Client: Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) Position: Director, Enterprise Project Delivery Reports to: CFO & Vice President, Corporate Services Locations: Toronto, Oakville, Mississauga

THE COMPANY

The IESO has a broad mandate and uses its unique position in the power system to ensure reliability now and in the future. To fully deliver on this mandate and to position Ontario for growth and prosperity, the IESO has prioritized the attraction, retention, and development of a skilled and diverse workforce. From a talent perspective, IESO is focused on building capacity for the future, enhancing its culture and the employee experience, strengthening leadership capabilities and implementing next generation tools, technologies and learning which will continue to enable the IESO to perform its critical role in the energy sector.

Electricity is a vital economic enabler and is essential to the quality of life of all Ontarians. The IESO seeks to be a trusted leader that drives and guides Ontario’s electricity growth through:

• Planning for the province's future energy needs
• Enabling conservation; and
• Designing a more efficient electricity marketplace to support sector evolution.

PURPOSE

We are at the heart of the electricity system, ensuring affordable electricity is available where and when Ontario needs it.

To be the trusted leader that drives and guides Ontario’s electricity transformation.

IESO values aren’t just words on a poster: they unite and lay the foundation for IESO’s shared culture – and success.

• Expertise with Humility: We value diverse expertise and perspectives.
• Commitment and Accountability: We take our mandate and responsibilities seriously and hold ourselves accountable.
• Genuine Caring: We create an environment of fairness, trust, respect and belonging.
• Purposeful Engagement: We are thoughtful about who we engage with and how.
• Openness to Change: We have the courage to challenge the status quo and curiosity to try new things.

Collaboration and Teamwork: We believe in the power of working together. CORE STRATEGIES

The core strategies, connected with the IESO’s purpose and vision for the future, provides clarity, direction and focus roadmap to achieving strategic objectives. The IESO is guided by the following core strategies:

The IESO also tracks specific corporate performance measures to ensure the organization is meeting its targets and delivering on its mandate to ensure the reliability and cost effectiveness of the province’s power system on behalf of all Ontarians.

IESO is proud of the numerous awards and recognitions it has received which highlight its commitment to talent. These include:

• Greater Toronto’s Top Employer Award, re-won in 2024, for the fourth straight year
• 2023 Canadian Human Resources Award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion
• 2022 Canadian Human Resources Award for Excellence in L&D Programming Aligned with Strategy

NOTEWORTHY NEWS/ PUBLICATIONS

In the IESO's Media Centre, you will find timely and relevant information about the IESO, Ontario's power system and the wholesale electricity market: Corporate Media Publications.

We encourage you to review the IESO’s most recent Annual Report, which provides a snapshot of the tangible progress the IESO has made in the last year: 2024 Annual Report. As well, please click on the link below to review a comprehensive project listing in Appendix 3: 2023-2025 Business Plan.

We also invite you to review the IESO's Corporate Strategy (2022-2027) which describes some of the opportunities and challenges the organization is expected to face over the next five years and charts a clear course forward. The plan considers a range of environmental factors that are expected to affect the organization, including climate change, emerging technologies, operability, consumer engagement, and cybersecurity, among others.

Reporting to the CFO & Vice President – Corporate Services, the Director, Enterprise Project Delivery provides senior leadership across the organization with oversight and governance of project management and associated quality assurance practices and programs, and leads the development and implementation of enterprise processes, change management and enterprise services and reporting related to major projects, ensuring the successful delivery of IESO’s strategic imperatives. The Director, Enterprise Project Delivery is responsible for the long-term strategic project planning and vision, taking a transformative and continuous improvement lens to ensure the success of the function, following industry best practices evolving the function as the needs and priorities of the business evolve. Key projects include a mix of initiatives related to strategy and to core business, covering a number of priority areas. Some of these are industry focused (on things like DER integration and Storage and Hybrid integration) where others are more internally focused on things such as a core network refresh, and projects related to the advancement of the use of AI in the business.

• Oversee the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of project management tools, governance and processes
• Lead enterprise-wide coordination, prioritization and collaboration with all IESO business units to establish the project portfolio and facilitate effective and measured project delivery
• Maintain and enhance relationships with internal stakeholders, seeking input on how current project delivery can be enhanced to meet the needs of the business
• Liaise with external stakeholders and provincial entities to provide updates on the progress of the project portfolio
• Build, maintain, and enhance relationships and coordination with other functions within the IESO (e.g. IT Services, Procurement, Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk and Corporate Finance), as required, to ensure alignment of policies and practices and attainment of mutually beneficial outcomes
• Provide strategic advice, project summary status and oversight to the Board of Directors, IESO’s executive leadership team, and senior leadership team on the status and measurement of projects and change initiatives at the IESO
• Oversee the development of procedures and auditable controls to manage project scope, budget, schedule, benefit realization, and associated documentation
• Introduce Change Management considerations into change delivery

