Senior Manager, Information Technology

Job Description

Job Description

Job Summary

The Senior Manager - IT leads Deer Park Refinery's enterprise IT function and ensures reliable, secure and cost-effective technology services that support refinery operations and business objectives. The role manages multiple related IT teams and an extended delivery ecosystem, sets departmental priorities, allocates resources and owns service delivery, enterprise applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, architecture, data platforms, delivery governance and vendor performance. Serving as the senior relationship leader for IT, the position partners with business, Digital Transformation and Refinery Technology leaders to translate demand into prioritized, supportable technology outcomes. The role applies strong business judgment and technical credibility to resolve complex operational and organizational issues, improve departmental performance, and sustain a coherent enterprise technology environment.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities:  

• Lead the enterprise IT department across applications and integration, SAP and related platforms, infrastructure and operations, cybersecurity, architecture, data platforms, service management, delivery/PMO and IT financial management; set priorities and allocate resources in alignment with business objectives and the annual plan.

• Own reliable, resilient and cost-effective IT service delivery, including incident, problem, change, asset, availability, capacity, backup, recovery, continuity and lifecycle disciplines; establish measurable service expectations and address recurring operational risk and technical debt.

• Operate enterprise technology governance and portfolio processes that provide transparent priorities, business value, cost, risk, dependencies, capacity requirements and expected outcomes; escalate unresolved trade-offs through the appropriate executive governance forums.

• Own enterprise architecture, cybersecurity requirements and production technology standards within approved governance and delegated authority; ensure solutions are secure, integrated, supportable and sustainable across IT, Digital Transformation and the IT/OT boundary.

• Maintain accountability for SAP S/4HANA and the broader enterprise application ecosystem, including integration, master data, reporting, security, testing, releases, support, lifecycle management and continuing business-value realization.

• Serve as a senior technology advisor and relationship leader to refinery and functional leadership; maintain a clear business interface, translate requirements into priorities and challenge demand that lacks clear sponsorship, value, process ownership or strategic alignment.

• Lead the enterprise technology delivery and PMO capability by maintaining a transparent portfolio with clear sponsors, outcomes, costs, risks, milestones and success measures; intervene when significant initiatives are off track while retaining business accountability for adoption and benefits.

• Manage strategic vendors, managed-service providers, systems integrators and specialist partners to achieve defined outcomes, service levels, cost performance and continuous improvement while retaining sufficient internal knowledge and control.

• Build and develop an accountable IT leadership team and sustainable operating model; establish clear decision rights, strengthen succession and critical capabilities, and reduce dependency on individual leaders or external providers.

• Identify and solve complex operational and organizational problems using appropriate internal and external resources; persuade leaders to act and negotiate effectively with partners and vendors to protect service, risk, cost and business outcomes.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business or related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

• 15+ years of progressive technology experience, including significant leadership responsibility across a broad enterprise IT function.

• Demonstrated experience managing multiple related technology teams and allocating people, vendors and financial resources against departmental priorities and business plans.

• Experience leading technology in refining, petrochemicals, chemicals, energy, utilities, process manufacturing or another complex 24x7 industrial environment.

• Demonstrated accountability for a major ERP or enterprise-platform transformation, preferably SAP S/4HANA, including stabilization, lifecycle governance and value realization.

• Strong experience across IT service delivery, enterprise applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, architecture, integration, data, portfolio delivery and vendor/managed-service management.

• Demonstrated ability to resolve complex operational and organizational problems, influence managers and senior leaders, and negotiate with external partners and vendors.

• Sound commercial and financial judgment, including operating and capital budget management and technology investment prioritization.

• Preferred: experience operating across IT/OT boundaries and direct experience in refining or a comparable industrial environment.

• Preferred: advanced business or technical education and relevant technology, cybersecurity, architecture, service management or program management credentials.

Education, Experience and Skills 

Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business or related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.

• 15+ years of progressive technology experience with significant senior management responsibility.

• Leadership experience across a broad enterprise IT environment and an outsourced or partner-supported delivery model.

• Experience with major ERP/enterprise-platform transformation and complex industrial operations; SAP S/4HANA and refining experience preferred.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of key refinery and business drivers and how technology services, risk, cost and investment choices affect departmental and business performance.

• Ability to manage multiple related teams, establish departmental priorities, and allocate internal and external resources against annual objectives.

• Strong working knowledge across service management, enterprise applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, architecture, integration, data platforms, delivery governance and technology lifecycle management.

• Systems-thinking capability to evaluate interconnected applications, data, interfaces, identity, infrastructure, operations, resilience and support implications.

• Ability to identify and solve complex operational and organizational problems using appropriate expertise from within and outside the department.

• Ability to communicate complex technology issues clearly, persuade managers and leaders to take action, build consensus, and negotiate with vendors and partners.

• Technical credibility to challenge solution design, architecture, cyber, data, delivery and vendor recommendations without personally administering technology.

• Financial, commercial and vendor-management skills, including portfolio prioritization, budget stewardship, service-level management and value-based decision making.

• Leadership capability to set expectations, develop people, manage performance, build succession, and create accountability across organizational boundaries.

Physical requirements: 

• Work is primarily performed in an office environment with periodic access to refinery and operating areas.

• Ability to walk within the site and use stairs as needed for meetings, reviews and incident responses, with reasonable accommodation where applicable.

• Occasional extended or non-standard work hours during major incidents, planned outages, cutovers or other critical events.

• Occasional business travel may be required.

• Must currently hold or be able to qualify for required site-access credentials, including a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), where applicable.

• Must be able to comply with site safety requirements and wear required personal protective equipment when entering designated operating areas.