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.

We are looking for a dynamic, challenge-driven, and professional individual to join our team as Regional Category Manager Europe (m/f/d), focusing on Cables and Polymerics. The position is a key aspect of our business operation and is becoming ever more important as the Category grows at a fast pace. This person will have a demonstrated track record in Procurement and Project Management, working in strong collaboration with cross-functional teams, leading complex and varied procurement projects within the Category.

In this role you’ll be pivotal in the development of our Global Supply Chain strategy, through the analysis, implementation and continuous improvement of the end-to-end value chain solution.

Locations: Schaffhausen (Switzerland), but other Xylem locations in Europe are also optional (Poland, Hungary, Italy).

Essential Duties/Principal Responsibilities in Europe:

• Lead the category portfolio in polymerics and cables, developing and executing strategic sourcing strategies to deliver cost savings, risk mitigation, and long-term value across Europe.
• Manage end-to-end procurement activities, including KPI definition, supplier performance management, contract negotiations, and compliance tracking.
• Drive make-or-buy decisions, continuous improvement programs, and supplier development initiatives to enhance efficiency and competitiveness.
• Integrate sustainability, ESG, and supplier diversity goals into procurement strategy to align with corporate objectives.
• Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships (SRM) to ensure resilience, quality, and innovation across European operations.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders and provide guidance to local strategic buyers, ensuring alignment with global procurement goals.
• Predict future global trends and disruptions within the industry and de-risking methodologies, working horizontally to stay abreast with changing technology and demand and have clear understanding of product taxonomy to a sub-tier level.
• Run regular category project calls with cross functional teams, closely monitoring progress to committed timeline.Establish and maintain a Corporate Category Council.
• Support a continuous improvement environment with a track record of achieving significant productivity improvement (Quality, Service Levels, Delivery and Cost) year on year.
• Analyze spend data and present insights based on the needs of the audience.
• Ensure that all applicable suppliers have fully executed Corporate Supply Agreements (CSA) and that such CSA are up-to-date and fully administered to. The CSA will be owned by the incumbent.

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

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience (preferably Business, Supply Chain or Engineering)
• Material control systems and processes background
• Managing Polymerics and Cable categories strongly preferred and understanding of their manufacturing process.
• Sourcing & negotiating with suppliers/service providers and delivering annual cost reductions.
• Experience working with Global Business partners in global regions (Americas, EMEA, APAC)
• Ability to quickly establish credibility across the organization and to engage and influence others to ensure the most effective and efficient solutions are implemented.
• Strong influence, communication and change management skills, especially in a matrix environment with cross-functional stakeholders
• This role requires travel internationally up to 30% of your time

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 have the opportunity to 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, Talent Acquisition Lead Europe 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.

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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.