Voyage Optimization Specialist

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, motivated by best-in-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!

The Voyage Optimization Specialist plays a key supporting role in increasing voyage profitability across the shipping fleet through real‑time voyage optimization along with hands‑on bunker procurement.

This role is responsible for optimizing the fleet in the US region, procuring bunkers and assisting bunker buyers, commercial leads, chartering, operations, and performance teams by:

• Identifying daily voyage optimization opportunities,
• Monitoring vessel performance and consumption,
• Supporting claims, off‑hire tracking, and voyage analysis.
• Procuring bunkers cost‑effectively,

This is an execution‑focused role suited for individuals with career exposure to shipping operations/optimization and regional bunker buying. It offers broad commercial exposure and a pathway to future specialization in bunkers or commercial shipping optimization.

Role Responsibilities

• Monitor daily vessel routing, speeds, consumption, weather, and voyage performance, highlighting deviations or inefficiencies.
• Participate in daily optimization huddles when required, providing inputs related to bunker planning and voyage performance.
• Track vessel performance benchmarks, identify underperformance, and coordinate corrective actions with Operations teams.
• Support preparation of performance and off‑hire claims by gathering data, reviewing logs, and coordinating documents with internal teams and owners.
• Assist with rebillable cost tracking at voyage level to improve clarity and recovery.
• Support post‑voyage analysis, including fuel variance assessments, bunker cost benchmarking, consumption trend reviews, and documentation of voyage findings.
• Maintain voyage logs, dashboards, and monthly reports, ensuring timely updates of key metrics and commercial performance indicators.
• Collaborate across Chartering, Operations, Performance, Digital, Technical teams, charterers, suppliers, and vendors to support consistent optimization practices and continuous improvement.
• Assist in testing and validating digital tools, dashboards, and analytics used for routing, consumption monitoring, and bunker planning.
• Complete competitive spot and prompt bunker purchases.
• Support and implement the bunker procurement process by gathering market indications, requesting and comparing supplier quotes, preparing comparative evaluations, and coordinating bunker delivery with suppliers, agents, and operations teams.
• Track daily bunker price movements, monitor market intelligence, and provide timely updates to support procurement decisions.
• Assist in planning and optimizing bunker stems for each voyage based on consumption profiles, routing, schedule, vessel performance, and commercial strategy.

Essential Experience

• Experience working closely with vessel operators, masters, and fleet teams to optimize voyages, bunker intake, and forward voyage planning.
• Experience identifying freight losses, minimizing idle time, and handling commercial claims (demurrage, off‑hire, miscellaneous claims).
• Experience in marine fuel (bunkers) procurement, including execution of spot and prompt purchases across multiple ports or regions, with focus on North & South Americas.
• Working knowledge of global bunker markets, fuel pricing mechanisms, specifications (ISO 8217), and supplier landscape.
• Track record of monitoring supplier performance, running KPIs, and providing structured commercial feedback.
• Experience working with bunker price indices and assessments (e.g., Platts MOPS, Bunkerwire), including analysis of premiums, differentials, and time‑series data to support commercial decision‑making.
• Experience assessing term versus spot procurement strategies based on pricing, exposure, and operational requirements.
• Hands‑on experience handling bunker quality and quantity disputes, including negotiation of claims and settlements.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in commercial shipping, voyage operations, chartering, or fleet performance roles with hands‑on exposure to live voyage management.
• Experience using IMOS or similar commercial voyage management systems.
• Recent experience working within a vessel‑owning organization or tanker pool as a bunker buyer or in operations.
• Understanding of charterparty bunker clauses and ability to advise Charterers to protect commercial position.
• Experience structuring or optimising term bunker contracts to balance price certainty, flexibility, and exposure management.
• Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills, collaborating across technical, digital, commercial, and operational teams, as well as external partners and vendors.
• Solid understanding of compliance requirements, risk management practices, and governance frameworks relevant to commercial shipping operations.

How much do we pay (Base)? 95,000 - 177,000 USD *Note that the pay range listed for this position is a genuinely expected and reasonable estimate of the range of possible base compensation at the time of posting.

This position is eligible forUS Benefits - Core. This position offers paid vacation depending on your years of relevant industry experience and will range from 120 - 240 hours of vacation per year for full time employees (60 - 240 hours of vacation per year for part time employees). You will also be eligible for 9 paid holidays per year and 2 personal choice holidays. You may learn more about how we calculate paid vacation and view our generous vacation and holiday schedules at Core U.S. Benefits Core SPD Bp has a parental leave policy as well, which offers up to 8 weeks' paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Learn more by visiting Core U.S. Benefits. Core SPD

We offer a reward package to enable your work to fit with your life. These offerings include a discretionary annual bonus program, long-term incentive program, and generous retirement benefits that include a 401k matching program. These benefits include a pension for eligible employee. You may learn more about our generous benefits at Core U.S. Benefits. Core SPD

Why join us?

At bp, we support our people to grow in a diverse and exciting environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity.

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, excellent retirement benefits, among others!

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation!

Travel Requirement
Up to 10% 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:
Analytical Thinking, Analytical Thinking, Ancillary cost management, Bunker buyer, Chartering, Coaching, Commercial Acumen, Communication, Customer service delivery excellence, Demurrage, Developing and implementing strategy, Listening, Marine assurance, Marine Operations, Marine systems and processes, Marine technical, Market Knowledge, Mentoring, Negotiating value, Operational Excellence, Partner relationship management, Problem Solving, Sentiment and Trends, Shipping/transport, Trading and scheduling operations {+ 4 more}

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.