Distribution Grid Operations: The Energy Innovation Consultant is responsible for day-to-day operations of the Energy Centre (monitoring, forecasting and dispatch services for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) using the Energy Centre platform), relationship management for DER customers (including management of formal operating agreements and responding to inquiries/requests/escalations), and development/implementation/optimization of Energy Centre processes, systems and tools. Additional accountabilities may grow to include energy transactions, ancillary grid services, and financial settlement. The Energy Centre links to DER across the Toronto Hydro system via SCADA. The Energy Innovation Consultant collaborates closely with the Control Centre, Energy Solutions, Key Accounts and supports implementation of the Energy Centre's vision of monitoring, forecasting, controlling of SCADA points >50kW resources, improving visibility of resources for safe grid operation and restoration, supporting dispatch services and financial transactions, providing aggregate resource visibility to IESO, and managing energy flows (vs. system configuration).
Business Development & Innovation: The Energy Innovation Consultant is responsible for driving projects by developing customer-focused and technically sound business cases within new lines of business as identified by the organization. This includes activities and initiatives involving electric vehicles, battery storage, interactive grid solutions, distributed energy resources (DER) and associated energy transactions. This role supports assigned customers by providing a single point of contact in fostering and developing project opportunities. Solutions will result from working closely with Engineering, while collaborating with other stakeholders and business units (such as Distribution Grid Operations) in building viable projects, and seeking approval for initiatives within established governance processes in exciting and nascent innovative spaces. The Energy Innovation Consultant responds to specific general customer inquiries associated with potential projects within their area of interest to promote potential solutions for customers, referencing economic and non-financial benefits. S/he also works closely with Key Account Consultants within established relationships to apply his/her specialized knowledge to develop deeper knowledge-based relationships with key customers.
The incumbent is expected to behave ethically and follow the established code of business conduct, policies and internal control procedures, laws and regulations governing Toronto Hydro.
Successful candidates must possess the following competencies and will be pre-screened for those bolded, prior to the interview portion of the selection process. Competencies are listed in order of significance.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Liaises with customers to pre-qualify opportunities and to establish, implement and administer contracts.
- Consolidates customer needs and translates requirements to internal stakeholders to provide a wholesome picture of customer needs to the organization to support energy solution management.
- Responsible for business case development guiding engineering resources, reviewing economic analysis, and technology recommendations.
- Maintains relationships with customers, responds to escalations, requests and inquiries and monitors project progress through execution to support excellence in customer service.
- Monitors activity progress and results.
- Helps evolve information systems, processes and tools to support changing internal and external reporting needs.
- Provides metrics to document performance.
- Produces detailed forecasts of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) as required by the business and in alignment with similar IESO standards.
- Monitors electricity market, gas market, weather and futures market to optimize operation of contracted resources.
- Acts as a single point of contact to address customer inquiries of an electrical distribution nature as it relates to new projects or initiatives for which they have implemented.
- Stays abreast of trends and technical innovations that translate into business development opportunities.
Business Development & Innovation Specific:
- Works with internal and external stakeholders to promote potential solutions under specific lines of business and within our regulated framework.
- Coordinates and provides visibility of initiatives to other divisions in order to maintain alignment with our conventional business processes and management oversight. Seek formal approval of specific initiatives within established governance processes.
Distribution Grid Operations Specific:
- Provides dispatch/control services for contracted resources such as generation, storage and Demand Response (DR) in order to fulfill contractual obligations and achieve business objectives (financial and grid reliability).
- Ensures continuous monitoring of contracted resources is active and alarms are properly actioned.
- Coordinates with the Control Centre as required. Works in coordination with the Control Room, Grid Emergency Management and Engineering to ensure safe, reliable grid operation during normal and emergency operation.
COMPETENICES:
- University degree or college diploma in business (energy economics preferred), science or a technical field, with preference given to a university degree
- Minimum Five (5) to seven (7) years working within an LDC, or business-related organization
- Minimum Five (5) years' experience with utility operations and/or energy trading Distributed Energy Resources (DER) desirable
- Business development or customer-facing technical support role
- Excellent understanding of technological trends related to area(s) of concern
- Excellent knowledge and understanding of utility business, electrical power distribution concerns and issues and how that intersects with customer needs
- Customer service excellence and key account management skills
- Sales management skills/sales acumen
- Superior interpersonal, verbal/written communications skills
- Excellent relationship management (soft people skills)
- Financial acumen
- Time management skills
- Exceptional analytical skills
Business Development & Innovation specific:
- Exceptional understanding of business development expectations, strategic selling basics and tactics
Distribution Grid Operations specific:
- Engineering competencies in managing a diverse portfolio of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) providing monitoring, forecast and dispatch in a real-time environment within THESL's distribution system
- Knowledge of energy distribution system design and operation
- Advanced skills in handling commodity contracts, ancillary services and energy transactions to optimize the financial performance of DER within THESL's distribution system.
- Specific knowledge is required in Energy Economics, Electricity and Gas Markets and energy asset performance to maximize availability and fulfill contract obligations within Ontario.
Toronto Hydro Corporation
14 Carlton Street
Toronto
Ontario Canada
www.torontohydro.com
