Manager Government Affairs

Independent Electricity System Operator

1d • CA$135,120 - CA$168,800 • 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. This is a non-unionized position that falls within the Corporate Relations, Engagement and Strategy Business Unit.

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

The Manager, Government Affairs provides oversight and leadership to implement the organization’s comprehensive government relations strategy with a focus on enhancing the ongoing significant relationship with the provincial government needed to achieve the company vision and its business and strategic plans, including labour and legislative objectives. It is also essential to maintain IESO’s reputation as trusted advisor in order to inform and influence policy.

The Manager is responsible for ensuring efficient and timely execution of work activities. This position will build, manage and coach the Government Affairs team to ensure a highly effective group that will facilitate the IESO’s coordinated approach to government engagement. As part of the management of the Government Affairs team, the Manager will draft work plans and assign work and resources based on the priorities established by the Director of Government Affairs and support talent reviews of staff.

Act as a delegate for the Director of Government Affairs as needed.

Requirements

• Technical and/or strategic understanding of the legislative objectives and the current policy/legislative/regulatory issues and perspectives
• University degree and/or post graduate degree in business, political science, public administration, or, communications
• Requires sophisticated knowledge of government, communications, regulatory affairs, stakeholder engagement, and all IESO business functions.
• Developed planning, organizational, and management skills with experience in supporting complex and evolving priorities, working under tight timelines and significant pressure
• Progressive experience in tactical and strategic oversight of work delivery, and leading and developing teams
• Technical and analytical knowledge and understanding of the electricity industry – specifically the political climate
• Current knowledge of industry activities, trends, best practices and technological developments related to Government Affairs
• Excellent analytical, problem solving, conceptual and forward-thinking skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships across teams
• Proven ability to work with confidential and sensitive information
• Work experience of 8-10 years, is considered necessary to gain this experience

Responsibilities

• Responsible for building and managing an effective working relationship between the IESO and government.
• Provide leadership and facilitate discussions with Executive and senior staff from various business units regarding issues that affect IESO business and legislative objectives and the current policy/legislative/regulatory climate in Ontario.
• Ensure senior IESO staff are aware of the relevant risks and opportunities associated with IESO initiatives and influence IESO decisions to ensure optimal outcomes for IESO business objectives in front of government.
• Develop IESO’s strategies and action plans to ensure the success of IESO objectives in front of government while relying on legislative policies, procedures, and protocols as well as an understanding of the policy drivers.
• Present IESO business objectives before appropriate government staff using in-person meetings, oral/written material, relying on superior ability to write clearly and concisely, a mastery of legislative and regulatory policies, procedures, and protocols, and an understanding of the IESO’s business objectives.
• Collaborate with the Director of Government Affairs and HR leadership (e.g, Sr. Manager, Employee & Labour Relations, Director, Total Rewards) to ensure that the provincial government is aware and supportive of IESO’s HR positions on issues such as bargaining, compensation and other initiatives.
• Participate and contribute to matters of a highly confidential nature including matters relating to labour relations (may include negotiations and Labour Relations Strategy).
• Utilize a keen ability and high level of political acuity to identify like interests and gain consensus among diverse groups to meet the company’s business plan and legislative objectives.
• Work with various senior internal and external personnel to resolve problems of strategy where differences of opinion may exist and influence others to a course of action suitable to the IESO’s corporate objectives.
• Provide professional guidance and recommendations to IESO staff in identifying trends, risks, uncertainties, and actions required to ensure business plan objectives are met.
• Manage and coach the Government Affairs team to ensure a highly effective group that will facilitate the IESO’s coordinated approach to government engagement.
• Provide supervision to staff, including full responsibility for hiring and advancement, staff development, training, performance reviews, salary matters, all aspects of performance management, including dismissal, administering work programs and ensuring staff output effectively meet business needs and goals; ensuring quality, quantity, timeliness of work production to achieve business objectives.
• Perform other duties as required.
• Collaborate with internal staff, government staff, and key industry players on the development and implementation of initiatives.
• This includes leading initiatives with teams composed of senior IESO and Ministry staff where there is not a direct reporting relationship.
• Influence work that has business unit and/or enterprise-wide impact in the areas of key government initiatives affecting provincial energy policy and programs.
• Has occasional interaction with IESO Executive Leadership Team on identifying trends, risks, uncertainties, and actions required to ensure business plan objectives are met.
• Provides Board materials to people leader as applicable.
• Ensures that their leader has line of sight on risk mitigation plans regarding legislative and regulatory policies, procedures, and protocols, a few of which may be reported to the Board of Directors; errors or failure of mitigation actions may lead to some loss of reputation with relevant stakeholders.
• Provides day-to-day and strategic leadership for a team of direct reports.
• Responsible for team capacity and capability planning.
• Provides leadership oversight and direction to staff delivers timely feedback to ensure a cohesive team unit and the optimum use of team skills; manages staff and monitors work assignments for adherence to timelines.
• Reinforces corporate communications and responds to team members’ inquiries.
• Establishes goals for team ensuring alignment with Business Unit and Divisional objectives, risks and mandate.
• Provides feedback to leaders that supports culture change and ensures their leader is aware of challenges and opportunities within the team.
• May influence objectives and plans at BU level and cascade them to their team.
• Accountable for end-to-end employee lifecycle activities and processes including the performance review process and calibration in support of fairness and equity across the IESO.
• Ensures team output effectively meets business needs and goals, ensuring quality, quantity, and timeliness of work production to achieve team’s/Division’s objectives.
• May support their people leader for budget management activities.
• May monitor budget forecasts/actuals at the team level.
• Monitors project and program progress to deliver objectives on time and within budget, and achieve anticipated business results while maximizing capital investment.
• Identifies and communicates team’s budget needs.
• Meets service delivery objectives and manages project and team activities within budgetary limits.
• Monitors progress to ensure that team objectives are delivered on time and within budget, and that anticipated business results are achieved.
• Oversees relevant consultant and vendor contracts as applicable.
• Applies LEAN principles to support financial stewardship.
• Develops and updates monthly reports (e.g. Business Performance Reviews and Key Performance Indicators).

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: Manager