Robotics & Autonomy Unit Lead

The Robotics & Autonomy Unit Lead role provides enterprise leadership and strategic accountability for bp’s automation agenda across facilities, ensuring coherent strategy, disciplined portfolio governance and safe, outcome-focused deployment into Upstream. The role sets the direction, guardrails and standards within which robotics, sensors and production technology delivery portfolios and squads operate, and is accountable for portfolio-level outcomes, risk management and capability maturity, rather than day-to-day delivery execution.

What you will do...

• Set strategy, priorities and sequencing for the full automation portfolio across facilities aligned to Upstream strategic objectives and business plans.
• Own portfolio-level value delivery, ensuring investment decisions are value-led, outcomes are realised through adoption, and benefits are sustained in operations.
• Establish and govern portfolio architecture, design principles and delivery guardrails, including reference architectures, patterns, standards and assurance expectations across all automation domains.
• Define and manage financial FM.
• Provide portfolio-level governance of HSSE, ITR, cyber and operational risk, ensuring technology readiness, deployment assurance and compliance prior to scaling.
• Lead portfolio-level risk, dependency and readiness management, including cross-domain interdependencies that sit above individual programmes or squads.
• Develop a standardised approach for moving from R&D to 'Operate'.
• Shape and govern vendor, partner and category strategy, ensuring long-term commercial coherence, technical consistency and effective relationship management and avoidance of fragmented point solutions.
• Drive enterprise-wide standardisation and reuse of automation methods, platforms, data models and architectures to reduce complexity and lifecycle cost and patterns for rapid scaling and global deployment.
• Build and sustain organisational capability, including developing leaders, strengthening communities of practice and embedding automation expertise within squads.
• Facilitate connections with Universities to develop capabilities that are not currently available from industry.
• Ensure end-to-end digital and OT integration, including digital security compliance, enabling operator-ready, intelligence-enhanced insights through high-quality, trusted and governed data flows.
• Act as a senior authority and decision maker, providing clear direction, arbitration and critical issue resolution across automation domains and senior partners.
• Keep up to date with 'state of the art' in robotics and sensors with membership/participation in industrial forums.

What you will bring...

• Demonstrated leadership of large, complex, multi-discipline and multi-site portfolios operating at enterprise scale with end-to-end accountability for portfolio strategy, planning, prioritisation, value delivery, cost and risk governance, and performance outcomes.
• Ability to build and manage strong relationships at a senior level.
• Deep Upstream operational expertise, with the credibility and judgement to set strategic direction for automation in live, safety-critical environments.
• Proven ability to define and govern portfolio strategy, balancing value, risk, cost, capability maturity and long-term sustainability.
• Track record of building, scaling and sustaining high-performing cross-domain organisations, including squads and communities of practice.
• Track record in driving innovation across bp's global portfolio and experience providing senior technical and strategic oversight across automation, advanced sensing/robotics and decision intelligence.
• Strong enterprise-level influence and governance capability, operating effectively with VPs, SVPs, functional leaders and external partners.
• Expertise in technology qualification, readiness assessment, scaling and standardisation, including progression from pilot to enterprise deployment.
• Track record in operations delivery, including innovation and strong capability in portfolio value management, prioritisation and optimisation of interdependencies across domains and investment horizons.
• Able to operate confidently as a single-point authority for automation strategy, standards and portfolio outcomes.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with experience influencing senior leadership and driving alignment across complex organisations.

Why join us?

We’re committed to supporting leaders who want to make an impact. At bp, you’ll have the chance to shape and influence outcomes across businesses. You’ll be part of an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and where your contribution to performance and integration matters. We invest in the growth and wellbeing of our people, providing the resources, networks, and development opportunities needed to thrive. Our total rewards package includes competitive pay, bonuses, share options, and a range of flexible benefits designed to meet your needs — from healthcare and retirement plans to paid time off and agile working. We recognise that people have multifaceted lives, and we strive to offer a career experience that reflects that.

Location

Please note that while this position is based in our Sunbury office, this will move to Southwark, London by end 2027.

Travel Requirement

Up to 10% 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.

Future Location Notice: This role will start in Sunbury, London. bp has announced a planned office move to Timber Square, London, with all positions currently advertised in Sunbury, including this one, expected to relocate around Q4 2027-Q1 2028. This presents an exciting opportunity for all employees and leaders to come together in one London location. The specific date of the move will be confirmed closer to the time.

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 contact us. 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.