Sr. Manager - Should Cost Engineering

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.

Key Accountabilities

Cost Engineering Leadership

• Develop and deploy advanced should-cost methodologies including:
  • Bottom-up Costing
  • Zero-Based Costing
  • Parametric Cost Models
  • Regression-Based Cost Models
  • Design-to-Cost Frameworks
• Perform detailed cost breakdown analyses covering:
  • Material
  • Conversion
  • Tooling
  • Labor
  • Machine Rates
  • Overheads
  • Logistics
  • Supplier Margin
• Build clean-sheet costing models supporting sourcing and engineering decisions.
• Execute supplier quote versus should-cost gap analysis.

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Cost Management

• Support Global Commodity Managers in supplier negotiations.
• Identify cost reduction, localization, and supply chain optimization opportunities.
• Drive make-vs-buy analyses and sourcing strategy recommendations.
• Conduct supplier benchmarking and manufacturing capability assessments.
• Support supplier development, APQP, PPAP, and qualification activities.

Value Engineering & Product Cost Optimization

• Lead Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE) projects.
• Conduct competitive benchmarking and product teardown studies.
• Support New Product Development (NPD) teams in achieving target-cost objectives.
• Recommend design, material, and process alternatives to improve product value.
• Drive lifecycle cost reduction initiatives across existing product portfolios.

Cost Analytics & Digital Transformation

• Maintain and continuously improve costing databases and benchmarks.
• Utilize digital costing platforms such as:
  • aPriori
  • Power BI
  • SAP
  • Advanced Excel-based tools
• Support development of automated costing and AI-enabled analytics solutions.
• Monitor commodity trends, inflation impacts, and regional manufacturing cost dynamics.

Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead and mentor Cost Engineering team members.
• Establish best practices and standard methodologies for cost modeling.
• Support development of a Cost Engineering Center of Excellence.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration across global stakeholder groups.
• Drive continuous improvement and capability-building initiatives.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline.

Preferred

• MBA (Operations)
• Master's Degree in Engineering
• PG Diploma in Business Management or Supply Chain Management

These qualifications align closely with successful profiles in the market.

Experience

• 15+ years of relevant experience in:
  • Cost Engineering
  • Value Engineering
  • Strategic Sourcing
  • Procurement Engineering
  • Supplier Development
  • Manufacturing Engineering
• Demonstrated experience in:
  • Global sourcing environments
  • Cross-functional leadership
  • Supplier negotiations
  • Cost productivity programs
  • Product cost optimization

Critical Technical Competencies (Proficient)

Cost Engineering

• Should Costing
• Zero-Based Costing
• Bottom-up Costing
• Parametric Cost Modeling
• Design-to-Cost
• Cost Benchmarking
• Cost Gap Analysis
• Clean Sheet Costing

Manufacturing Expertise

• Casting
• Machining
• Fabrication
• Sheet Metal
• Forgings
• Plastic Injection Molding
• Rubber Components
• Electro-Mechanical Assemblies

Engineering Skills

• Engineering Drawings
• GD&T
• Manufacturing Process Mapping
• Product Cost Drivers
• DFMA Principles

Quality & Supplier Development

• APQP
• PPAP
• Supplier Audits
• Process Capability Assessment
• First Article Approval

Preferred Skills (Good to Proficient)

• Strategic Procurement
• Category Management
• Commodity Strategy
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Contract Negotiation
• Global Sourcing
• Program Management
• PMP Methodologies
• Lean Six Sigma
• Continuous Improvement
• Data Analytics
• Power BI
• AI-enabled Cost Analytics
• Commercial Acumen

Systems & Tools

• aPriori
• SAP
• Power BI
• Microsoft Excel (Advanced)
• Microsoft Project
• JDE (Preferred)
• Creo
• AI-assisted Cost Analytics Platforms

Key Success Metrics

• Annualized cost savings achieved
• Cost avoidance opportunities identified
• Should-cost model accuracy
• Supplier negotiation impact
• Sourcing project savings
• NPD target-cost achievement
• Value Engineering program outcomes
• Team capability development
• Stakeholder satisfaction

Preferred Certifications

• SAVE Certified Value Specialist (CVS)
• PMP
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt / Black Belt
• Operational Excellence Certification

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.