Military Placement Programme (MPP)
BP’s supply and trading business offers a fantastic structured placement programme, giving top military leavers the opportunity to gain commercial experience at BP
If successful in gaining a place on the programme, you’ll complete a 12-month paid placement in which you’ll receive all the training and development you’ll need to deliver great things. With the support of a dedicated mentor, you’ll gain a good understanding of the wider supply and trading business as you develop your skills and knowledge to go on to apply for a permanent position.
Placements
Placements will be in our London, Chicago and Houston offices. Each role on the military placement programme offers a different experience. Review the role descriptions below and choose the one which most appeals to you. You can apply to one position only and must have the right to work in the country to which you apply. You will ideally be available for full-time employment for 12 months from May 2020, but start dates can be flexible.
Our Global Oil Americas (GOA) business unit handles the supply and trading activities for BP's oil and chemical businesses in the Americas. The business unit and majority of our 800+ staff are headquartered in downtown Chicago, IL. Here we have a dynamic and skilled workforce which creates value by combining analysis and commercial innovation with the material asset base of BP.
In this role, you will play an integral role in the day-to-day operations of BP’s Integrated supply and trading projects. You will support the supply and trading team with drafting project plans, planning project schedules, maintaining and developing planning tools, templates and examples to identify risks, identify ways to improve project planning through project reviews, and create customer and marketing presentations.
To join us, you’ll need:
- A bachelor’s degree.
- To be a highly self-motivated worker who takes initiative and can multitask effectively.
- To be flexible and adaptable, with the ability to build relationships and work as a part of a team.
- The ability to plan, direct, execute and monitor activities to complete tasks on time based on industry standards.
- Strong written and verbal communication, presentation skills, the ability to develop training tools and templates, and proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Our Global Oil Americas (GOA) business unit handles the supply and trading activities for BP's oil and chemical businesses in the Americas. The business unit and majority of our 800+ staff are headquartered in downtown Chicago, IL. Here, we have a dynamic and skilled workforce which creates value by combining analysis and commercial innovation with the material asset base of BP.
As an HSSE analyst, you will be responsible for coordinating Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) requests and databases, maintaining re-assessment lists and following up with scheduling asset assessments, helping to complete assessments by joining the team onsite, and providing support on GOA crisis and community management, as well as to the HSSE data administrator.
To join us, you’ll need:
- A bachelor’s degree.
- To be a highly self-motivated worker who takes initiative and can multitask effectively.
- To be flexible and adaptable, with the ability to build relationships and work as a part of a team.
- The ability to plan, direct, execute and monitor activities to complete tasks on time.
- Strong written and verbal communication, presentation skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Within BP Supply & trading, our North America Gas & Power (NAGP) business unit handles the supply and trading of natural gas and power in the North American energy market. Its business model is based on the growth of customer-facing businesses, underpinned by BP's supply position, web of interconnected assets, and world-class trading capabilities.
The transportation services representative (Gas Scheduler) is responsible for providing transactional analysis and scheduling, working with a team of regional traders and schedulers to optimise and accurately provide activities on pipelines in support of the Trading organisation.
Day-to-day tasks will include: making required natural gas nominations to various pipelines using the appropriate computer systems; assuring flow of equity and 3rd party production; working directly with Trading and M&O teams to correct imbalances as required; communicating market intelligence to trading teams; and many other responsibilities.
To join us, you’ll need:
- Military service experience in a US Armed Services Branch.
- A Bachelor’s Degree.
- Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently.
- Good time management skills and ability to work to deadlines.
- Self-motivated, proactive, and possess a strong desire to grow and expand in knowledge and responsibilities.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, while maintaining a professional attitude and provide exceptional customer service with a strong business acumen.
- Ability to deal with detailed transactions and properly report and communicate trading activity.
- To be able to support change initiatives and identify continuous improvement opportunities.
- Strong written and verbal communication, presentation skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
- To demonstrate a commitment to safety and compliance in line with BP values.
Origination is the customer relationship building process that ultimately connects chemical plants and other Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) consumers with producers. BP Supply & trading’s global NGL (GNGL) origination team holds a leadership position within the industry across all aspects of the value chain: production, processing, supply, logistics, marketing. The role of the operations analyst is to work with originators and other analysts to provide data research on customers and industry information to allow BP to expand its leadership position throughout the world.
BP’s NGL originators rely on the origination analysts to provide analytical support on commercial opportunities and insights into global trends and customer activities. Some of the insights include industry and regulatory information as well as discussions on how these trends may affect BP resources and profits.
The operations analyst will also work closely with Trading, Credit, Finance, Contracts and Legal to ensure data integrity while creating reports, marketing materials, and presentations for BP NGL originators as well as BP’s external counterparties.
To join us, you’ll need:
- Military service experience in a US Armed Services Branch.
- A Bachelor’s Degree.
- Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently.
- Good time management skills and ability to work to deadlines.
- Self-motivated, proactive, and possess a strong desire to grow and expand in knowledge and responsibilities.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, while maintaining a professional attitude and provide exceptional customer service with a strong business acumen.
