Director Corporate Communications

Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO); Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined benefit pension

Best-in-class benefits

Career development

Job summary

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in Toronto seeks a Director of Corporate Communications to lead internal and external communications, partnering with the CEO and senior leaders to shape a proactive corporate narrative.

You’ll oversee brand strategy, crisis communications, media relations, and stakeholder engagement, directing the Corporate Communications, Digital, Creative and Marketing teams to protect and advance IESO’s reputation and strategic goals.

Qualifications

• Extensive senior leadership experience in communications, marketing and public affairs.
• Proven ability to build strategic relationships and lead high‑performing teams.
• Experience managing communications impacting corporate reputation and public perception.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement communications strategies to maintain and enhance IESO’s reputation.
• Collaborate with experts to design programs increasing audience awareness and satisfaction.
• Lead brand communications to inform policy and maintain trust in the IESO.
• Direct external teams (Corporate Communications, Digital, Creative and Marketing) to align with goals.
• Manage a $10 million budget for agencies to support communications objectives.
• Provide leadership in hiring, staff development, and performance management.
• Represent the function in executive discussions and board matters.

Skills

Senior leadership experience

Strategic communications

Stakeholder management

Media relations

Public affairs

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Date: August 12, 2026
Location: Toronto, ON
Requisition ID: 21189
Status: Regular
Business Unit: Corporate Relations, Engagement and Strategy
Grade/Band: Band 3B
Shift Work
Annual Pay Range: For standard 35-hour work week
The successful placement within the range will depend on qualifications, relevant work 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 non-unionized position that falls within the Corporate Relations and Strategic Engagement 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 Director, Corporate Communications is the strategic leader for the IESO’s Internal and External Communications function, and is responsible for working with the CEO and senior leadership across the company to create and maintain a proactive corporate narrative that enables the corporate strategy and enhances and protects the IESO’s reputation and brand. This role is also responsible for supporting all other business units across the organization in ensuring effective communication on a wide range of IESO and related business matters. In addition, the role is accountable for managing both public facing issues that impact key relationships with media, governments, stakeholders and indigenous communities as well as any issues that impact the employee experience.

This is a vital role supporting IESO in achieving its key corporate priorities and protecting its corporate reputation. This includes; enhancing stakeholder, rightsholder, and employee confidence in the IESO, and will create strategies that connect the company’s actions and messages with a diverse and continuously evolving set of audiences.

This role is also responsible for development and ongoing enhancement to the Corporate Crisis Communications plan, leading the Crisis Communications Team and supporting the Executive team in all crisis communication planning and delivery. In addition, ensuring that internal and external audiences are provided with timely and accurate information regarding emergency situations.

This role reports directly to the Senior Director, Corporate Affairs and will participate in Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors discussions to support the President and represent the functions the Director oversees.

What You’ll Do

• Provide leadership in the development and implementation of, communications strategies, systems, policies, processes, plans and measures to maintain and enhance IESO’s reputation.
• In collaboration with subject matter experts from across the IESO, develop communications strategies processes and programs designed to achieve the highest level of audience awareness, understanding and satisfaction. Champion and represent the experience of internal and external audiences and their perspectives across the IESO.
• Provide leadership in the development and implementation of a brand communications strategy and tactics to maintain and enhance IESO’s reputation as trusted advisor in order to inform and influence policy.
• Lead the work programs, administration and management of staff in the external facing teams (Corporate Communications, Digital, Creative and Marketing) to ensure that they are in line with business unit and corporate goals. The key activities and deliverables performed by these teams include: speech writing, issue management, media relations, corporate communications, website creation and management, social media strategy, creative services, brand management, marketing and advertising.
• Accountable for managing a $10 million budget for contracts with a number of communications, marketing and design agencies in order to ensure they improve the success of Corporate Communications in a cost‑effective way.
• Provide leadership, management and supervision to staff, including full responsibility for hiring, staff development, training, performance management and performance reviews, salary matters, including dismissal, administering work programs and ensuring staff effectively meet their communication deliverables and related business needs and goals; ensuring quality, quantity, timeliness of work production to achieve business objectives.
• As Director, be responsible for presenting management positions at staff grievances. Participate as a management resource to resolve labour relations matters such as job challenges, grievances, and arbitration cases.

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

• Extensive senior leadership experience managing a broad range of communications, marketing, and public affairs activities that directly impact strategic outcomes, corporate reputation, stakeholder and rightsholder confidence, and public perception.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate strategic industry relationships, provide organizational leadership, and develop high‑performing teams.
• Experience required to manage a broader base of activities within somewhat different Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs arenas that impact implementation of IESO strategies, reputation and community perception/awareness; significant time/experience would be required to develop a strong industry network and ensure staff are effectively managed.
• Proven success in managing relationships and corporate reputation through creating and delivering on communications, stakeholder and customer relations strategies, plans and programs.
• Requires broad experience within the organization to acquire sound insight and understanding of all facets of the organization.
• Requires extensive knowledge of the IESO structure and procedures, the Ontario electricity market and regulatory affairs in order to manage communication processes to support corporate objectives.
• Requires leadership experience at a level to address the full managerial responsibilities of the job.
• A period of 10-15 years is considered necessary to gain this experience.
• University degree required; Bachelor's Degree (e.g. BA, BSc)

How We Support You

• 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.