Sr. Director, Quality

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.

A core responsibility of the role is to develop and execute a global quality strategy that standardizes best practices while enabling versatility across diverse regions and product lines. This includes setting enterprise quality policies, governance structures, and key performance indicators; leading transformative initiatives to reduce defects, cost of poor quality, and warranty exposure; improving customers’ and channel partners’ experience; and ensuring compliance with regulatory and industry standards. The Sr. Director of Global Quality partners closely with engineering, operations, supply chain, commercial and service teams to drive upstream quality, strengthen supplier performance, and accelerate problem resolution through data-driven insights and advanced analytics.

The role is also responsible for leading the Xylem Quality Council, a federated team of quality experts embedded within our segments, fostering a high-performance community of practice. Through strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration, the Global Quality Leader will work with this team to build organizational capability in critical areas such as data analysis, root cause problem solving, design for reliability, and quality systems management. This individual serves as a key advisor to senior leadership, providing transparent reporting on quality performance and risks while championing a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence across the enterprise.

Primary Responsibilities

• Define and lead the enterprise quality strategy and framework—Establish global standards, governance, and metrics that integrate design, manufacturing, supplier, and field quality into a cohesive operating system aligned with business objectives. Responsible for leading and maintaining the Quality pillar within the Xylem Production System.
• Drive execution and performance improvement—Lead initiatives to reduce defects, cost of poor quality, and warranty exposure while improving customer satisfaction through data-driven insights, root cause problem solving, and continuous improvement.
• Strengthen end-to-end product and process quality—Partner with engineering, operations, and supply chain to embed quality upstream (design for reliability), enhance supplier performance, and ensure robust, scalable manufacturing processes.
• Build and lead a global quality organization—Coordinate and develop a federated team of quality experts across regions and business units, fostering a high-performance community of practice and enhancing enterprise capabilities.
• Provide governance, risk oversight, and executive transparency—Ensure compliance with regulatory and industry standards, proactively manage quality risks, and deliver clear, actionable reporting and insights to senior leadership.

Key Competencies and Skills

• Enterprise quality systems leadership

• Cross-boundary collaboration and communication

• Matrix management; leadership through influence

• Lean continuous improvement mindset

• Customer focused

• Change leadership and transformation
• Executive presence and communication

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in engineering, manufacturing or a related technical field
• 15–20+ years of progressive experience in quality, manufacturing, engineering, or operations within industrial or complex product manufacturing environments
• 10+ years in leadership roles managing multi-site or global teams
• Proven track record of leading global quality transformations and implementing standardized business or quality systems across multiple areas

Preferred:

• Master’s Degree in Business Administration
• Quality certification (ASQ, ISO lead auditor, etc.)
• Lean certification (Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, Shingo, etc.)

Location: Charlotte, NC

The salary range for this position is $180,000 to $230,000 plus bonus. Starting pay is dependent on multiple factors, such as skills, experience, and work location, and is not typically at the top of the range. At Xylem, we offer a competitive compensation package with a generous benefit package, including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, 401(k) with company contribution, paid time off, paid parental leave, and tuition reimbursement.

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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.