Lead Solution Architect
Lead Solution Architect

Lead Solution Architect

Full-Time 43200 - 72000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
BP Energy

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead the architecture of innovative energy trading solutions and modernise our trading platform.
  • Company: Join bp, a leader in the energy sector, driving technology for real-time decision-making.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities to work with cutting-edge technology.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of energy trading while collaborating with talented teams and solving complex challenges.
  • Qualifications: Degree in a technical field and deep experience in Gas/Power trading required.
  • Other info: No travel required; remote work not available.

The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.

At bp, we are reimagining how our trading organisation uses technology to unlock new value, strengthen decision-making, and support a rapidly evolving energy landscape. As our Lead Solution Architect for Gas and Power Trading, you will guide the next generation of our trading platform—one that is modern, scalable, and built to meet the real-time demands of global commodity markets. This is a high-impact role where deep domain expertise meets modern engineering, and where your architectural leadership will shape bp's capability for years to come.

What you will do

In this role, you will lead the end-to-end architecture of our bespoke energy trading solutions. We work closely with traders, product owners, market experts, and engineering teams, and you will bring these viewpoints together to create solutions that are both technically robust and aligned with business ambition. You will help us modernise our trading platform by applying contemporary design patterns, cloud-native engineering principles, and architectural thinking that supports performance, scalability, and future growth. Throughout the delivery lifecycle, you will provide guidance, ensure alignment across internal and external teams, and champion technical excellence. You will also play a central part in re-designing trading capabilities across front-, middle-, and back-office workflows, ensuring that every component—from deal capture to optimisation and reporting—works seamlessly together.

Key areas of focus include:

  • Architecture & Design: You will lead architectural direction for our trading systems, documenting key decisions, making thoughtful trade-offs, and ensuring that every design reflects both functional needs and technical strategy. You will translate complex requirements into solutions that are scalable, maintainable, and ready for real-world trading conditions.
  • Domain Expertise & Advisory: We depend on your practical knowledge of physical Gas and/or Power trading. You will act as a trusted advisor throughout delivery, supporting design reviews, guiding change initiatives, and helping our business teams understand how architecture decisions support their goals.
  • Collaboration & Communication: You will work closely with product owners, developers, designers, data engineers, vendor partners, and consultants. Because our trading platform touches so many teams, clear communication and strong coordination will be essential to ensure smooth progress and shared understanding.
  • Lifecycle Leadership & Operational Excellence: You will apply strong knowledge of the energy trading lifecycle to ensure the solutions we build are robust, resilient, and ready for operational use. We follow Agile ways of working and promote DevOps and CI/CD practices—values that you will help reinforce across teams.

What you will need to be successful

Required:

  • A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field.
  • Deep experience in physical Gas and/or Power trading, including contract optionality, optimisation, scheduling, and an understanding of full lifecycle trade processes.
  • Strong knowledge of options modelling and dependency graph concepts.
  • Hands-on experience designing modern trading systems using microservices, messaging, caching, and cloud-native patterns.

Architecture & Engineering Skills:

  • Data Architecture: You bring strong experience designing data models for both transactional and analytical systems, understand reconciliation processes, and are familiar with real-time reporting, distributed caching, and unstructured databases such as MongoDB.
  • Technical Architecture: You are confident with modern design patterns, AWS cloud services, C# or Java, containerisation (Kubernetes, Docker, OpenShift), and infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform. Familiarity with React for UI development is highly valuable.
  • Integration Expertise: You understand real-time messaging such as AMQ, API design using JSON and Swagger, and batch processing methods commonly used in trading systems.
  • Infrastructure & DevOps: You understand CI/CD workflows, Git-based repositories, automation tools such as Ansible, cloud infrastructure management, and grid computing approaches that support scalability and cost efficiency.

Soft Skills & Delivery Experience:

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
  • Ability to operate independently or within small agile teams.
  • Excellent communication skills—written, verbal, and visual.
  • Collaborative mindset and comfort working across multiple disciplines.
  • Experience applying Agile frameworks to complex technology environments.

