Staff Software Engineer

Entity: Technology Job Family Group: IT&S Group Job Description: Role Synopsis The Staff Software Engineer is a senior technical lead role responsible for AWS AI Engineering work, designing, building, and supporting secure, scalable, production-ready AI and machine learning solutions on AWS. The role provides technical direction across solution architecture, engineering delivery, generative AI patterns, MLOps/AIOps, and operational readiness. It works closely with architects, technical leads, data engineers, software engineers, product teams, and business stakeholders to translate business needs into practical AI solutions. The role also carries line management accountability, including coaching, performance support, capability development, prioritisation, and creating an inclusive, high-performing engineering team. Key Accountabilities Lead the design and delivery of cloud-native AI solutions on AWS, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, resilient, cost-effective, and suitable for enterprise production. Provide technical leadership across AI and machine learning workflows, including data ingestion, feature engineering, model training, deployment, monitoring, continuous improvement, and operational support. Shape and oversee generative AI capabilities, including large language model integration, prompt engineering, embeddings, vector search, retrieval-augmented generation patterns, and responsible AI considerations. Set engineering direction and quality standards for APIs, microservices, cloud architecture, security, testing, observability, reliability, maintainability, and production readiness. Line manage and develop software engineering colleagues, including coaching, regular feedback, performance support, capability building, workload prioritisation, and career development conversations. Partner with architects, product teams, data teams, engineering teams, and business stakeholders to align technical decisions with business outcomes, delivery priorities, governance expectations, and operational handover needs. Essential Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science, engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, or equivalent practical experience. Essential Experience and Job Requirements: Minimum 10 years’ professional experience in software engineering, including significant hands-on experience delivering cloud-based enterprise solutions. Deep practical experience with AWS cloud services and strong exposure to AI, machine learning, and production-grade engineering practices. Experience leading the development of AWS-based AI solutions using large language models, machine learning, heuristics, embeddings, vector databases, and retrieval-augmented generation patterns. Strong technical leadership across cloud architecture, API design, microservices, containers, Kubernetes, modern software engineering, security, authentication, authorisation, identity, networking, monitoring, and cloud governance. Good understanding of MLOps, AIOps, CI/CD, model lifecycle management, observability, model registry, automated retraining, monitoring, and drift detection. Proven experience line managing, mentoring, coaching, or leading software engineering colleagues, including supporting performance, capability development, prioritisation, and delivery outcomes. Strong stakeholder communication skills, with the ability to explain complex software engineering, AI, and cloud concepts to senior technical and non-technical audiences. Desirable criteria AWS certification and AI certification are preferred. Experience operating as a senior technical lead or engineering manager within an enterprise technology environment. Experience evaluating AI technologies and delivery patterns to support practical, cost-effective, secure, and scalable solution delivery. Experience integrating AI capabilities with enterprise applications, APIs, data platforms, and existing cloud services. Experience contributing to architectural deliverables, design documentation, deployment patterns, non-functional requirements, governance artefacts, and operational support guidance. About bp Our purpose is to deliver energy to the world, today and tomorrow. For over 100 years, bp has focused on discovering, developing, and producing oil and gas in the nations where we operate. We are one of the few companies globally that can provide governments and customers with an integrated energy offering. Delivering our strategy sustainably is fundamental to achieving our ambition to be a net zero company by 2050 or sooner! We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. Additional Information We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, reli