People Leadership

• Experience leading unionized staff with the ability to navigate collective agreements, foster positive labor relations, and drive team engagement
• Create a working environment that is aligned with the organization’s values, ensuring that people resources possess the required skills, are properly aligned, and are provided with the resources to do the job
• Support workplace transformation and implementation aligned with the strategic vision, connected to and aligned with strategic corporate goals, and provide leadership within the management environment
• Provide leadership oversight and direction to staff (e.g. define team member roles, responsibilities, and expectations); deliver timely feedback to ensure a cohesive operational unit and the optimum use of team skills; manage staff and monitor work assignments for adherence to timelines
• Monitor contractor performance objectives outlined in Agreement terms and conditions; develop and implement action plans to address performance gaps
• Work closely in partnership with the leadership team of partnering areas (e.g. Corporate Strategy, Information & Technology Services, Legal, Facilities) to collaborate on common matters and effectively strategize and problem solve in a cross functional group environment

Financial Stewardship

• Oversee the development of project budgets in accordance with corporate programs and requirements.
• Develop and manage annual and long-term budgets and staffing plans that adhere to corporate standards and applicable legislation
• Monitor project and program progress to deliver objectives on time and on budget, and achieve anticipated business outcomes/results while maximizing investment
• Establish process, controls, and measures to ensure appropriate expense allocation, cost management, and overall fiscal responsibility; provide management with regular status and project financial reports
• Apply LEAN principles to support financial stewardship
• Develop and update monthly reports (e.g. Business Performance Reviews and Key Performance Indicators) 

CANDIDATE PROFILE

It is expected that the new Director will have gained the following knowledge and expertise through many years of experience in increasingly senior project management roles, leading large teams and managing operating and capital projects in a complex business environment:

• Knowledge encompassing the technical fields relevant to the areas of technical service delivery, project management, risk management, and customer service.
• Strong knowledge of project and program management theory, principles, and practices including the Project Management Institute practices.
• Knowledge of business methods, procedures and organization structures in order to be aware of limitations that can be imposed and to recognize factors influencing the effective implementation of methodologies, risk and project management related activities.
• Knowledge of and experience in business management practices as they relate to the operation of the business of the organization in order to work effectively with business leaders, executives and Board members.
• Work experience in a complex project management role.
• Demonstrated experience delivering large complex enterprise-wide projects in a complex service delivery environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills especially as they pertain to external vendors, senior executives, members of the Board of Directors and external stakeholders.
• Significant leadership and management experience leading diverse teams that include management staff, unionized staff, external consultants, external resources and suppliers.
• The ability to think strategically and act tactically.
• The ability to challenge and gain approvals at executive levels.
• The ability to interact with executives and directors from other business united to promote an understanding of the program management program.

It is expected that the new Director will be supported by having completed the following:

• A university degree in an appropriate discipline (e.g. engineering, business, project management).
• Certification from the Project Management Institute or an equivalent certification is an asset.

INCLUSIVE PROCESS

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is committed to building diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible working environments. IESO welcomes those to apply who would contribute to the further diversification of staff including, but not limited to, women, racialized persons, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity.

IESO and LHH Knightsbridge strive to provide a barrier-free process and make every effort to accommodate individual applicant needs. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. A request for accommodates will not affect an individual’s candidacy. If selected to participate in the recruitment, selection, and/or assessment process, please inform a member of our team regarding the nature of any accommodation(s) that you may require to enable your equitable participation.

If you are interested in being considered for this exciting and challenging opportunity, please submit your expression of interest (cover letter and current resume) by email to Madiha Rashid, Senior Consultant, at madiha.rashid@lhhknightsbridge.com with “Director, Enterprise Project Delivery IESO” in the subject line.

Lisa Knight, Managing Partner lisa.knight@lhhknightsbridge.com 416 928 4565

Janice Kussner, Partner janice.kussner@lhhknightsbridge.com 416 640 4313

Madiha Rashid, Senior Consultant madiha.rashid@lhhknightsbridge.com 416 928 4549

Lizz Surajdeen, Executive Assistant lizz.surajdeen@lhhknightsbridge.com 416 640 4310

LHH helps organizations simplify the complexity associated with transforming their leadership and workforce so they can accelerate results, with less risk.

As global leaders in Talent and Leadership Development, Career Solutions and Executive, Interim and Mid-Level Search, we assist organizations in finding new talent, and helping their employees navigate change, become better leaders, develop better careers, and transition into new jobs. We have the local expertise, global infrastructure, and industry leading technology and analytics required to simplify the complexity associated with executing critical talent and workforce initiatives, reducing brand and operational risk. Teams across Canada and around the world leverage our proven programs and global experience to deliver tailored solutions to clients that align talent with the needs of their business.

Established in 1967, we have been providing outplacement services for 52 years. LHH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Adecco, SA, a publicly held Fortune Global 500 firm and the world’s leading provider of HR solutions, with approximately 32,000 FTE employees and 5,100 branches in over 66 countries and territories around the world. LHH has more than 4,000 employees around the globe including 2,200+ certified Career Coaches.