Trading Operator

bp; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Parental leave

Retirement benefits

Disability accommodation

Job summary

bp is seeking Trading Operators to lead the contractual and financial performance of sales and purchase agreements, working with traders to protect value and manage risk in physical transactions. You will optimise tank storage, track stock positions and maintain compliance across the trade lifecycle.

The role emphasizes strong commercial judgement, ownership of operational decisions and proactive risk management within bp’s Hybrid work model in London or UK hubs.

Qualifications

• Ownership and accountability for decision making within operations remit.
• Ability to assess operational risk and make balanced decisions under pressure.
• Experience in commodities trading or related operations is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Front Office teams to translate commercial intent into safe, compliant delivery.
• Create operational plans to maximise value and manage risk of physical contracts.
• Manage bp owned and third-party tankage to track stock positions and efficiency.
• Develop relationships with traders, third parties and internal teams to balance commercial tension.
• Understand bp contractual agreements to maximise value and ensure compliance.
• Identify and mitigate operational, contractual and compliance risks across trade lifecycle.
• Coordinate with Cargo Assurance and external inspectors for product quality and integrity.
• Ensure adherence to HSSE and bp policies across all operations.

Skills

Ancillary cost management

Commercial Acumen

Communication

Competitor intelligence

Customer service delivery excellence

Demurrage

Developing and implementing strategy

Influencing

Inventory Management

Listening

Marine assurance

Mentoring

Negotiating

Problem Solving

Sentiment and Trends

Shipping/transport

Supply chain management

Trade discipline and compliance

Trading and scheduling operations

Trading Fundamentals

Trading knowledge

Troubleshooting

Voyage operations

Job description

Entity:

Supply, Trading & Shipping

Job Family Group:

Supply & Trading Group

Job Description:

Trading Operators are at the centre of bp’s physical trading business, managing the delivery of complex global transactions worth millions of dollars and directly influencing commercial outcomes through proactive risk management and operational excellence. Collaborating with a wider range of internal and external parties, Trading Operators are accountable for safe, compliant and commercial delivery of bp’s physical operations.

The RPTE Trading Operations Team comprises approximately 60 Operators across Crude, Products, Biofuels, Chemicals and Marine, bringing together a diverse range of expertise in physical oil movement and commodity trading. Trading Operators are hired from a wide variety of backgrounds to create a team with the breadth required to meet the challenges of today, and tomorrow.

What you will deliver

You will be responsible for the contractual and financial performance of sales and purchase agreements. This will involve working closely with traders to protect and enhance the commercial value of physical transactions through effective operational execution and risk management. Your key accountabilities will include:

• Partner with Front Office teams to understand commercial intent and translate this into safe, compliant, commercial operational delivery.
• Create efficient operational plans to maximise the value and manage the risk of physical trading contract delivery.
• Manage bp owned and third-party tankage to track stock positions, optimise our physical set-up and ensure operational efficiency.
• Develop strong working relationships with traders, third parties, associates and other ST&S departments, maintaining positive relationships with counterparties and service providers whilst holding the appropriate commercial tension.
• Develop a thorough understanding of bp’s contractual agreements, commercial position and applicable third-party contracts to maximise value and ensure compliance.
• Identify, escalat* and mitigate operational, contractual and compliance risks throughout the trade lifecycle.
• Work closely with internal Cargo Assurance teams and external inspectors to maintain product quality and manage product integrity risks.
• Ensure adherence to HSSE and bp policies for all physical operations.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives and support the development of trading and operations systems.

What you will need to be successful

Essential Criteria

• Desire to take ownership and accountability for decision making within operations remit.
• Ability to demonstrate commercial judgement and decision making.
• Ability to assess operational risk and make balanced decisions under pressure.
• Strong stakeholder management, relationship building and influencing skills.
• Ability to handle multiple challenging priorities in a fast-paced trading environment.
• Analytical mindset with excellent attention to detail.
• Confidence to challenge constructively and drive solutions across teams.
• Curiosity and desire to develop a deep understanding of physical operations, trading concepts and commercial drivers.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in commodities trading, supply, logistics, shipping, refining or trading support functions.
• Knowledge of Incoterms and contracts.
• Understanding of financing and credit instruments.
• Familiarity with vessel operations, terminal operations or inventory management.
• Experience working in a risk-controlled environment.

Why join us?

At bp, we support our people to grow in a diverse and exciting environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity.

There are many aspects of our employees’ lives that are meaningful, so we offer benefits to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits can include flexible working options, a generous paid parental leave policy, excellent retirement benefits, among others!

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Travel Requirement

Negligible travel should be expected with this role

Relocation Assistance

This role is not eligible for relocation

Remote Type

This position is a hybrid of office/remote working

Skills

Ancillary cost management, Commercial Acumen, Communication, Competitor intelligence, Customer service delivery excellence, Demurrage, Developing and implementing strategy, Influencing, Inventory Management, Listening, Marine assurance, Mentoring, Negotiating, Problem Solving, Sentiment and Trends, Shipping/transport, Supply chain management, Trade discipline and compliance, Trading and scheduling operations, Trading Fundamentals, Trading knowledge, Troubleshooting, Voyage operations

Legal Disclaimer

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics like race, religion, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status or disability status.Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment/accommodation related to bp’s recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment/accommodation related to the recruitment process, please.

If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.