Operation Specialist

Alexandria, VA, USA|Remote, Travel

Job Overview

Employment Type

Full-time

Work Schedule

Flexible

Benefits

Life insurance

Health Insurance

Medical care package

employee development

Work-life balance

Inclusive culture

Paid Time Off

Job Description

bp is a leading global energy company committed to enabling the transition to a lower carbon future while delivering affordable, reliable energy. With a presence in many countries, bp operates across the energy sector, including exploration, production, refining, distribution, and marketing. The company is known for fostering an inclusive culture, promoting employee development, and providing a comprehensive benefits package including life and health insurance, medical care, and strong work-life balance policies. bp values diversity and encourages employees to grow their skills in a dynamic, challenging environment.

The role of Operations Specialist in bp's retail network in Spain is a home-based, field-focused position primarily serving the Madrid region. This position plays a critical role in ensuring the safe, compliant, and efficient operation of around 35 to 40 bp retail sites. The successful candidate will spend approximately 60% of their time on-site conducting operational audits, coaching frontline teams, and supporting continuous improvement efforts. This role is ideal for someone with hands-on operational experience in retail, logistics, supermarkets, or similar multi-site environments, and it offers the unique opportunity to make a visible impact by improving customer experience, operational execution, and compliance. The Operations Specialist acts as an essential link between sites and internal functions such as Commercial, Convenience, Opex, Maintenance, and Marketing to ensure operational excellence is maintained.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy, this position requires the ability to manage daily operational issues, interpret commercial data, and prioritize actions to boost overall site performance. The role demands strong communication skills to build effective working relationships with site managers and partners, facilitating seamless issue resolution. Suitable candidates enjoy hands-on problem solving and thrive in fast-paced environments that require flexibility, resilience, and a customer-centric mindset. This position also involves regular travel within the assigned territory, making it well-suited for those who prefer an active, field-based role and want to contribute directly to operational improvements and service excellence across multiple sites. The position is fully remote with an expectation of travel up to 75%, supporting a flexible work-life balance. bp is committed to an inclusive recruitment process and encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply, promoting career growth and continuous professional development in retail and field operations.

Job Requirements

Experience in retail operations or a similar field-based operational environment
Experience supporting operations across multiple locations, sites, or stores
Experience working with a high level of autonomy, ownership, and independent decision-making
Broad understanding of retail operations and business processes
Experience building strong relationships with site managers, partners, or customers
Exposure to operational follow-up, audits, compliance, or performance improvement activities
Experience supporting frontline teams, shift operations, or daily execution on the ground
Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
High level of autonomy, proactivity, prioritization, and decision-making ability
Customer-focused mindset with strong interest in operational excellence and execution
Strong operational execution skills and close attention to detail
Ability to follow, apply, and reinforce processes consistently across multiple sites
Ability to manage conflict and work effectively in fast-paced operational environments
Well organized with a natural strength in planning and follow-up
Flexible and adaptable to work through ambiguity and changing priorities
Comfortable driving regularly and working independently in the field
Ownership mindset for KPIs, compliance, safety, quality, and operational follow-up
Resilient, practical, and proactive with a strong solve-the-problem mindset
Solid analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and guide actions
Intermediate Excel skills including filters, lookups, and basic operational data analysis
Native or fluent Spanish
Upper-intermediate English
Higher vocational education (Grado Superior) or equivalent practical experience
Relevant education in operational, technical, or business-related fields preferred
Continuous professional development in operations, retail, or field-based environments is an advantage

Job Qualifications

Experience in retail operations or a similar field-based operational environment
Experience supporting operations across multiple locations, sites, or stores
Experience working with a high level of autonomy, ownership, and independent decision-making
Broad understanding of retail operations and business processes
Experience building strong relationships with site managers, partners, or customers
Exposure to operational follow-up, audits, compliance, or performance improvement activities
Experience supporting frontline teams, shift operations, or daily execution on the ground
Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
High level of autonomy, proactivity, prioritization, and decision-making ability
Customer-focused mindset with strong interest in operational excellence and execution
Strong operational execution skills and close attention to detail
Ability to follow, apply, and reinforce processes consistently across multiple sites
Ability to manage conflict and work effectively in fast-paced operational environments
Well organized with a natural strength in planning and follow-up
Flexible and adaptable to work through ambiguity and changing priorities
Comfortable driving regularly and working independently in the field
Ownership mindset for KPIs, compliance, safety, quality, and operational follow-up
Resilient, practical, and proactive with a strong solve-the-problem mindset
Solid analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and guide actions
Intermediate Excel skills including filters, lookups, and basic operational data analysis
Native or fluent Spanish
Upper-intermediate English
Higher vocational education (Grado Superior) or equivalent practical experience
Relevant education in operational, technical, or business-related fields preferred
Continuous professional development in operations, retail, or field-based environments is an advantage

Job Duties

Support the day-to-day operational performance of 35-40 bp sites, primarily in Madrid
Spend approximately 60% of your time in the field, conducting site visits, operational audits, follow-ups and coaching
Ensure all sites operate in line with bp's procedures, HSSE standards, compliance requirements, and brand expectations
Identify opportunities to improve customer experience, operational execution, site standards, and performance
Conduct operational audits and follow up on compliance, execution gaps, and correction plans
Act as a key link between sites and internal teams such as Commercial, Convenience, Opex, Maintenance, and Marketing
Handle day-to-day operational issues and incidents, using sound judgement and making decisions within established governance
Interpret operational and commercial data to support prioritization and decision-making
Build strong working relationships with site managers and key partners, ensuring effective communication and issue resolution
Support the implementation of new income-generation initiatives, operational improvements, and new ways of working across the territory