Continuous Improvement Specialist

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:

The Continuous Improvement (CI) Specialist is a senior individual contributor and change leader responsible for driving measurable improvements in service and transactional performance across North America. This role leads CI initiatives that improve profitability, productivity, customer experience, and operational discipline, while aligning execution to business strategy and Goal Deployment.

The CI Specialist is expected to own problems, lead change, coach leaders, and build sustainable CI capability in branches through metrics, visual management, Managing for Daily Improvement, and standard work.

Responsibilities:

Service & Transactional Transformation:
* Lead CI initiatives focused on service operations, transactional processes, and branch performance
* Identify and execute productivity, labor efficiency, and margin improvement opportunities
* Partner with Finance to quantify and track savings to the P&L
* Support channel and service strategy transformation through data-driven CI analysis
* Contribute to Goal Deployment initiatives with a CI execution lens

CI Leadership & Deployment:
* Lead and facilitate Value Stream Mapping (VSM) for service and transactional processes
* Establish and sustain Visual Management, Standard Work, and 5S
* Design and deploy Managing for Daily Improvement (Tiered Meetings) to surface and resolve daily issues
* Ensure gaps to targets are addressed through structured problem solving (A3, RCCA, PDCA)
* Act as a coach and mentor to branch leaders, supervisors, and managers

Metrics, Analytics & Reporting:
* Define and implement KPIs aligned to business priorities
* Develop dashboards and visual performance boards
* Translate data into clear stories that drive decisions and action
* Support analytics related to service mix, turnaround time, cost, margin, and customer experience
* Leverage ERP, CRM, and data systems to enable transparency and standardization

Change & Stakeholder Management:
* Act as a trusted CI partner to Sales, Service, Operations, Finance, and Leadership
* Drive adoption through influence, coaching, and structured change management
* Navigate resistance and ambiguity while maintaining momentum and alignment
* Balance strategic intent with hands-on execution in the field

Training, Coaching & Capability Building:
* Coach leaders on CI fundamentals and application in daily operations
* Support CI training deployment (Lean Foundations, Kaizen, problem solving)
* Build local CI capability to ensure improvements are sustained
* Serve as a role model for Xylem’s High Impact Culture High Impact Behaviors:  
• Continuous Professional Development:
Professionals should be committed to lifelong learning, seeking out opportunities for self-improvement, and staying abreast of industry trends and best practices.  
• Collaboration and Teamwork:
Effective professionals understand the value of collaboration. They work well with others, contribute to team goals, and understand that diverse perspectives can lead to better solutions.  
• Results Driven Performance:
High-performing professionals focus on delivering results. They set high standards for their own performance and are committed to achieving objectives efficiently and effectively.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field with at least 4 years of relevant experience, or equivalent work experience providing exposure to fundamental theories, principles, and concepts.
• Proven experience leading continuous improvement in service, transactional, or operations environments  
• Strong working knowledge of Lean, CI, and problem-solving methodologies  
• Demonstrated ability to lead without…