Advisor Regional and Community Engagement

Independent Electricity System Operator

1d • Hybrid

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.

The Advisor, Regional and Community Engagement is responsible for developing and managing strong business relationships with various stakeholders and members of communities across Ontario. This includes municipalities, third party sector organizations, small business consumers and community-supported associations, chambers and boards of trade with an objective to understanding needs and characteristics associated with community energy planning. These relationships are critical to informing the IESO’s regional planning initiatives that expand over 21 regions across the province.

This is a unionized position that falls within the Regional & Community Engagement Departments of the Corporate Relations, Engagement and Strategy Business Unit.

Requirements

• The education required to complete the responsibilities associated with the position is typically obtained through 4 years of university training
• Demonstrated experience in successfully developing, managing and executing stakeholder engagement plans and programs
• Superior communications skills – written oral and presentation, with strong diplomatic skills and the ability interact with all levels of the organization and with stakeholders
• Proven contract and vendor management experience for projects related to stakeholder, public and community relations and communication support
• Demonstrated ability to analyze issue, consolidate feedback, develop hypotheses and/or strategic responses, consistent with corporate objectives
• A positive, energetic individual with the demonstrated ability to lead activities, with and without direct positional authority
• Demonstrated ability to problem solve and to manage groups with divergent views
• Demonstrated research and writing skills
• Detail oriented; attention to accuracy
• Ability to build relationships; excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong leadership skills coupled with a passion for stakeholder outreach and public affairs
• Ability to respond to fast paced environment, where priorities can shift quickly
• General understanding of the IESO’s structure and functional areas
• Experience in dealing with customers (internal and external to the IESO) in a professional and service focused environment. Experience to effectively deal with complex inquiries as well as escalated and sensitive situations
• Excellent project management skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
• Exceptional organizational skills and time management skills
• Influence and negotiation skills; ability to persuade or influence others to adopt or accept a point of view or take a course of action
• Self-motivated; ability to work both independently with minimal supervision and as a team player and/or team leader
• The minimum level of experience for the incumbent to perform at a satisfactory level of proficiency is 6-8 years including the period of adjustment on the job itself

Responsibilities

• Support the development and implementation of strategic outreach and engagement plans in accordance with IESO’s External Relations Engagement Framework to support regional electricity planning and other IESO projects
• Lead the execution of plans including the design and development of tools, presentation materials, FAQs and other resources, and facilitation of engagement activities such as webinars, workshops and targeted outreach meetings and ;
• Build and maintain effective relationships with municipalities, communities and their representatives, including consumers, chambers of commerce, and boards of trades and other key influencers by acting as single point of contact, building educational capacity about the IESO’s core functions and responsibilities, such as electricity planning;
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the specific community and stakeholder issues within certain regions and support their resolution within the IESO

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