Government Affairs Manager, Whiting Refinery US

Job summary

Entity:

Gas & Low Carbon Energy

Job Family Group:

Communications & External Affairs Group

Job Description:

About us

Our purpose is to bring together people, energy and markets to power and navigate a changing world. In a time of constant change and possibility we need new talent to pursue commercial opportunities, fueled by world-class insight and expertise. We’re always striving for more innovative digital solutions, sustainable outcomes and closer collaboration across our company and beyond, and you could be part of that too. Together we continue to grow as the world’s leading energy company!

About the role

The Government Affairs Manager, Whiting, primarily supports bp’s Whiting Refinery and is accountable for leading bp’s local external affairs activities in Northwest Indiana focusing on the cities of Whiting, East Chicago, and Hammond. The Manager’s role is to represent bp in the local community through stakeholder engagement, relationship management, and strategic community investment. The Manager will work with refinery leadership and other Communication and External Affairs (C&EA) peers to ensure ongoing visible interaction and engagement with our communities and neighbors based on trust, respect, and transparency. The Manager thinks strategically and develops and implements strategies to ensure bp’s corporate interests are protected and advanced.

This position reports to the Senior Manager, US Midwest Government Affairs, and is responsible for direct engagement with collaborators, including local elected leaders and government officials, civic and community organizations, and community not-for-profits. The successful candidate will manage leadership engagement within the surrounding communities, including staffing during events and meetings. The Manager will provide ongoing counsel to internal partners on community issues.

The Manager has excellent communication skills – verbal and written – and a track record showing how those skills have brought value. Success in this role requires strong internal relationships with refinery leadership. They will learn the refinery’s business strategy and the activities of other bp businesses in the local communities and will develop a robust engagement strategy to advance our business objectives. The successful candidate identifies emerging issues early, makes recommendations, and builds fit-for-purpose advocacy plans.

bp makes financial contributions to support not-for-profit and local needs in the communities in which it operates. The Manager will be responsible for developing an annual plan for community investment, consistent with relevant policies. The delivery of this plan will visibly demonstrate our engagement in the community.

Collaboration is a fundamental way of working for the role. The Manager will develop strong external relationships with elected officials in the surrounding communities, local permitting agencies, regional business leaders, industry associations, and non-governmental organizations. In addition, the Manager will coordinate bp’s Whiting Refinery community engagement with other C&EA peers who hold related accountabilities including business communications and our interactions with the government of the State of Indiana.

Key Accountabilities

Deliver local engagement and community affairs activities, including representing bp at events and building local relationships.

Develop and maintain strong external and internal networks and share context and information as appropriate. Become the first point of contact for local leaders on issues of concern.

Provide crisis management support to the business including participating in the Incident Management Team rotation.

Manage a substantial annual community investment budget through development of a strategic annual plan along with activities that give internal and external visibility to our contributions.

Prepare briefings, reports, and presentations for business and functional leadership on relevant issues.

Collaborate and coordinate with other C&EA personnel who hold related accountabilities in support of our business in the region.

Develop and implement advocacy strategies to advance business priorities through effective advocacy, building coalitions and allies and engaging other voices to support business objectives.

Network with peers at the Cherry Point Refinery and other operating locations to enhance information sharing, best practices, and integrated approaches.

Essential Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution or equivalent experience required.

Minimum of seven years of professional experience in community relations, government affairs, public policy or other equivalent experience requiring skills such as stakeholder engagement, relationship building, issues management or advocacy.

Ability to proactively identify, monitor, and manage policy issues at the local level that could positively or negatively impact bp and its business interests.

Natural relationship builder with a track record of working with internal and external cross-functional teams.

Ability to understand the wider business context of issues, translate complex technical issues and communicate simply and powerfully.

Demonstrated experience in influencing internal and external collaborators on matters of importance.

Exceptional communication skills in public and private settings, both in presentation and written formats, including briefing documents, policy papers and executive summaries/updates for leadership and communications material for the local community.

Ability to design and deliver pragmatic, fit-for-purpose community engagement strategies that build trust and demonstrate transparency.

Desirable criteria and qualifications

Experience in the energy industry, especially oil and gas, is a plus.

Self-starter with the ability/desire to identify and address concerns before they emerge or develop into problems.

A quick and flexible learner, who is intellectually curious, open-minded, adaptable to change, comfortable with ambiguity and risk.

Ability to consistently meet high standards of quality, performance, and productivity.

Ability to produce desired results in a timely and highly proficient manner without supervision.

Team player in immediate work group as well as across the organization.

Very strong organizational skills and the ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.

Ability to demonstrate absolute discretion in handling confidential data.

This position can require work during non-work hours such as attending city council meetings, community events and similar activities.

This position is based at the Whiting, Indiana, refinery. bp has a hybrid schedule with a minimum of three days a week required in the office.

Why join bp

At BP, 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 fostering 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, a generous paid parental leave policy, and excellent retirement benefits, among others!

Travel Requirement

Up to 10% travel should be expected with this role

Relocation Assistance:

Relocation may be negotiable for this role

Remote Type:

This position is a hybrid of office/remote working

Skills:

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.