Entity:

Technology

Job Family Group:

IT&S Group

Job Description:

The Head of Finance AI Enablement is a senior leader responsible for accelerating the adoption, delivery and value realisation of AI, automation and digital solutions across Finance. The role unites two closely related mandates under a single accountable leader:

1. Setting and driving the Finance AI enablement strategy across the entire Finance function

2. Leading end-to-end technology delivery and digital modernisation for non-core Finance functions (Internal Audit, M&A/BD, IR/CI, Strategy & Sustainability, Company Secretary).

The role shapes how Finance works, develops future capabilities and delivers measurable business outcomes through AI, combining strategic transformation leadership with hands-on delivery credibility. Working in close partnership with bp’s Head of AI Enablement, central AI, automation and platform teams, and the Future of Finance transformation, the role ensures Finance captures sustainable productivity, efficiency, decision-making and workforce transformation benefits.

It is both a business transformation role, focused on operating-model evolution, workforce transformation, capability development and value creation across Finance, and a delivery leadership role, accountable for turning prioritised opportunities into governed, supportable solutions that are adopted and scaled across the non-core Finance functions. In addition, this role owns and runs the Finance AI Front Door: the entry point for identifying and prioritising AI initiatives from Finance.

What you will do...

Finance AI Enablement

• Develop and lead the Finance AI enablement strategy, aligned to Finance priorities, workforce plans, transformation objectives, enterprise standards and measurable business outcomes.
• Establish a multi-year roadmap for digital modernisation across all non-core Finance domains, such as Internal Audit, Company Secretary, Strategy and Sustainability, M&A/BD and IR/CI.
• Partner with the Finance Digital team and Finance Leadership Team to find opportunities where AI, automation and digital solutions can fundamentally improve decision quality, productivity, controls, insights and employee experience.
• Advise and influence the Future of Finance team, and act as a trusted advisor to senior executives, on how AI can enable greater productivity across the entire Finance population (c. 5-10,000 employees).
• Own and run the Finance AI Front Door, providing the entry point across finance to identifying and prioritising of AI use cases across Finance. Maintain a healthy opportunity pipeline; lead structured identification and prioritisation of opportunities against value, feasibility, readiness, risk, control requirements, technology fit, delivery capacity and strategic fit, ensuring prioritisation and transparency.
• Facilitate ideation sessions, rapid prototyping and innovation programmes with Finance users and leadership teams — using AI, automation, low-code/no-code and approved enterprise capabilities to test ideas quickly, validate value and move successful solutions towards controlled production use.
• Balance large-scale delivery programmes with targeted, well-governed, small-scale developments that create meaningful business impact quickly — improving efficiency, reducing manual effort, enhancing output quality and accelerating Finance outcomes.
• Take end-to-end ownership of delivery outcomes across non-core Finance teams, from opportunity identification and shaping through design, build, adoption, operational handover, post-live support and value realisation.
• Bring external market insight, industry benchmarks and leading practice into Finance AI.

Delivery leadership, quality and control

• Lead delivery managers and technical delivery resources, spanning both internal teams and third-party partners, setting clear expectations and creating a culture of ownership, pace, experimentation and accountability.
• Apply pragmatic solution selection, balancing off-the-shelf capabilities, enterprise platforms, reusable patterns and internal build options to deliver the right solution at the right cost, pace and level of control.
• Drive solution efficiency and estate simplification, finding opportunities to rationalise, simplify or improve existing tools, processes and technology patterns before creating new solutions.
• Ensure reusable solution patterns and platform alignment, so solutions are not built in isolation and make appropriate use of enterprise platforms, approved AI capabilities, automation tooling and common technology patterns.
• Maintain strong delivery governance and control, ensuring AI-enabled, automated, off-the-shelf and internally built solutions meet expected standards for security, data governance, operational resilience, audibility and supportability.
• Objectively track delivery health and realised value using delivery tooling and clear metrics, monitoring progress, adoption, efficiency improvements, risk, dependencies, cost impact and business outcomes.
• Handle dependencies, risks and issues robustly, proactively identifying blockers across business teams, technology teams, vendors, data owners, platform teams and governance forums.
• Partner with vendors and partners in a commercially aware way, ensuring third-party support delivers quality outcomes, appropriate pace, value for money and continuous improvement; support vendor AI assessments and evaluate offers for compliance, value and strategic fit.

Finance AI maturity and capability development

• Establish and maintain a Finance AI maturity framework covering adoption, capability, leadership readiness, value realisation and organisational effectiveness; assess maturity across Finance and develop improvement plans that accelerate adoption and value delivery.
• Develop the Finance AI capability strategy, including learning pathways, role evolution and future skills requirements.
• Establish a network of AI champions, practitioners and change agents across Finance.
• Drive adoption of enterprise AI capabilities, including Copilot, Copilot Studio, Claude Code, agents and future approved capabilities, creating programmes that move employees from experimentation to sustained behavioural change and measurable productivity improvements.
• Lead adoption, communications and change so business users are engaged, trained and supported, and solutions are embedded into ways of working and deliver sustained value.
• Partner with PC&C, Digital and business leaders to identify workforce opportunities arising from AI adoption.

AI ecosystem leadership

• Own the Finance view of the enterprise AI ecosystem and ensure Finance maximises value from approved AI capabilities.
• Partner with enterprise teams responsible for Copilot, Copilot Studio, Claude Code, agent platforms, data platforms and emerging AI capabilities.
• Seek opportunities to combine multiple AI capabilities to solve business problems and accelerate transformation outcomes.
• Ensure Finance requirements, priorities and lessons learned influence the evolution of enterprise AI capabilities.

