Global Category Manager (m/f/d) – Cables

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.

Position: Global Category Manager (m/f/d) – Cables

This role focuses on the global category portfolio of cables, with responsibilities including strategy development, end‑to‑end procurement, supplier performance management, and cross‑functional collaboration.

Location

Schaffhausen, Switzerland (additional Xylem locations in Europe such as Montecchio, Italy are also possible).

Essential Duties / Principal Responsibilities in Europe

• Lead the global category portfolio of 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 apply de‑risking methodologies, working horizontally to stay abreast of changing technology and demand, and maintain a clear understanding of product taxonomy to a sub‑tier level.
• Run regular category project calls with cross‑functional teams, closely monitoring progress to committed timelines, and establish and maintain a Corporate Category Council.
• Support a continuous‑improvement environment with a track record of achieving significant productivity improvements (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 CSAs are up‑to‑date and fully administered; the CSA will be owned by the incumbent.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience (preferably Business, Supply Chain or Engineering).
• Experience with material control systems and processes.
• Strong background in managing Cable categories and understanding of their manufacturing process.
• Proven sourcing and negotiation skills with suppliers/service providers, delivering annual cost reductions.
• Experience working with Global Business partners in regions such as Americas, EMEA, APAC.
• Ability to quickly establish credibility across the organization and to engage and influence others to ensure effective and efficient solutions are implemented.
• Strong influence, communication and change management skills, especially in a matrix environment with cross‑functional stakeholders.
• International travel up to 30% of the time.

We Offer You More Than Just “A Job”

• Professional Development – A wide variety of experiences to support continuous learning and professional growth.
• Total Rewards – Comprehensive programs for compensation, benefits, recognition, learning and development, work‑life integration and corporate citizenship.
• Watermark – Corporate social responsibility program to provide education and access to safe water, with opportunities to learn and volunteer on water‑related projects.
• Employee Networks – Professional, supportive networks for employees from diverse backgrounds, including Women’s, LGBT+ and Allies, Veteran’s, People of Color and Allies, Emerging Leaders, and Working Parents Networks.

Contact

For questions regarding this opportunity, please reach out to Niklas Naunheim, Talent Acquisition Lead Europe at +49 1621374371.

Equal Opportunity Statement

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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