Refining Operations Lead

Entity:

Technology

Job Family Group:

Research & Technology Group

Job Description:

At bp, we provide an excellent working environment and employee benefits such as an open and inclusive culture, a great work-life balance, tremendous learning and development opportunities to craft your career path, life and health insurance, medical care package and many others.

Who we are

Fuels & Low Carbon Technology (F&LCT) is a global organization of more than 300 technologists, scientists, and engineers who develop groundbreaking solutions across bp’s Fuels, Refining, Bioenergy, and Hydrogen businesses. The organization also supports bp’s wider Technology function through innovation management, modelling, digital science, and academic research partnerships—providing the scientific and engineering foundation that enables bp’s low carbon and operational ambitions.

Within F&LCT, the Bioenergy & Hydrogen Technology (B&HT) team focuses on crafting and scaling technologies that unlock bp’s low carbon growth. The team advances pathways across bioenergy, biogas, SAF, hydrogen, and novel feedstocks, while working closely with bp businesses to ensure solutions meet real operational and commercial needs. B&HT plays a central role in defining bp’s technology direction for today’s energy needs as well as the energy transition by driving innovation from early-stage concepts through deployment ready solutions.

Job Purpose and primary objectives:

We are delighted to present this excellent opportunity for Refining Operations Lead to join our global team of scientists who provide data and insight reaching across bp – from research and innovation into low carbon technologies, to critical business support for our global value chain.

The Research Operations team is expected to work across multiple interfaces to ensure business needs are being met and developed. The team operates complex equipment, including high‑throughput reactors, electrolysers, and bench‑scale systems. These capabilities support bp’s strategic framework across fuels (including biofuels), SAF, biogas, feedstocks, hydrogen, oil and gas, and cross‑cutting low‑carbon initiatives.

Key responsibilities include:

• Deliver safe, standards‑adherent experimental operations, contributing to the development of a proactive safety culture.
• Provide operational leadership by managing day‑to‑day laboratory operations, including scheduling, resource allocation, and equipment maintenance.
• Develop, manage, and deliver the team’s annual programme in line with agreed priorities and available resources.
• Lead and manage the team while building and sustaining a healthy talent pipeline to meet current and future business needs.
• Oversee performance management, including effective technology project management, reliable experimental operations, and the capture and protection of intellectual property.
• Collaborate with business technology colleagues to assess new process and product options, identify core analytical chemistry needs, and deliver or transfer results and insights to meet those needs.
• Manage relevant third‑party relationships as required to support operational and strategic objectives.

Essential Criteria & Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry or a related field, or demonstrate equivalent proven experience, including several years of operational or supervisory experience within a laboratory, pilot plant, industrial, or production environment.
• Record of strong leadership, hands-on mechanical aptitude, proficiency in chemical processes, and high attention to safety (HSSE).
• Proven ability to manage changing priorities, strong organizational skills, and effective communication across R&D.
• Management of operating expenses and continuous improvement of operations (efficiency, effectiveness and capability).
• Experience in leading, mentoring and developing people in a technical function.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience with digital and AI tools in lab/plant operations.
• Management of third-party collaborations.
• Experience with electrolyzers, high throughput or other complex equipment.
• Experience with gas chromatography and other online analytical methods

Other

• Travel – less than 5%.

About bp

Our purpose is to deliver energy to the world, today and tomorrow. For over 100 years, bp has focused on discovering, developing, and producing oil and gas in the nations where we operate. We are one of the few companies globally that can provide governments and customers with an integrated energy offering. Delivering our strategy sustainably i