- Ability to deal with detailed transactions and properly report and communicate trading activity.
- To be able to support change initiatives and identify continuous improvement opportunities.
- Strong written and verbal communication, presentation skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
- To demonstrate a commitment to safety and compliance in line with BP values.
Please check back, more positions opening for applications soon...
Veteran profiles
Role on MPP: commodity risk analyst
The MPP is a one-year programme that teaches you what it’s like to work at BP. When I first joined, it was definitely a quicker pace than I thought it would be. I’m used to fast-paced, day-to-day activities, and I like that.
For me, the whole one-team aspect is something that's really important, what with my military background. We come from many different races, geographies, and social economic upbringings. At BP, we're all one team trying to achieve our goal of supplying clients with the best product.
If you want to work somewhere that has the camaraderie and focus on that one big goal, just like you have in the military, come join BP.
Role on MPP: distribution analyst
I’d had an interest in oil and gas for a few years and I felt that MPP would be a great introduction to the industry. It would allow me to fill industry-specific gaps in my skill set so, when the time came for a permanent role, I could excel.
Role on MPP: GEP analyst
What stood out about the supply and trading scheme was that it is quite small and targeted, meaning BP really invest time and training in you. They give you a specific role which allows you to develop your sector knowledge and insight, but you’re also given a lot of support to network and have exposure to all sides of the business. From day one you have a sense of purpose and a role to carry out. In the military you make decisions in a strategic way, in a short time frame – and at BP those skills are really valued. It’s a perfect opportunity for anyone with an inquisitive mind who likes to be challenged. There’s so much variety and so many exciting projects - there’s never a dull moment. You really are given the time and support that you need. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
Role on MPP: project coordinator
There are a number of similarities between BP and the military – a strong emphasis on values and standards being one of many that unify the workforce. The diversity of character within BP reflects, in parts, the military’s composition, enabling value to be added through ability rather than title. My role here at BP has given me the opportunity to engage across the functional areas, exposing me to the full breadth of BP’s supply and trading business. I’ve spent time from the trading floor to a BP vessel discharging gasoline at terminal, which all helps to build the bigger business picture.
Role on MPP: director, veteran outreach
Having gained an MBA from the University of Chicago when in the navy, Frank was working as an investment banker when he first came into contact with BP. At the time their structured products team was looking for someone with his unique experience and quickly recruited him. He found it easy to translate the skills he’d learnt in the navy to BP – those of leadership, working as a team under pressure and delivering goals within specified timeframes. Being a large company, he cites the multiple career paths and opportunities available at BP as appealing to veterans. For him, he enjoys the variety of work and the fact that no two days are the same.
What to expect during the programme
As well as receiving technical training, business exposure and commercial experience, you can expect:
- A real role with real responsibilities and deliverables.
- Specific induction to support your transition into BP.
- A competitive salary.
- Support from a dedicated business mentor.
- CV and interview skills sessions.
- Networking opportunities
- Help to identify and apply for suitable permanent positions.
Whether your long-term career remains within BP or not, completion of our placement programme will give you the best possible start in meeting your post-military career aspirations.
Learning and development
You’ll develop core skills and knowledge through on-the-job and formal training. Combining role-specific with broad industry learning, you’ll gain a firm understanding of your responsibilities, the wider business, and how to perform to the best of your capabilities in that context.
Your training will be tailored to the skills and knowledge required for your role within the business.
Courses may include:
- Introduction to energy markets and refining.
- Energy trading operations.
- Finance and risk training.
- Systems and Excel training.
You’ll also be able to benefit from any presentations, learning and networking opportunities run by the business during their time on the programme.
Our programme enables you to gain work experience within one part of BP’s supply and trading business while you seek out a full-time role from within the BP business. Our direct hire opportunities offer the chance to move into full-time roles at a level commensurate with your experience.
Who we're looking for
Service leavers can offer unrivalled experience, outstanding personal qualities and a wealth of transferable skills that will be of considerable benefit to our supply and trading business.
By definition, military personnel are self-disciplined, highly motivated and results-driven. You’ll have been tested in highly demanding and pressurised situations. Quick to learn, you pick up new skills and adapt to new circumstances easily. You take responsibility for your actions and get things done, whatever it takes.
Why join BP?
Supply and trading is a global business employing over 3,000 people. Diversity is one of our core strengths and we aim to have a workforce that’s representative of the societies in which we operate.
This means attracting, developing and retaining the best talent – wherever that may come from. Our ability to be competitive and thrive globally depends on it.
The recruitment of those who have served in our armed forces will add to the mix of skills, experience and perspectives that we have already. What’s more, ex-military personnel have lived our values in the career they’ve enjoyed so far.
About supply and trading
Supply and trading is BP’s face to the traded markets in oil, gas, power, chemicals and finance. Supply and trading has a distinct capability through its people, their skills and know-how, risk management approach, systems and control processes. It creates value for BP by combining those capabilities with the dynamic and material asset base of BP. It’s a global business, with key locations in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia.