(Operational Transformation) Specialist Operational Assessments

Independent Electricity System Operator (Ieso)

10d

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 posting is for the Operational Transformation team who is responsible for enabling and guiding the Markets & Reliability (M&R) business unit for the evolving electricity grid. We act as the central coordination hub for M&R; anticipating future system and business needs, partnering with M&R divisions to foster data-driven decision making, and driving continuous innovation. 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. Just as the IESO is at the center of the grid transition, the Operational Transformation team plays a crucial central role to enable M&R to meet its Vision and Purpose. 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.

Requirements

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

Responsibilities

• 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
• 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 in coordination with SMEs from other business units.
• Develop 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).
• 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.
• Develop end user computing tools as necessary to support Operations tasks, including operation of the IESO controlled grid and operation of the IESO administered markets.
• Conduct 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.
• 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.
• Assist in providing guidance to other business units on market operations including, but not limited to, clarifying policies and principles in making operational decisions.
• 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.
• Provide support, as required to other business units, agencies, and market participants to fulfill strategic plans.
• Execute 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
• Work with subject matter experts (SME) 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.
• Conduct 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.
• Assist with maintaining operating agreements with transmitters and interconnection agreements with our neighbours
• Support, as required, specialized system and market efficiency studies
• Assist senior department staff as required on key tasks and assignments.
• Perform other duties as required.

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