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.
The Process Engineer provides chemical and process engineering expertise to Fuel & Low Carbon Technology, Oil & Gas Technology and Wells Fluid teams, supporting operational assets ranging from pilot plants to laboratory‑scale equipment. The role delivers process engineering input to asset modifications, reliability improvements, and operational optimisation activities.
The engineer acts as the focal point for process design, engineering assurance, and technical risk management across projects and operating units, ensuring solutions meet bp Engineering Technical Practices (ETPs), HSSE requirements, and inherently safer design principles.
Accountable for the chemical engineering integrity of operating equipment and associated ancillaries, the role assures safe design and operation of plant and laboratory systems, provides assurance of third‑party designs, and plays an integral role in leading and participating in formal process safety and risk management activities.
This is where bp’s physical research and development work happens; we cover the science behind everything bp does. We lead scientific innovation right through the lifecycle - from research, product development, demonstration, technical scale-up, commercialization and support for users in the real world.
This is an opportunity to join a business with an envious position touching and working with many of bp’s internal businesses and external partners in supporting today’s opportunities whilst focussing on delivering the future technologies.
Job purpose and primary objectives:
This role plays a key part in the assurance of chemical engineering principles within an R&D business and will provide oversight and verification of the standardised engineering delivery and detailed engineering solutions.
The role will also provide operational line technical query support to the operating teams across our operating sites.
Success is developing and assuring our inherently safer design, safe systems of work, whilst facing the challenges of a research, development and technology driven business.
Key responsibilities include:
Provide day‑to‑day chemical and process engineering support to research teams, operations, and infrastructure assets, delivering integrated engineering solutions across the wider engineering team.
Support resolution of operational issues by monitoring equipment reliability, troubleshooting performance, and proactively identifying improvement opportunities.
Lead process design activities for projects, ensuring compliance with bp Engineering Technical Practices (ETPs), HSSE requirements, and inherently safer design principles.
Provide oversight, assurance, and technical challenge of engineering contractor process deliverables.
Act as a coordination focal point between contractors, bp SMEs, and operations teams to ensure effective technical integration.
Support modification, upgrade, and optimisation of assets and equipment owned or operated by site teams.
Lead and support Management of Change (MOC) activities using approved assurance processes, ensuring deviations are formally assessed, authorised, and documented.
Validate refinery or facility operating data used in process design and ensure designs reflect future operating scenarios and system transitions.
Own and maintain Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) and Major Accident Frequency (MAF) registers, ensuring full compliance through change management.
Lead and participate in hazard identification and risk assessment activities, including HAZID, HAZOP, PHSSER, and LOPA.
Ensure safe operating limits, pressure relief systems, and safeguards meet bp engineering and process safety requirements.
Provide process safety input to MOCs and support Process Safety Reviews (PSRs).
Support identification, definition, and delivery of capital investment programmes for infrastructure assets, including commissioning and initial operation of new equipment.
Support the Senior Chemical Engineer in maintaining site process safety and engineering integrity, contributing to development and continuous improvement of site engineering systems, processes, and procedures.
Support FEED and pre‑FEED scoping, particularly for concept evaluation and innovation projects.
Select system components to ensure material suitability and chemical compatibility for defined operating conditions.
Provide assurance of pressure vessel design, inspection, testing regimes, code compliance, and technical analysis.
Deliver risk‑based assurance for safety‑critical equipment, supporting development and implementation of planned preventative maintenance strategies.
Provide technical assurance of third‑party design proposals.
Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and advise on their appropriate application.
Deliver technical training and mentoring to engineers and operations personnel, supporting capability development and continuous improvement.
Participate in Root Cause and Failure Analysis (RCFA) to address reliability and safety issues.
Assure ongoing technical integrity of mechanical and process systems through active development and review of P&IDs and Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs).
Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in chemical/ process engineering or related discipline relevant to chemical/ process engineering.
Experience in refinery, research, pilot plant or complex industrial operations
Good working knowledge of industry standards
Strong leadership skills, ability to influence and drive decisions.
Fluent written and spoken English language.
Good communicator, able to technically address with conviction verbally and written across Projects and Operations on technical matters at all levels of the company.
Able to demonstrate pragmatism when balancing technical decisions and operational needs (deliver safe & competitive solutions).
Desirable criteria and qualifications
Professional Engineer and/or Chartered chemical Engineer status
5+ years’ experience of research and development scale projects
Knowledge and experience of laboratory scale equipment and gas systems.
Working knowledge with relevant standards
Experience with RCFA investigations
Experience with HAZOP/HAZID, Process Safety Reviews and risk assessments
Experience of working across different cultures, supporting different operating regions and engaging with a wide variety of customers or suppliers.
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 is fundamental to achieving our ambition to be a net zero company by 2050 or sooner!
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
Additional Information
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Even though the job is advertised as full time, please contact the hiring manager or the recruiter as flexible working arrangements may be considered.
We support our people to learn and grow in a diverse and challenging environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to crafting an inclusive environment in which everyone is respected and treated fairly.
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, collaboration spaces in a modern office environment, and many others benefits.
Legal Disclaimer:
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity/neurocognitive functioning, 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.
