Program Performance Advisor

INDEPENDENT ELECTRICITY SYSTEM OPERATOR (IESO)

Why join us?

You’ve got great skills. And you want to use them in an organization where you know what you do every day matters. We get that.
We also know that ensuring Ontarians have access to affordable and reliable power doesn’t happen by accident. So we give you the tools, flexibility and support you need to achieve your goals, and development opportunities to help you grow. You’ll thrive in a collaborative, team-based environment that values your unique skills and experiences – and recognizes that when you do better, we become even better too.

Who we are

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) works at the centre of the province’s power system, ensuring Ontarians have access to reliable and cost-effective electricity when and where they need it. We operate the province’s electricity grid 24/7, design, run and oversee the wholesale electricity markets, and plan and prepare to meet Ontario’s electricity needs – now and into the future.

The opportunity

The Program Performance Advisor is responsible for the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of demand side management programs for the IESO, including Save on Energy programs, to address the needs of Ontario’s power system and electricity consumers. Under the direction of the Supervisor, Business Program Performance, the Advisor is responsible for activities that may include program design, procurement, program delivery, contract management of delivery agents, business development, technical review, communications and other types of support to achieve program energy and demand savings targets within established budgets. This role is ideal for a technically-minded individual with demonstrated expertise in energy efficiency and demand side management within commercial and industrial settings.

What you'll do

Leadership

• Maintain knowledge and awareness of innovation, technological developments, best practices and market transformation activities in the industry and make recommendations to support the continuous improvement and evolution of demand side management programs
• Provide guidance to Analysts and junior staff
• Direct the work of vendors to adhere to program requirements

Design

• Responsible for analysis to support program design, including program concepts, measures and behavior, customer and market characteristics, barriers and opportunities, incentive setting, participation forecasting, cost effectiveness tests and business case development
• Perform analysis to recommend and establish incentive levels for various energy saving measures, as well as to establish appropriate budgets for programs
• On an ongoing basis, review the effectiveness of existing processes and recommend changes to processes, systems, procedures and market facing documents and qualify new opportunities, emerging technologies and delivery models for inclusion in program design, as necessary

Delivery

• Responsible for program management, including administration and evolution of program rules, participant contracts, calculation spreadsheets, partner contracts, budget management and related information system content.
• Manage the development and issuance of RFPs for procurement of external service providers, contribute to evaluation of RFP submissions, and manage the development of contracts with third party vendors
• Lead program launch activities and implementation of program improvements (i.e. change management requests) with staff input from other business units across the IESO, including Legal and Procurement
• Ensure contract compliance, including review of performance deliverables for payment purposes.
• Support counterparty negotiations by assisting Management with analysis of counterparty offers and proposals for purposes of extracting fair value for the IESO.

Technical

• Support the maintenance of the IESO’s library of prescriptive and quasi-prescriptive conservation measures, and the IESO’s library of end-use load profiles.
• Perform necessary research and analysis to recommend and establish end-use performance targets, as well as recommend technologies to be adopted in demand-side management programs, including technical research for the assumptions used for estimating the energy and demand savings for energy conservation measures and assessing their cost-effectiveness.
• Develop technical specifications for new energy efficiency and conservation measures including requirements for eligibility and measurement and verification processes; develop appropriate tools to support program administration including technical guidelines and spreadsheets
• Conduct meaningful and insightful peer review of technical work performed by both internal IESO staff, program delivery partners, and external consultants, including the review and approval of technical work and recommendations
• Work with other internal groups to develop application software tools, perform acceptance testing and identify business requirements for computer hardware.

Business and Stakeholder Advisory

• Foster strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including other IESO business units, commerical and industrial Save-On-Energy customers, market participants, channel partners, local distribution companies and industry associations to optimize participation in demand-side initiatives.
• Provide issues management support, working with commerical and industrial customers and internal stakeholders to bring forward and resolve issues and enhance programs.
• Develop external communications materials to train, educate and advise customers and stakeholder groups (e.g., public information sessions, webinars, training material, market notices, program launches and improvements, etc.)
• Lead internal and external stakeholder sessions and, where applicable, support working group meetings
• And other duties or responsibilities as may be assigned.
  

What you need to succeed

Required

• 4-year university degree in related discipline
• Proficiency in mathematical modeling for energy savings and financial analysis, considering variables such as electricity prices, technology costs, discount rates, building stock, and equipment saturation rates.
• Proficiency in complex decision-making and problem resolution in new and changing conditions.
• Experience conducting research to support business cases, including market research reports, data analysis, and program evaluation and measurement.
• Experience managing or coordinating projects, delivering timely solutions, and ensuring cost-effectiveness, technical accuracy, and market appropriateness.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work with various stakeholders, internal departments, external partners, government stakeholders, vendors, and industry experts.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with team members, business units, industry partners, and external stakeholders.
• Experience in relationship management with external contacts, demonstrating a high degree of tact and diplomacy, and actively engaging potential partners and vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively identify and lead the implementation of program enhancements

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

Assets

• Knowledge of and experience supporting industrial customers is considered a beneficial foundation for the incumbent to advance energy efficiency projects and enable participation in the IESO's Save On Energy and other demand-side initiatives

What’s in it for you

• A comprehensive total rewards program, including best-in-class benefits and a flexible workplace
• A challenging, fast-paced and collaborative team environment, where your perspectives and experiences matter
• Leaders who support your growth and success through regular feedback and coaching
• The opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the industry
  

Deadline to apply: Open until filled

For future reference, please ensure to save a copy of the job description as it will no longer be available once the posting closes.

At the IESO, we know that achieving great results depends on embracing diversity by attracting, developing and retaining people from a wide variety of backgrounds. We do this by ensuring our recruitment and advancement policies are fair and equitable, and by creating an accessible and inclusive environment – one that values every team member’s unique skills and experiences and ensures they have the support they need to achieve their potential. If you require accommodation during the recruitment process, please let us know.

We thank you for your interest in a career at the IESO, but we will only contact those candidates selected for an interview.

Note: The successful candidate must be eligible to work in Canada and will be subject to a background check.

The IESO offers a hybrid work model program to most of our employees, based on business needs. Individuals participating in the program can work an average of three days per week remotely within Ontario. It also offers three flex weeks when individuals can work remotely within Ontario . When working in the office, you will be located at our Toronto location.

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