Director - Materials Excellence

Posted:
4/26/2026, 8:23:25 PM

Location(s):
Gauteng, South Africa ⋅ Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa ⋅ Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland ⋅ Strzelin, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland

Experience Level(s):
Senior

Field(s):
Operations & Logistics

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.

Are you energized by connecting strategy with day-to-day execution? We’re looking for a collaborative, solutions-oriented leader to help align demand, supply, inventory, and operations across our Rest of World region.

In this role, you’ll help bridge Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and daily operations—making sure sales, production, and inventory plans stay aligned with changing business needs in real time.

You’ll work closely with teams across Sales, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Finance, and Customer Service to improve service, support customers, and keep products flowing smoothly.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex challenges, building strong cross-functional relationships, and driving continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

  • Lead demand, supply, and inventory alignment by balancing customer demand, inventory levels, and operational efficiency in response to changing business needs.

  • Partner with manufacturing to align production plans and address short-term imbalances to support reliable product availability.

  • Drive cross-functional collaboration across Sales, Operations, Finance, and Customer Service to align priorities, solve issues, and improve execution.

  • Support customer fulfillment and manage escalations by proactively addressing risks, resolving disruptions, and improving lead time visibility and communication.

  • Use data and performance insights to improve results by tracking KPIs such as service levels, forecast accuracy, lead times, and inventory turns.

  • Act as a key link between factory and commercial teams by coordinating backlog reviews, managing escalations, and strengthening alignment across regions.

  • Identify and lead continuous improvement opportunities that enhance service, streamline planning processes, and optimize supply chain performance.

Qualifications

  • Experience in supply chain, operations, demand planning, or related fields, ideally in a complex cross-functional environment

  • Strong understanding of planning, inventory management, and supply chain processes

  • Experience working with ERP/MRP systems such as SAP or Oracle (and strong Excel/data skills)

  • Analytical thinking and comfort making decisions using data

  • Strong communication skills and a collaborative approach to working across teams

  • Ability to navigate changing priorities in a fast-paced environment

  • A degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related field is helpful; advanced degrees or certifications like CPIM or CSCP are a plus

Why Work at Xylem!

We offer you a creative and international environment where you get the opportunity to focus on your personal and professional development together with committed and helpful colleagues. Engage as a volunteer through Xylem´s business program for community initiatives Xylem Watermark: www.xylemwatermark.com 

Everyone's equal value

We want people, regardless of skin color, age, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity, to feel at home, not just at Xylem, but everywhere in the world. For us, diversity, equality, and inclusion mean more than just a policy or a set of methods. Diversity, equality, and inclusion are fundamental parts of our corporate culture and a key to long-term growth.

Feel free to visit us at https://www.xylem.com/sv-se/

Application

If you are interested in this position and would like to know more, please contact Leila Sayyad, Corporate Recruiter, [email protected] .

Welcome with your application!

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.