Distribution Planner Jobs in Ontario (NOW HIRING)

Please Note: If you are a current Hydro Ottawa employee with access to Workday, apply to this job via the Workday application.

At Hydro Ottawa, we empower the lives of the people in the communities we serve.

We help to power your professional growth at every step of your engineering career. For those starting out, we provide the training and skills needed to achieve your P.Eng. designation, and for established engineers, our structured framework offers a clear, transparent pathways to intermediate and senior levels. Wherever you are in your career, there's a path for growth ahead of you here.

As the electricity distributor to the Nation's Capital, our work powers the essential activities that make up our lives - at home, at work and at play. And as Ontario's largest municipally-owned producer of green power, we are leading the way to a greener tomorrow.

We are seeking a Distribution Short-Term Planning Engineer, a strategic thinker who can take initiatives from concept to completion and engineer the way to a smart energy future.

Are you ready to make a difference in our community?

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Supervisor, Distribution Engineering, the Distribution Short-Term Planning (DSTP) Engineer drives the immediate capacity, reliability, and customer integration of Hydro Ottawa's distribution system. This role oversees tactical connection planning and near-term capacity management frameworks. By evaluating evolving customer connection demands and managing day-to-day grid engineering, the DSTP Engineer ensures that short-term planning decisions-from load and Distribution Energy Resource (DER) assessments to current-year capital execution-are practical, data-driven, and compliant with regulatory and system standards. Additionally, the DSTP Engineer provides technical guidance and operational support to operational teams and project stakeholders to ensure that grid modernization activities and new connections are executed safely and efficiently.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Execute capacity checks, large load inquiries, city circulations and new customer design reviews (including electric vehicle charging capacity checks and large load requests) to ensure effective grid integration.

• Perform detailed engineering assessments, Preliminary Connection Reviews, and Connection Impact Assessments for all DERs in strict adherence to regulatory standards (e.g., Distribution System Code and Ontario Energy Board Distributed Energy Resources Connection Procedure).

• Issue Planning Directives to manage and control the safe, reliable operation of the distribution system. Fulfill operational requests for reliability improvements, and conduct current-state peak reviews and contingency analyses.

• Support the execution of the current-year, in-flight capital projects process through to final energization, successfully transitioning low-to-medium complexity distribution planning directives into tangible projects.

• Advance the technical workflow for connections, championing internal efficiency for DERs and interconnection tasks while maintaining rigorous data quality assurance.

• Provide expert technical support to field operations, collaborating on system deficiency investigations to formulate immediate, actionable recommendations that enhance grid efficiency and reliability.

• Identify and formalize tactical gaps or emerging localized system trends (such as clustered EV adoption), delivering this critical localized trend data to the Distribution Long-Term Planning team to refine annual load forecasting models.

• Contribute to the routine development and maintenance of local engineering standards, standards applications, and operational guidelines to ensure safety and quality across daily field interfaces.

• Represent Hydro Ottawa at external working groups and conferences to stay aligned with evolving industry trends and transfer innovative reliability insights into the organization.

• Participate in Hydro Ottawa's Electricity Emergency Response Program (EERP) including potential after-hours and or on-call responsibilities, as required.

• Lead special projects and perform other related duties as required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Undergraduate degree in Engineering from an accredited university

• Professional Engineer, licensed or able to be licensed in the province of Ontario

• Hands-on experience in customer connection management, distribution design review, and short-term utility execution is highly desired

• Proficiency in Power Engineering Software tools such as CYME, PiVision, and GIS is considered a strong operational asset

• Knowledge of Ontario's energy sector distribution codes and connection frameworks (e.g., DSC, DERCP) considered an asset

• Experience with Enterprise Asset Management and Enterprise Resource Planning systems considered an asset

• Experience in Lean Six Sigma or other continuous improvement frameworks considered an asset

• Strong computer skills; proficient in the use of office productivity and collaboration tools, preferably Google Workspace

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• English essential, both oral and written; Bilingual (English/French) considered an asset

This is a management group opportunity and salary will be commensurate with qualifications.

Hydro Ottawa offers a Hybrid Work Model. Hybrid work is position specific, details of the hybrid model will be discussed with successful candidates.

Hydro Ottawa may use artificial intelligence ("AI") during the recruitment process to aid in the screening and selection of candidates.

Location:Ottawa, ON

This is a management group opportunity. The annual salary range for this position identified below depends on experience, education, and professional designation.

Pay Range Minimum:$89,420.99Pay Range Maximum:$134,130.81Posting End Date (if applicable):September 30, 2026

Hydro Ottawa is committed to establishing a qualified workforce that reflects the diverse population it serves and we encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We are also committed to preventing and removing barriers to employment for people with disabilities, and we invite you to inform us should you have any accessibility or accommodation needs.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada.