Corporate Utilities Strategist

City of Edmonton•Edmonton, AB

1d•CA$108,839 - CA$136,046•Hybrid

About The Position

This pivotal role provides strategic direction for the City's utility needs in becoming climate-ready and emission neutral. The Strategist leads the team responsible for managing all utility supply contracts (power, renewable attributes, water, and gas) for civic operations, overseeing approximately 1800 utility meters with an annual budget of $80 million. This role is critical for supporting the Greenhouse Gas Management Plan for Civic Operations 2019-2030 and Climate Resilience Policy C627 through the centralized execution of energy transition pathways.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, commerce, engineering, or a related discipline
Minimum 7 years of experience in the power industry, including expertise in power settlement, billing processes, and managing Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
Progressively responsible and diverse experience in a complex and multidisciplinary organization
Knowledge of standards, benchmarks and industry best practices, including ASHRAE, LEED, and ENERGY STAR®
Experience developing and managing complex contracts, including negotiating service level terms, establishing cross-organization governance models, and advanced skills in relationship building and negotiation
Demonstrated understanding of how the electricity and natural gas markets work, including the ability to employ hedging strategies; experience with utility billing and rate structures is required
Proven analytical and problem-solving skills to identify trends, opportunities, anomalies, and risks to achieve energy conservation, financial management, and environmental goals
Advanced written and verbal communication skills for developing documents, making presentations, and educating all levels of City staff about the utilities industry
The ability to ensure timely notification and resolution of performance variances and billing errors
Valid Alberta Class 5 driver's licence (or provincial equivalent)
The role may necessitate the use of personal transportation to be reimbursed in accordance with the City of Edmonton policy. This may require business auto insurance
Hire is dependent on a Criminal Records Check (CRC) that is satisfactory to the City of Edmonton, and there may be a cost associated with this requirement

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree in business administration (MBA) is an asset
The ability to optimize rate structures for cost reduction is an asset

Responsibilities

Set the strategic direction of utilities supply activities to achieve objectives and targets set by Executive Leadership Team and City Council
Provide expert advice on utility supply and energy markets, and develop and maintain strategic policies and procedures for utilities management, climate change, and emergency preparedness
Develop and implement strategic plans that drive competitive utilities consumption and environmental attribute markets
Mitigate business risk through the implementation of established City contract management practices in alignment with current and emerging utilities-related regulations
Evaluate, recommend, and initiate the procurement of renewable electricity contracts and other utility contracts emerging as the new standard for the City
Develop, establish, and manage energy contracts and vendor relationships relating to power, water, and gas, as well as monitoring compliance, managing service levels, and resolving billing errors
Create new best practices in the utilities management field by researching innovations and translating complex utilities issues into innovative and effective strategies, plans, and actions
Lead the utilities supply team by setting goals, expectations, plans, priorities, and budgets, as well as by supervising, training, coaching, and mentoring employees
Manage and maintain data management systems that track utilities consumption across the organization and conduct analysis to support energy, carbon, and utilities management activities
Maintain current and comprehensive knowledge of legislation from the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) and the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to ensure compliance and build awareness of upcoming material changes