Governance, risk and responsible AI

• Ensure Finance AI and digital initiatives align with bp governance, security, legal, data-integrity, regulatory-compliance and responsible-AI frameworks.
• Establish digital governance frameworks that balance innovation with appropriate risk management and control, mitigating operational and financial risk.
• Partner with Digital, Data, Cyber, Legal and Compliance teams to manage material AI risks.
• Promote responsible adoption practices that enable scale while maintaining trust.

Enterprise leadership and partnership

• Serve as the senior Finance leader for AI enablement, working in close partnership with the bp Head of AI Enablement to align enterprise priorities with Finance outcomes.
• Represent Finance within enterprise AI governance forums, leadership communities and critical initiatives.
• Act as the delivery bridge between non-core Finance teams and Technology, helping business teams turn ideas, difficulties and improvement opportunities into prioritised, executable delivery plans designed for adoption, operational support, control, reusability and measurable value.
• Build strong partnerships across Finance, Technology, Data, Digital, PC&C, functional SMEs, Product Managers, Architecture, Engineering and external delivery partners, influencing senior leaders across a complex global organisation.
• Provide clear updates, manage expectations, raise risks early and constructively challenge scope, timelines, solution choices and priorities to protect business value and maximise delivery credibility.

What success looks like...

• Successful delivery of AI, automation and digital initiatives within agreed timelines, budgets and control standards.
• Improved efficiency, reduced manual effort and cost savings across Finance and non-core Finance processes.
• High adoption rates of new AI-enabled and digital platforms and tools, with sustained behavioural change.
• Measurable, tracked and realised business value from prioritised use cases.
• Compliance with regulatory, security, data-governance and responsible-AI standards.
• Positive collaborator feedback and engagement scores.

What you will bring...

• Extensive experience leading digital, AI and automation initiatives within Finance (and ideally Procurement) functions.
• Consistent record of leading technology delivery — from targeted developments to large-scale implementations and change programmes — including internal teams and third-party partners.
• Strategic and commercial competence – connecting AI and digital opportunities to Finance strategy, operating model and measurable business value.
• Value and outcome focus – rigorous at prioritising use cases, building the value case and tracking realised benefits, not activity.
• Delivery leadership and judgement – proven ability to lead end-to-end delivery of AI, automation and low-code/no-code solutions, balancing speed with appropriate governance, and to translate ambiguous business challenges into practical digital solutions.
• AI and digital fluency – strong practical understanding of enterprise AI capabilities (e.g. Copilot, Copilot Studio, Claude Code, agents and autonomous workflows), ERP and financial technologies, and how to apply them to Finance problems.
• Transformation and change leadership – proven ability to drive adoption, behavioural change and workforce transformation at scale.
• Influence and relationship management – credible with senior leaders; able to influence without authority across a complex global matrix.
• People and team leadership – leads and develops delivery managers and technical teams across internal and third-party resources, creating a culture of ownership and accountability.
• Partnership and collaboration – works seamlessly with the broader Digital Finance team, enterprise AI, automation and platform teams, PC&C, Data, Cyber, Legal and business functions.
• Storytelling and communication – translates complex AI concepts into clear business language and compelling narratives for varied audiences.
• Judgement and responsible-AI approach – balances innovation with governance, risk, control and ethical, responsible adoption.
• Finance domain understanding – sufficient grasp of Finance and procurement processes, controls and priorities to identify high-value, feasible opportunities.
• Learning agility and curiosity – stays ahead of a fast-moving AI landscape and brings external insight and leading practice into Finance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business, Finance or a related field (Master’s preferred) or equivalent experience.
• Relevant professional certifications (e.g. digital transformation, project/programme management, procurement — such as PMP or CIPS) are advantageous.

Why join us?

We’re committed to supporting leaders who want to make an impact. At bp, you’ll have the chance to shape and influence outcomes across businesses. You’ll be part of an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and where your contribution to performance and integration matters. We invest in the growth and wellbeing of our people, providing the resources, networks, and development opportunities needed to thrive.

Our total rewards package includes competitive pay, bonuses, share options, and a range of flexible benefits designed to meet your needs — from healthcare and retirement plans to paid time off and agile working. We recognise that people have multifaceted lives, and we strive to offer a career experience that reflects that.

Apply now!

Location

This position is based in our London SJS office. Please note however that this will move to Southwark, London by end 2027.

Travel Requirement

Negligible travel should be expected with this role

Relocation Assistance:

This role is not eligible for relocation

Remote Type:

This position is a hybrid of office/remote working

Skills:

Agility core practices, Agility core practices, Building a Community of Practice, Business Acumen, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict Management, Creating a high performing team, Creating and measuring impact, Creative Direction, Creativity and Innovation, Customer centric thinking, Customer Journey Mapping, Customer Value Proposition, Delivers an effortless customer experience, Design Direction - Delivery, Design Direction - Design, Design Direction - Experience, Design Direction - Strategic, Designing with AI, Design Thinking, Digital Ecosystems, Digital Fluency, Facilitation {+ 25 more}

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Future Location Notice:  This role will start in St James' Square, London. bp has announced a planned office move to Timber Square, London, with all positions currently advertised in St James' Square, including this one, expected to relocate around Q4 2027-Q1 2028. This presents an exciting opportunity for all employees and leaders to come together in one London location. The specific date of the move will be confirmed closer to the time.

Legal Disclaimer:

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics like race, religion, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, 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.