Director IT Application

LyondellBasell is a leader in the global chemical industry creating solutions for everyday sustainable living. With a nearly 70-year legacy that includes a Nobel Prize in Chemistry and our proprietary MoReTec recycling technology, LYB is enabling a more sustainable future for generations to come.  LYB develops high-quality and innovative products for applications ranging from sustainable transportation and food safety to clean water and quality healthcare. LYB places high priority on diversity, equity and inclusion and is Advancing Good with an emphasis on our planet, the communities where we operate and our future workforce. We're addressing the global challenges of ending plastic waste, taking climate action, and supporting a thriving society, while generating value for our customers, investors, and society.

In June 2025, LYB announced entering into an agreement and exclusive negotiations for the sale of four olefins & polyolefins sites and the associated business in Europe. The sites to be sold are located in Berre (France), Münchsmünster (Germany), Carrington (UK), and Tarragona (Spain). The sites together represent a scaled olefins and polyolefins platform strategically located in proximity to a longstanding customer base and with access and connectivity to key infrastructure.  

Closing of the proposed transaction is currently expected in the first half of 2026. From the start, the new company will be a scaled leader in European Olefins & Polyolefins. Powered by strategically located assets, a diverse product portfolio, and operational excellence, it aims to transform the business, fostering an agile, entrepreneurial culture where fast decision-making and hands-on collaboration drive transformation and growth.

Are you ready?
You will be crucial to a successful transition and, when the sale is closed, success of the new company. You will become part of a new dynamic organization with around 1,800 employees, headquarters in Rotterdam and production sites in France, Germany, UK and Spain with a strong focus on customer excellence. 

The Director of IT Application Support is the senior leader accountable for the end-to-end delivery, support, and lifecycle management of all business applications, and data & analytics systems across the enterprise.
The role is pivotal to ensuring that the company's application landscape and digital backbone for manufacturing, supply chain, commercial, finance, and corporate functions run reliably, efficiently, and cost-effectively. 
This leader drives the modernization and optimization of the application landscape, enables compliance and data accuracy, and leads the shift toward a more integrated, simplified, and value-driven IT environment.
Operating within a hybrid IT model, this leader drives demand management, innovation, project delivery excellence, data governance, application roadmaps, and vendor performance, ensuring that applications enable safe, efficient, and compliant operations in a chemical manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end application ecosystem, ensuring stability, usability, and continuous improvement aligned to business priorities.
• Shape and govern the application roadmap covering SAP and non-SAP systems, data platforms, integrations, and analytics.
• Provide strategic leadership to Project Managers, Data & Integration, and Functional Analysts to align IT solutions with manufacturing, supply chain, finance, commercial, and corporate strategic objectives.
• Drive a culture of standardization, simplification, and value creation.
• Lead application rationalization initiatives to reduce redundancy, streamline the portfolio, and retire low-value solutions.
• Drive multi-year cost optimization plans, including license management, service model improvements, and vendor consolidation.
• Ensure MSP delivery is efficient and cost-effective while maintaining required service levels.
• Oversee SAP AMS and all non-SAP application support teams (internal + MSPs).
• Ensure high service reliability through incident, change, and problem management in coordination with the IT Service Delivery organization.
• Establish and monitor KPIs, SLAs, and performance dashboards for all application services.
• Coordinate L2/L3 escalation paths across internal teams, MSPs, and software vendors.
• Oversee the successful execution of application-related projects, ensuring scope discipline, budget adherence, and quality delivery.
• Provide transparent communication of portfolio health to CIO and business leaders.
• Ensure Strong master data governance and reliable and scalable data integration platforms.
• Drive initiatives that improve data quality, consistency, and availability across applications and plants.

To be successful in this role, you must recognize yourself in the following profile:
The role involves leading functional and business analysts to identify process improvements and drive digital enablement while translating business needs into actionable IT initiatives. Acting as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders across multiple functions, the position ensures compliance with change control processes and collaborates with cybersecurity teams to manage risks and audits. It includes mentoring a blended team, fostering a high-performance culture, and managing complex vendor relationships for consistent service delivery. Additionally, the role promotes cross-functional collaboration to achieve accountability, continuous improvement, and high-quality outcomes.
Candidates will be assessed on the following LYB competencies: 

Build Partnerships 
Deliver Results 
Drive Innovation 
Grow Capabilities 
Promote Inclusion

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in application management, SAP leadership, IT delivery, or business systems roles.
• 7+ years of leadership experience in a hybrid IT or MSP-heavy environment.
• Experience in chemical, pharmaceutical, or manufacturing industries strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing application portfolios across SAP and non-SAP environments.
• Strong understanding of SAP ECC/S4HANA functional domains.
• Experience with MES, LIMS, CRM, HRIS, HSE, and other operational applications.
• Knowledge of data architecture, integration, and analytics platforms.
• Familiarity with ITSM frameworks (ITIL), project management methodologies, and application lifecycle management.
• Proven track record of achieving significant cost reduction, portfolio simplification, and process optimization.
• Ability to build business cases, evaluate ROI, and prioritize based on value creation.
• Executive communication and stakeholder management.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities.
• Change management and influencing skills.
• Ability to drive alignment across decentralized plant and corporate environments.

We offer an environment where we encourage personal and professional growth and where you will be rewarded for your performance and results. You will have the possibility to work with specialist on all fields to develop innovative solutions and to extend your national and international network. In addition, we offer you a competitive salary package. The Company's Global Remote Work Policy allows eligible employees the option to work up to two days a week from home. LyondellBasell is committed to advancing diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) to ensure a positive experience for all employees.

Please send us your resume via the application button. 
Please feel free to contact James Smeets, Talent Acquisition Consultant at @  for more details. Would you like to apply? Just send us your motivation and resume via the application button. Only applications through this application button will be taken into consideration. #LI-Hybrid  #LI-JS2 

The recruitment process consists of an initial phone screening and business interviews before proceeding to a possible job offer. A background check will be3 part of the process as well.  

LyondellBasell does not accept or retain unsolicited resumes or phone calls and/or respond to them or to any third party representing job seekers.

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