Technical Must-Haves:

  • Microservices architecture and containerisation.
  • Cloud hosting (AWS strongly preferred).
  • Messaging and caching patterns.

Functional Must-Haves:

  • Full lifecycle understanding of physical energy trading (Gas and/or Power).

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to influence one of bp's most critical trading platforms and help shape how we build technology that supports real-time decision-making in fast-moving markets. You will work alongside talented engineers, market experts, and product teams who are passionate about solving complex problems in innovative ways. If you enjoy designing systems that push boundaries and want to make a meaningful impact—this role offers exactly that!

Inclusive Hiring Statement: We’re committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and supported. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and will provide reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you need adjustments at any stage, please let us know—we're happy to help.

Travel Requirement: No travel is expected with this role.

Relocation Assistance: This role is not eligible for relocation.

Remote Type: This position is not available for remote working.

Lead Solution Architect employer: BP Energy

At bp, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. As a Lead Solution Architect, you will have the opportunity to shape cutting-edge trading solutions while working alongside talented professionals in a supportive environment that values diversity and inclusion. With a strong focus on employee growth and development, bp provides numerous opportunities for career advancement and the chance to make a meaningful impact in the rapidly evolving energy sector.
BP Energy

Contact Detail:

BP Energy Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Lead Solution Architect

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to industry contacts on LinkedIn or attend relevant meetups. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.

✨Tip Number 2

Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to solution architecture. Think about how your experience aligns with the role at bp, especially in gas and power trading.

✨Tip Number 3

Showcase your expertise! Bring examples of your past projects to interviews, especially those that highlight your architectural leadership and technical skills in modern trading systems.

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining bp.

We think you need these skills to ace Lead Solution Architect

Architecture & Design
Domain Expertise in Gas and Power Trading
Collaboration & Communication
Lifecycle Leadership
Operational Excellence
Data Architecture
Technical Architecture
Integration Expertise
Infrastructure & DevOps
Microservices Architecture
Cloud Hosting (AWS)
Messaging and Caching Patterns
Agile Frameworks
Analytical Skills
Problem-Solving Skills

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Lead Solution Architect role. Highlight your expertise in Gas and Power trading, as well as your architectural leadership experience. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about this role and how your background makes you the perfect fit. Don't forget to mention specific projects or achievements that showcase your skills in modern trading systems.

Showcase Your Technical Skills: We’re looking for someone with strong technical skills, so make sure to highlight your experience with microservices, cloud-native patterns, and data architecture. Use examples from your past work to demonstrate your hands-on experience and problem-solving abilities.

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re serious about joining our team at bp!

How to prepare for a job interview at BP Energy

✨Know Your Stuff

Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of physical Gas and Power trading. Be ready to discuss contract optionality, optimisation, and the full lifecycle trade processes. This will show that you’re not just familiar with the concepts but can also apply them in real-world scenarios.

✨Showcase Your Technical Skills

Prepare to talk about your hands-on experience with modern trading systems, especially around microservices and cloud-native patterns. Highlight any projects where you've used AWS, C#, or Java, and be ready to discuss how you’ve implemented CI/CD practices in your previous roles.

✨Communicate Clearly

Since collaboration is key in this role, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Use examples from past experiences where you successfully worked with cross-functional teams. This will demonstrate your ability to coordinate effectively and ensure everyone is on the same page.

✨Think Architecturally

Be prepared to discuss architectural decisions you've made in the past. Think about how you documented key decisions and made trade-offs. This will help you convey your architectural thinking and how it aligns with business ambitions, which is crucial for this position.

Land your dream job quicker with Premium

You’re marked as a top applicant with our partner companies
Individual CV and cover letter feedback including tailoring to specific job roles
Be among the first applications for new jobs with our AI application
1:1 support and career advice from our career coaches
Go Premium

Money-back if you don't land a job in 6-months

>