Public Policy jobs in Canada

+ Who we Are

Festival Hydro is a distribution company serving more than 22,600 customers across seven municipalities, including Stratford, St. Marys, Seaforth, Hensall, Zurich, Dashwood, and Brussels. Solely owned by the City of Stratford, we are a progressive, community-focused utility committed to excellence in customer service, employee engagement, and operational performance.

We take pride in delivering safe, reliable, and efficient electricity while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability, innovation, and accountability. Our organization values integrity, collaboration, and transparency in all that we do, ensuring the communities we serve continue to thrive.

As a regulated electrical distribution company, Festival Hydro operates under the oversight of the Ontario Energy Board and is dedicated to maintaining efficiency, compliance, and long-term value for both our customers and shareholder.

+ Position Summary

Festival Hydro is seeking two highly qualified and experienced individuals to join its Board of Directors. The successful candidates will bring proven leadership abilities, strong financial, engineering, operations, IT, industry experience and/or governance credentials, and a strategic perspective to support the organization’s ongoing commitment to operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

Members of the Board of Directors are entrusted with providing effective oversight of the corporation’s strategic direction, financial performance, and risk management. The Board ensures that robust systems and internal controls are in place to safeguard the integrity of the organization’s operations and reporting. It is also responsible for monitoring Festival Hydro’s achievement of performance goals, ensuring financial accountability, and confirming that all business activities are conducted in compliance with the applicable regulatory framework established by the Ontario Energy Board.

These roles represent an opportunity to contribute to the success and sustainability of a respected municipal utility, guiding Festival Hydro’s mission to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to the communities it serves.

• Support the mission and values of Festival Hydro
• Prepare for Board decision-making meetings by reviewing all relevant materials prior to each meeting
• Attend Board of Directors meetings in-person
• Involvement in Board Committees (Audit, Risk Management and/or Human Resources) and applicable meetings (typically virtual)
• Participate in the development of the company’s strategic goals and objectives
• Participate in Board training and orientation programs

The successful candidates must have an established reputation for personal integrity and honesty, and have a demonstrated ability to exercise independent, objective and sound judgement.

To fulfill the requirements of the Board, we are seeking applicants who can demonstrate:

• Proven leadership experience and abilities with excellent business acumen
• Financial expertise and credentials, with audit knowledge or experience preferred
• Engineering, operations, industry experience and/or innovation experience would be valuable assets
• Knowledge of good corporate governance practices required; previous corporate director experience or certification preferred
• Professional financial experience in a regulatory environment, preferably within the electrical/utilities industry
• Knowledge of current public policy issues related to the electrical/utilities industry
• Strong understanding of customer service, governance, regulatory, and utility operations
• Experience in leadership, administration, risk management, contract management, finance/accounting, health and safety, and/or LDC operations
• General knowledge of insurance and liability, human resources, policy and procedure development, and audit/compliance processes
• General understanding of labour relations, strategic business planning and risk management

Although all professional backgrounds will be considered, preference will be given to candidates with professional designations in accounting, engineering and/or IT.

The terms of the position will be four years and meetings are held in Stratford, Ontario in-person. This position comes with a time commitment of quarterly Board and committee meetings, as well as occasional time devoted to emails and minor follow-up activities outside of meeting times.

Interested candidates may apply by emailing their resume and cover letter to hr@festivalhydro.com by February 16, 2026 by 4:30pm. Please reference “Board of Directors” in the subject line.

Compensation: Annual remuneration ranges from $3,000 to $10,000, depending on Board role, plus per-diem payments of $60–$300 per meeting for additional meetings and reimbursement of approved expenses in accordance with Board policy.

This posting is for an upcoming vacancy. The successful candidate’s term is expected to commence on December 1, 2026.

Festival Hydro does not use artificial intelligence or automated decision-making tools to screen, assess, or select applicants during the recruitment process.

Festival Hydro is committed to equity and inclusion in the recruitment of qualified staff and board members who reflect and support the diverse perspective, experiences and needs of the communities we serve. Accommodations are available during all aspects of the recruitment process. Applicants contacted by Human Resources for an interview are asked to make their needs known in advance.