectives.
• This knowledge is considered to be normally acquired through the successful completion of four years university education in the appropriate field, or the equivalent
• Requires knowledge and understanding of the design of the IESO-administered markets, their operation with a broad understanding of the electricity industry in general, including the characteristics of interconnected systems.
• Requires exposure to the overall power system operation.
• Requires a background in the utility business to become familiar with the inherent factors and problems influencing the energy industry.
• Requires experience to develop a good overall understanding of system and market operation practices and procedures.
• Can undertake complex market or system analysis and resource utilization studies.
• Requires a background that allows for broad thinking, high analytical and reasoning skills, as well as applying, testing and considering the merits of alternatives.
• Requires demonstrated experience in the review of vast amounts of information, breaking it down, prioritizing and synthesizing several related trends to determine relevant impact within and outside Ontario.
• Requires experience in building relationships, strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills. Requires demonstrated leadership experiences to influence and motivate others to work as team members.
• Requires strong presentation skills.
• A period of over 8 years and up to and including 10 years is considered necessary to gain this experience.

Responsibilities

• Support the design team on ERP storage, hybrid and DER work related to market development and integration initiatives. This may include the management of external consultants retained for the same.
• Lead and support a cross-functional group of subject matter experts to deliver on specific objectives
• Assess and link short-term analysis to long term strategies; consider whether short-term goals will meet long term market development objectives for storage and hybrids. Examine the big picture when considering possible opportunities or projections.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of developments in market theory and in current or proposed methods for energy/capacity markets. Review academic, technical and financial reports, studies, books, journals etc., dealing with various aspects of energy markets. Keep abreast of technological developments and best practices in the industry as they apply to electricity markets, storage and hybrids.
• Prepare contingency plans for problems and situations that might occur and propose a course of action to accomplish long-term goals.
• Analyze and review market development plans that could be required with the OEB, other government agencies, and/or electrical utilities
• Review and analyze input from MACD and incorporate findings into ERP market development plans.
• Coordinate and align ERP market design and development plans with the IESO business development plans.
• Review regulatory decisions both abroad and in Ontario to determine possible implications on Ontario electricity market relevant to storage, hybrids, and DERs. Synthesize and incorporate any possible implications into the ERP market design and development plans.
• Represent the Division or the IESO, as assigned, on committees, task forces and in various forums. Make presentations concerning methods, results or analytical studies pertaining to market development plans to internal and external groups, as needed.
• Analyze and produce recommendations and reports on specific ERP energy market development initiatives.
• Organize, conduct and participate in external engagement processes of ERP recommendations and reports prior to developing final recommendations.
• Respond to internal and external sector engagement feedback received on ERP development initiatives
• Contribute to the development of Market Rule, Manual and internal procedure amendments as required.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of internal and external training as required.
• Provide market participants and others both within and outside of the IESO with advice regarding market development related to ERP.
• Work collaboratively with other members of the ERP team to effectively implement the goals of the team within the context of the broader corporate direction.
• Perform other duties/tasks that may be required/assigned.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level