Sr. Manager, Continuous Improvement, Global Dewatering

Xylem is a Fortune 500 global water solutions company dedicated to advancing sustainable impact and empowering the people who make water work every day. As a leading water technology company with 23,000 employees operating in over 150 countries, Xylem is at the forefront of addressing the world's most critical water challenges. We invite passionate individuals to join our team, dedicated to exceeding customer expectations through innovative and sustainable solutions.

Job Summary

Xylem is seeking a Sr Manager, Global Continuous Improvement & 80/20 for the Dewatering business. This transformation leader will support the Dewatering SVP/GM and leadership team in translating strategy into a global roadmap that improves customer value, accelerates profitable growth, simplifies the business, and delivers measurable financial impact.

The Sr Manager will lead the global Dewatering CI team, drive governance and operating rhythms, build team capability, and help embed CI and 80/20 into business priorities and performance management. The role also directly leads the North America CI agenda while building sustainable regional ownership.

Essential Duties/Principal Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted CI and 80/20 advisor to the Dewatering leadership team, providing an enterprise perspective on operating priorities, resource allocation, and transformation sequencing.

• Contribute to the development and execution of a multi-year Dewatering transformation roadmap, aligning CI and 80/20 with simplification and profitable growth that help achieve long-term financial goals. Engage a cross functional team to establish and maintain a strong pipeline of opportunities.

• Advance a global team of CI professionals to increase lean capability, problem solving discipline and ownership of sustainable improvement while directly owning and executing the North America CI agenda.

• Able to lead and facilitate teams through kaizens, value stream mapping and improvement activities, specifically in transactional CI in a service and rental heavy business.

• Exhibit strong financial acumen by establishing, measuring and reporting on appropriate KPIs. Partner with finance leadership to pinpoint opportunities, develop practical action plans, and drive to execution.

• Deploy and continuously improve a common Dewatering CI operating system, including strategy deployment, daily management, structured problem solving, kaizen, leader standard work, and benefit tracking.

• Drive execution of the Dewatering 80/20 operating system, including governance, execution cadence, roadmap delivery, benefit tracking, and cross-functional accountability, in partnership with the WSS 80/20 segment leader.

• Partner with commercial, product management, operations, service, rental, supply chain, finance, and HR leaders to apply customer and product segmentation to growth and simplification decisions.

• Support the incorporation of CI and 80/20 priorities into AOP, LRP, operating reviews, functional plans, resource allocation, and leadership standard work rather than managing them as stand-alone initiatives.

• Manage the global improvement portfolio across growth, productivity, working capital, quality, service, and customer experience, with clear owners, milestones, dependencies, risks, benefits, and decision points.

• Lead and develop the global Dewatering CI team, including priorities, accountabilities, performance management, talent development, and capability building.

• Provide direct leadership for the North America CI and 80/20 agenda and support high-impact cross-site transformations, performance turnarounds, and capability-building work.

• Build regional and site capability so business leaders and local teams independently own and sustain CI and 80/20 outcomes.

Key Competencies and Experience

• 5+ years of progressive experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, business transformation, or operations, including exposure to multiple sites or regions.

• Demonstrated experience leading or contributing to multi-site or multi-region transformation initiatives and influencing functional leaders and operating teams through change.

• Experience leading and developing teams, including performance management, talent development, and matrix leadership.

• Strong expertise in Lean business systems, strategy deployment, daily management, structured problem solving, kaizen, value-stream transformation, standard work, and change adoption.

• Experience in service, rental, field operations, branch networks, aftermarket, transactional processes, or other distributed non-manufacturing environments preferred.

• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to frame choices, challenge constructively, facilitate decisions, and communicate with leaders and frontline teams.

• Ability to balance program leadership with hands-on engagement in critical transformations, operating reviews, coaching, and problem solving.

Qualifications: Education

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, operations, supply chain, or a related field required.

• Advanced degree in business administration, engineering management, or a related discipline preferred.

• Lean / Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, or equivalent enterprise operating-system certification preferred.

Qualifications: Skills

• Strategic thinking and enterprise perspective.

• Influence and constructive challenge with leaders.

• 80/20 mindset and disciplined prioritization.

• Global team leadership and talent development.

• Structured problem solving and systems thinking.

• Bias for action with accountability for sustainable results.

Additional Information

Travel requirement

• 25-30%, including international travel.

Xylem does not provide visa sponsorship for this position.

#LI-TM1

Join the global Xylem team to be a part of innovative technology solutions transforming water usage, conservation, and re-use. Our products impact public utilities, industrial sectors, residential areas, and commercial buildings, with a commitment to providing smart metering, network technologies, and advanced analytics for water, electric, and gas utilities. Partner with us in creating a world where water challenges are met with ingenuity and dedication; where we recognize the power of inclusion and belonging in driving innovation and allowing us to compete more effectively around the world.

At Xylem, you'll not only contribute to solving water issues but also have the chance to make a difference through our paid Volunteer Program, Xylem Watermark. We prioritize our employees' well-being through inclusion and belonging as well as our Employee Resource Groups (ERG). Proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (including disability and veterans) and Affirmative Action workplace, Xylem fosters an inclusive environment free from discrimination or harassment.

Please note that the information in this job description outlines the general nature of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties. Xylem is dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations to enable all employees to perform their essential job functions. We reserve the right to modify this job description and assign additional duties as needed. Embrace the opportunity to be part of Xylem's transformative journey in shaping the future of water technology! #XylemCareers #GlobalImpact #WaterInnovation