Senior Portfolio Specialist Central Services

D****ate: August 17, 2026 Location:Toronto, ON

Requisition ID:21199

Status: Regular

Business Unit: Power System Development

Grade/Band: MP5

Shift Work:

Annual Pay Range: For standard 35-hour work week

Step 1: $118,456 to Step 10: $169,208

The successful candidate will be placed at the appropriate step within the salary grade/band, based on relevant years of experience and other applicable considerations.

Why join us?

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!

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 unionized position that falls within theCentral Services Team in the Power System Development Business Unit.

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

The Senior Portfolio Specialist, Central Services, is accountable to the Supervisor, Central Services and is primarily responsible for supporting and enhancing operational excellence across multiple business functions including settlements, procurement, contracts, systems, and reporting. This role ensures the efficient coordination of back-office activities that are critical to achieving Demand Side Management (DSM) targets. In addition, the role plays a central leadership and coordination function in supporting Local Distribution Company (LDC) participation in the eDSM framework.

The position operates in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and serves as a key cross-functional partner within Central Services and to Finance, Legal, Procurement, IT, and other business stakeholders. The incumbent is accountable for solving complex operational challenges, improving workflows, supporting process standardization, and ensuring that business operations are executed accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with organizational policies.

What you’ll do In this role, you’ll make a meaningful impact by contributing to the IESO team and supporting the electricity needs of the province through:

Leadership

- Drive operational excellence through process improvement, issue resolution, and accountability for results.
- Foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and a high-performing team culture.
- Support change initiatives and provide updates on Central Services programs and performance to leadership.
- Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams to support operational objectives and stakeholder needs.
- Act as a trusted partner and coordinator across multiple functional teams and stakeholders
- Support knowledge sharing, process documentation, and business continuity planning




- Act as the primary operation point of contact for LDCs for contract and settlements process clarification, and issue resolution
- Provide informal leadership by guiding best practices in operational efficiency and process improvement
- Manage multiple priorities, deadlines, escalations, and deliverables simultaneously
- Foster strong working relationships with internal teams and DSM delivery partners

Financial

- Support financial-related operational processes, including but not limited to settlements, budget forecasting and procurement activities
- Ensure accuracy and completeness of operational data used in financial reporting, including but not limited to the monthly settlements’ files, fulfillment vendor reconciliation reports, quarterly forecasts, accruals and monthly reconciliations with the I&A; team
- Develop and maintain LDC spending reports and dashboards to support DSM management decision-making
- Lead LDC spending forecasts and tracking, ensuring alignment with DSM budgets and program targets
- Monitor and report on LDC financial performance, variances, and trends, identifying risks or anomalies
- Assist with tracking and reporting against operational metrics and DSM budgets, including budget reallocations
- Identify discrepancies and escalate to settlement specialist
- Contribute to maintaining financial controls and compliance with governance requirements
- Collaborate with Finance to resolve discrepancies, reporting issues, and operational impacts
- Support cost-efficiency initiatives through workflow improvements and automation

Technical

- Lead the operational onboarding and integration of LDCs into DSM processes, including coordination across settlements, contracts, and reporting systems
- Design, document, and implement contract and settlement processes for LDCs, ensuring alignment with internal controls and DSM requirements
- Support the contracting lifecycle for LDCs, including assisting in drafting and reviewing agreements in collaboration with Legal and Procurement, as needed
- Coordinate and track contract execution activities, ensuring timelines, approvals, and documentation are completed
- Support development and maintenance of Central Services operational reporting and tracking tools
- Collaborate with cross-functional internal and external stakeholders to resolve operational issues and implement process improvements and system changes
- Ensure operational compliance with internal controls, policies, and governance frameworks
- Create and maintain training materials, and user guides for LDCs and DSM staff, when required

Customer Focus Internal (IESO’s Finance, Legal, Procurement, IT teams, and DSM teams) and External Stakeholders (LDCs, DSM delivery partners and service providers)

- Deliver responsive, professional support to stakeholders
- Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders.
- Effectively communicate operational updates, risks, and solutions
- Anticipate stakeholder needs and proactively address operational challenges
- Ensure high-quality, timely execution of operational deliverables
- Contribute to a seamless and efficient back-office experience that supports overall business performance




- Handle escalations calmly and effectively while maintaining stakeholder confidence

And other duties or responsibilities as may be assigned

Role Requirements

Our team consists of experts from diverse backgrounds, each bringing their unique perspectives and skills.

To succeed in this role, you’ll need:

- Post-secondary education in Business, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Information Systems, or related field
- 10 years of progressive experience in operational support; financial processes; procurement or contracts; business process management
- Experience working in fast-paced, high-demand environments with competing priorities
- Solid organizational, coordination, and time-management skills
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities
- Robust analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Office applications
- Familiarity with reporting tools (Tableau, Power BI)
- Experience improving and documenting processes and procedures

How We Support You From a comprehensive total rewards program to dynamic learning and development opportunities—including job rotations to broaden your expertise—we empower you to define and shape your own success. When you join the IESO, here’s what you can expect:

- 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.

Deadline August 31, 2026. For future reference, please save a copy of the job posting as it will no longer be available once the posting closes.

Thank you for your interest in a career at the IESO. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Please note that the successful candidate must be legally eligible to work in Canada and will be subject to applicable background checks.

IESO will not conduct interviews or offer positions via online, text, chat or social media platforms. We will not gather personal information directly from candidates or potential candidates. Selected candidates will work with our Talent Acquisition team to ensure their application is processed.

The IESO currently has a 3-day in-office work week for applicable roles. Over the course of 2026, the IESO will advance plans to acquire additional office space to accommodate more in-office time. While the timeline for moving to a full 5-day in-office model has not yet been established, we are committed to keeping employees and candidates informed as plans progress and give them as much advance notice as possible to prepare for any changes.

We believe in opportunities for everyone.

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’re proud to say we’ve been recognized as a supportive, inclusive employer.

Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

📌 Senior Portfolio Specialist Central Services (Toronto)
🏢 Independent Electricity System Operator
📍 Toronto