Job Description:

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.

Head - External Affairs, India

Location: Mumbai

Role Purpose

The Head of External Affairs leads bp's engagement strategy in India, serving as the primary collaborate with government, regulators, industry bodies, and strategic partners. The role is responsible for protecting and bringing value for bp through effective policy advocacy, regulatory influence, reputation management, and high‑impact partner engagement.

This position supports all bp businesses in India and is essential to shaping bp's market access, and long-term positioning.

Key Accountabilities

Government & Regulatory Engagement

• Represent bp with Government of India ministries, regulatory bodies, statutory authorities, and key public-sector collaborators.
• Lead engagement with regulators, including relevant ministries and foreign missions (UK/US).
• Serve as bp's representative across industry forums including FICCI, FIPI, GLC, FCP, ICP, and trade councils.
• Drive bp's advocacy on key policy areas such as natural gas markets, hydrocarbons, carbon, sustainability, taxation, and bidding frameworks.

Strategic Partnerships & External Relationships

• Lead partnerships across government, public sector, energy sector, and corporate strategic networks.
• Strengthen relationships with key organizations relevant to strategic business agenda.
• Ensure maintaining a credible connect with all high-level external authorities & partners.

Corporate Affairs & Communications

• Oversee external communications, government affairs, and reputation management activities.
• Work closely with bp India Communications to align messaging, media engagement, narrative development, and issues management.
• Support sustainability positioning and external engagement related to bp's transition agenda.

Policy, Advocacy & Public Expansion

• Develop and implement bp's policy agenda, shaping supportive regulatory frameworks and market environments.
• Lead bp's participation in policy platforms and trade bodies, advocating for energy transition, hydrocarbons, and industry reforms.
• Provide geopolitical insights and regulatory intelligence to India and global leadership teams.

Leadership & People Management

• Lead a team of 2-3 External Affairs professionals, ensuring commitment, capability development, and talent progression.
• Support leadership succession, mentoring high‑potential talent, and strengthening organizational capability.
• Collaborate closely with HR, business leaders, and global EA teams to drive excellence across bp India.

Experience & Skills

Technical & Business Expertise

• Strong understanding of the upstream oil & gas business, including drilling fundamentals, reservoir basics, operations, and logistics.
• Knowledge of contracts, commercials, regulatory structures, and corporate strategy.
• Ability to interpret business implications of policy and regulatory developments.

Experience Required

• 18+ years of experience in Government Relations, External Affairs, Public Policy, or Regulatory Affairs.
• Extensive experience engaging senior government officials and navigating public-sector environments.
• Demonstrated success in policy advocacy within the energy, oil & gas, or highly regulated sectors.
• Strong corporate affairs and key partner management background.
• Preference for experience in: International Oil Companies (IOCs), Global multinationals with sophisticated matrix driven environments, career trajectory with strong professional integrity.

Leadership Qualities

• High executive maturity and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to influence senior internal and external partners with credibility and humility.
• Strong presence, relationship-building capability, and cross-functional leadership experience.

Collaboration Expectations

• Collaboration with cross functional teams to ensure coordinated external engagement.
• Partner with India business leaders, functional heads, and global teams to deliver a unified bp approach to business.
• Ensure strong coordination between Communications and External Affairs to lead bp's reputation, expectations, and policy positioning.

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.

Travel Requirement
Up to 10% travel should be expected with this role

Relocation Assistance:
This role is eligible for relocation within country

Remote Type:
This position is a hybrid of office/remote working

Skills:
Advocacy, Analytical Thinking, Business Acumen, Collaboration, Commercial Acumen, Communication, Crisis Communications, Influencing, Issues and Policy Management, Social Impact Management, Stakeholder Engagement

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.