Career Opportunity
Director, Innovation & Technology

PUC Services Inc (PUC) is a community leader, providing safe and reliable utility services within and around the City of Sault Ste. Marie. With a focus on providing an exceptional customer experience, our services include the supply, treatment and distribution of municipal drinking water, the distribution of electricity, and the operation of wastewater treatment facilities.   

PUC offers a dynamic, challenging, and rewarding work environment that encourages collaboration and innovative thinking. The successful candidate will provide leadership to our innovation and technology team by supporting the advancement of PUC’s mission, vision and strategic priorities. 

Reporting to the Vice President, Corporate Services, the Director, Innovation and Technology is a key member of our leadership team.  This role will lead innovation and transformation by planning, designing, and executing strategic initiatives to align with a future focused approach for PUC and its affiliates.  This position requires a proven innovator who is experienced in change management and passionate about driving digital transformation.  

The Director, Innovation and Technology will primarily be responsible to: 

• Plan, design, develop, and execute the overall five-year strategy of the Innovation and Technology Services (ITS) function across PUC and its affiliates. 
• Provide direction and oversight of the department’s mandates while ensuring quality, reliability, and efficiency of the service provided. 
• Elevate technology to become a market differentiator and support transformative digital enterprise efforts through a long-term technology plan. 
• Enable digital transformation, foster agile responses to evolving internal and external requirements, and provide thought-leadership regarding ITS modernization, including balancing investments in legacy technology and core operating functionality. 
• Establish strong relationships with key stakeholders to drive business improvement and efficiencies, and partner with leaders to exchange information, present new methodologies, and discuss new technologies or advancements. 

• Oversee the development, maintenance and support of the utilities converged infrastructure, data center, collaborative platforms, business intelligence, advanced meter infrastructure, fibre networks, network-to-network interconnects with third party’s alliances, geographic information system (GIS) and mixed communication platforms found in utility operations. 
• Oversee the information technology risk strategy. 
• Inspire and motivate your leadership team to define and execute strategic objectives through effective coaching and mentoring, identify and develop leadership talent, and foster an innovative, collaborative, diverse, and agile culture. 
• Ensure that all departments are compliant with relevant legislation, regulations, and codes. 
• Prepare and review department budget and oversee delivery of programs and projects inclusive of projecting, monitoring, managing, and reporting program costs. 

• Develop and maintain emergency preparedness, response, and contingency plans, considering risk assessments and mitigation strategies, to ensure appropriate response capability. 
• Establish departmental performance targets consistent with corporate and divisional objectives, and 
• Lead change to enable innovation, quality, and efficiency. 

Qualifications: 

• Post-secondary degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related discipline combined with 10 or more years of progressive technology leadership experience, including managing and/or directing an information technology department. 
• Experience or knowledge in project management; change management-intermediate level and Control Objectives for Business and Related Technology (COBIT).
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is an asset.
• Extensive experience modernizing legacy technology, driving digital transformation, and managing challenges related to the integration of existing legacy systems.

• Broad knowledge of technology, including strong expertise with application development, infrastructure, data, and information security. 
• Exceptional strategic thinking and planning, ability to consider impact and opportunities of a fast-changing technology market paired with ability to propose practical implementation approaches. 
• Strong knowledge of the relevant legislation, regulations, standards, and codes. 
• Well-developed analytical, project management, organizational, time management, technical, communication and decision-making skills. 
• Experience with systems design, and development from business requirements analysis through to day-to-day management.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead, influence, motivate and mentor staff towards achieving corporate objectives and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders. 
• Ability to work in an environment that is fast paced, while being able to prioritize multiple, often competing priorities with a positive attitude. 
• Excellent written, oral and presentation skills. 

Please visit ssmpuc.com to learn more about PUC Services Inc.

Resumes stating qualifications and experience can be submitted by email to people.culture@ssmpuc.com by July 29, 2022 quoting the job title noted above.