Continuous Improvement Manager

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 employeesoperating 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.

We are looking for an experienced Continuous Improvement Manager (m/f/d), Transactional Processes who leads the analysis and implementation of process improvement initiatives within the organization. You are responsible for identifying areas of inefficiency, developing strategies to enhance productivity, and measuring the success of improvement efforts. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive sustainable changes that align with the company’s strategic goals, ensuring a culture of excellence and ongoing development.

This role serves as an individual contributor and has no direct people management responsibility. You act as a subject matter expert and project lead for the transactional processes across the segment like order management, inside sales, back office, service department etc.

You will lead CI implementation, standardization, and consistency across multiple sites (CI implementation, training and projects, CI processes, methods and tools to eliminate waste and promote flow).

Locations: Close to Xylem locations in Germany, UK, Poland, France, Spain, Italy or Sweden. We offer a Hybrid contract and this role requires to travel 50% or more if needed to cover the assigned sites, therefore being close to an airport is beneficial.

Essential Duties/Principal Responsibilities:

• Process Optimization – Streamlining sales, marketing, and customer service workflows using Lean, Six Sigma, or other methodologies to reduce inefficiencies and improve outcomes.
• Data-Driven Decision Making – Analyzing commercial performance metrics (e.g., conversion rates, sales cycles, customer retention) to identify improvement opportunities.
• Customer Experience Enhancement – Identifying pain points in the customer journey and implementing solutions to boost satisfaction and loyalty.
• Sales Enablement – Supporting commercial teams with tools, automation, and best practices to improve productivity and effectiveness.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Working with sales, marketing, finance, and operations teams to align processes with business goals.
• Change Management – Leading training, workshops, and coaching sessions to drive a culture of continuous improvement within commercial teams.
• Innovation & Digital Transformation – Implementing new technologies such as CRM enhancements, AI-driven analytics, and automated workflows to improve commercial performance.
• KPI Monitoring & Reporting – Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress and ensure continuous improvement efforts deliver measurable results.

Qualifications: Education, Experience, Skills, Abilities, License/Certification:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, or related field
• Experience in successful planning and execution of Continuous Improvement / Lean / Six Sigma efforts
• Demonstrated ability to apply Lean methodologies in non-manufacturing environments (e.g. Services, Transactional)
• Experience in data management, ability to read and draw conclusions from reports and P&L statements etc.
• Excellent Presentation and Project Management skills, Facilitation skills, Influencing skills
• Lean or Six Sigma Green Belt certification preferred
• Demonstrated experience in planning and facilitating workshops, kaizens, and training events.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, additional languages a plus
• Must be accomplished at using standard tools, systems and formats to present data and reporting information in an efficient and accurate manner

We Offer You More Than Just “A Job”         

• Professional Development – To advance the capabilities of our people, we offer a wide variety of experiences to support our employees’ professional growth and continuous learning.
• Total Rewards – We offer comprehensive programs for compensation, benefits, recognition, learning and development, work-life integration and corporate citizenship.
• Watermark – Watermark is our corporate social responsibility program working to provide education and access to safe water to ensure healthy lives, gender equality, and resilient communities. Employees can learn and volunteer on various water-related projects.
• Employee Networks – Our Employee Networks provide a professional, supportive network for employees from diverse backgrounds, including Women’s, LGBT+ and Allies, Veteran’s, People of Color and Allies, Emerging Leaders, and Working Parents Networks.

For questions regarding this opportunity, please reach out to Niklas Naunheim, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at +49 1621374371.

We are looking forward to your application!

Xylem is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability or other characteristics protected by law.

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.