After her banking traineeship Lydia Simons worked several years for a bank institute. She studied German Studies and Modern and Medieval History and received her Master's degree from the University of Bonn in 1994. From 1995 to 2000 she worked as a management assistant in a publishing house for social and health policy.

Lydia joined IZA in May 2000. From 2011 onwards she studied part-time at the Universtiy of Applied Sciences in Koblenz, where she received her MBA in 2014. As Head of HR, Organization and Legal Affairs, she supports the Chief Financial Officer in various organizational matters.