Commercial Negotiations Specialist in Vancouver

Providing clean electricity to 4 million customers takes a diverse workforce and that’s where you come in. We need your talent to help us build major projects to meet growing demand. To help our customers find clean energy solutions for their homes and businesses and to be ready to respond during storms and outages to keep our system reliable. Working for BC Hydro is meaningful. And now, the stakes have been raised as we work towards a solution to climate change while safely providing clean, affordable electricity to our customers. We offer a healthy work-life balance, training opportunities and career progression. We're proud to be ranked as one of B.C.'s Top Employers and one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers. Join us as we build an even cleaner B.C.

Duties:

• BC Hydro acquires power from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to help meet B.C.'s electricity needs.
• BC Hydro’s IPP Portfolio Management team is responsible for managing business and contractual relationships with IPPs that develop and operate electricity generation projects such as wind, water, biomass and solar and sell power to BC Hydro.
• This role provides commercial negotiation leadership for BC Hydro’s portfolio of electricity purchase agreements with Independent Power Producers.
• The successful candidate will lead and support complex negotiations involving contract amendments, commercial settlements, dispute resolution and other portfolio initiatives, while also managing an assigned portfolio of contracts and commercial relationships.
• Activities may include contract interpretation, strategic evaluation, business case development, financial and economic analysis, commercial negotiations, dispute resolution and day-to-day contract management.

What you’ll do:

• Leading commercial negotiations, and providing senior commercial support to other negotiations, with IPPs concerning new or renewed contracts, contract amendments, settlements, disputes, emerging commercial issues and other portfolio initiatives;
• Developing negotiation strategies, mandates and recommendations based on commercial, contractual, financial and risk analysis;
• Identifying the interests, alternatives, risks and potential trade-offs relevant to a negotiation and developing practical options that protect BC Hydro’s interests;
• Conducting negotiations within approved mandates, assessing proposals and counterproposals, and recommending changes to negotiation authorities where appropriate;
• Coordinating multidisciplinary negotiation teams and working with legal, regulatory, technical, financial and operational specialists;
• Preparing business cases, briefing materials and recommendations to obtain internal negotiation mandates and approvals;
• Documenting negotiated outcomes and supporting the development and implementation of definitive agreements;
• Establishing negotiation plans and maintaining clear records of mandates, proposals, decisions, commitments and approvals;
• Managing a portfolio of electricity purchase agreements and acting as the primary commercial contact for assigned IPPs;
• Interpreting contractual rights and obligations, resolving contract-administration issues and monitoring contractual compliance;
• Identifying opportunities to reduce costs, manage risk and improve portfolio value;
• Developing and applying financial models in support of contract development, negotiation and commercial evaluation.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Commerce or Engineering, ideally combined with additional graduate or post-graduate education in business or law and/or a professional designation (e.g., CPA, CFA). Equivalent experience will be considered.
• At least eight years of relevant professional experience, including a minimum of five years directly involved in planning or leading commercial negotiations, or playing a significant role in them.
• Demonstrated experience achieving negotiated commercial outcomes in situations involving competing interests, incomplete information, material risk or complex contractual issues.
• Commercial or technical experience in the energy, infrastructure, natural resources, regulated utility or similar sectors is an asset.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to make strategic decisions that consider competing interests, material risks and emerging policies.
• Strong service orientation and experience working with executives, as well as with all levels of an organization.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel for analysis and modelling.
• Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, problem-solving and ability to work well in a fast-paced environment.

Skills:

• Demonstrated commercial negotiation expertise, including developing negotiation strategies and mandates; identifying interests, alternatives, leverage, risks and trade-offs; leading multidisciplinary negotiation teams; negotiating complex contractual and commercial terms; using financial analysis to evaluate offers and develop options; managing difficult negotiations and resolving disputes; securing internal alignment and executive approvals; and translating negotiated outcomes into clear contractual documentation.
• Strong understanding of risk management and financial analysis, valuation and risk management;
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder-engagement skills;
• Proven ability to lead change and implement new business processes in challenging, fast-paced environments.

Additional Information:

• This role is categorized as an Energy Procurement Tech Lead at BC Hydro.
• Minimum 3 Days in Office according to the Hybrid Flexible Work model, including Wednesdays, Thursdays and one other day.
• BC Hydro is an equal opportunity employer. We include everyone. We welcome applications from anyone, including members of visible minorities, women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.