How to apply for Sr. Specialist, Commercial PJM

About Capital Power

Capital Power is a growth-oriented North American power producer committed to decarbonization, operating a diverse fleet of natural gas, wind, and solar assets across the U.S. and Canada. What sets them apart is their clear 'net zero by 2050' strategy paired with real commercial pragmatism—they're actively optimizing existing assets while building new renewable capacity. For someone in commercial power project management, this means working at the intersection of energy transition and complex market economics, not just maintaining the status quo.

About the role

This Sr. Specialist, Commercial PJM role is the commercial nerve center for Capital Power's PJM assets—you'll be the person who translates market signals, regulatory shifts, and operational realities into strategies that protect and grow asset value. You'll lead cross-functional teams through complex contract negotiations (PPAs, long-term service agreements) and manage critical relationships with JV partners and counterparties. It's a high-visibility role where your commercial decisions directly impact the fleet's bottom line in one of the most complex deregulated markets in North America.

A typical day

Your morning might start with a call with the operations team to understand an unplanned outage and its commercial implications, followed by a strategy session with legal on a PPA amendment. After lunch, you're reviewing a regulatory filing that could impact capacity revenues, then joining a JV partner call to align on a commercial dispute. You'll end the day briefing finance on the revenue impact of a proposed contract restructure—constantly switching between market analysis, relationship management, and strategic execution.

Who Capital Power is looking for

• 5+ years in deregulated power markets with deep PJM-specific experience—you understand capacity auctions, FTRs, congestion, and how generation assets actually make money in PJM
• Proven contract negotiator who has led or heavily supported PPAs, tolling agreements, or long-term service agreements from term sheet through execution and ongoing compliance
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity across functions—you can hold your own with traders, engineers, legal counsel, and regulatory affairs, and you know when to pull each into a decision
• Analytically sharp with a commercial mindset—you can model asset value scenarios, assess regulatory impacts, and translate complex power market dynamics into clear recommendations for leadership

Tips for this application

• Lead with PJM-specific experience in your resume summary—Capital Power needs someone who already knows the market rules, not someone who can learn them. Name-drop specific PJM mechanisms you've worked with (capacity performance, RPM, FTRs, etc.).
• Quantify your contract negotiation wins—dollar values, terms improved, risk mitigated. For example: 'Negotiated PPA amendment that preserved $X MM in annual revenue by restructuring delivery obligations.'
• Highlight cross-functional leadership examples where you coordinated legal, operations, and finance to execute a commercial strategy—this role is explicitly about leading SME teams, so show you've done it.
• Research Capital Power's specific PJM asset portfolio (they have gas assets in PJM) and reference how your experience maps to optimizing those types of assets in your cover letter or resume bullets.
• If you have experience with joint venture partner management, call it out explicitly—this role manages JV relationships, and that's a specific skill set that many commercial candidates lack.

What to cover in your cover letter

["Your hands-on PJM market expertise and a specific example of how you've optimized commercial value for a generation asset in that market—show you understand the RTO's rules and revenue streams.", 'A concrete contract negotiation story where you led a complex agreement (PPA, LTSA, or similar) from strategy through execution, including how you managed internal stakeholders and external counterparties.', 'Your ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority—give an example of aligning operations, legal, and finance around a commercial strategy or deal.', 'Why Capital Power specifically—tie their decarbonization strategy and PJM presence to your career goals and what you bring to their commercial optimization efforts.']

Research before applying

• Capital Power's specific asset portfolio in PJM—which plants do they own, what fuel types, and what are their capacity positions? Understand the commercial profile of those assets.
• Recent PJM capacity auction results and any pending regulatory changes (e.g., FERC filings, capacity performance rules) that could impact Capital Power's assets.
• Capital Power's decarbonization strategy and how their PJM gas assets fit into their net-zero goals—this role likely involves navigating the tension between optimizing existing gas assets and long-term decarbonization.
• Capital Power's recent investor presentations and earnings calls for language around commercial optimization, PJM market outlook, and any JV partnerships they've discussed publicly.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk us through a complex commercial negotiation you led in a deregulated power market. What was your strategy, who were the stakeholders, and what was the outcome?
• How do you assess and quantify the commercial impact of a regulatory change in PJM (e.g., a capacity market rule change or transmission upgrade) on a generation asset?
• Describe a time you had to align operations, legal, and finance teams around a commercial decision. How did you handle conflicting priorities?
• What's your approach to managing a joint venture partner relationship when commercial interests diverge? Give a specific example.
• How do you stay current on PJM market developments, and can you share a recent market or regulatory shift you've been tracking and its potential implications for asset value?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Being vague about your power market experience—if you can't speak specifically to PJM mechanisms or how generation assets generate revenue, you'll lose credibility immediately. Don't apply if you only have general energy industry experience without deregulated market exposure.
• Focusing only on technical or engineering aspects without demonstrating commercial acumen—this role is about optimizing value, not running plants. Your application should lead with commercial impact, not operational details.
• Ignoring the contract negotiation and stakeholder management requirements—if your resume doesn't show experience leading complex agreements and managing cross-functional relationships, you'll appear underqualified for a senior specialist role.