Commercial Excellence & Performance Management Project Manager (with a focus on AI)

Xylem; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water technology company is seeking a Commercial Excellence & Performance Management Project Manager to drive initiatives across their Treatment division. Responsibilities include leading cross-functional projects, enhancing performance metrics, and improving sales processes. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong analytical skills and the ability to influence senior stakeholders. Join a team dedicated to advancing sustainable water solutions with a focus on innovation and performance.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Career development opportunities

Health benefits

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex cross-functional projects in commercial excellence.
• Strong analytical capability with actionable insights.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of commercial excellence initiatives.
• Design performance management frameworks and metrics.
• Improve sales processes and standardize best practices.

Skills

Change management

Project management

Analytical capability

Stakeholder influence

Tools

CRM systems

Salesforce

Job description

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 23000 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.

Commercial Excellence & Performance Management Project Manager (with a focus on AI)

Location: Flexible Europe, US (with travel as required)

Role Purpose

This role sits at the intersection of strategy, data, AI and execution in the commercial excellence function of Xylem’s treatment division. The Commercial Excellence & Performance Management Project Manager will rethink and overhaul traditional ways of working on commercial activities and performance management by effectively using AI tools. The role will be accountable for leading high‑impact cross‑functional initiatives that strengthen Xylem Treatment division’s commercial operating model, improve sales effectiveness and embed disciplined performance management across the business. The focus is on outcomes: clearer visibility of commercial performance, sharper decision‑making, and measurable improvements in revenue quality, margin, pipeline health and customer value by developing and using various AI tools. The role requires a passion for efficiency, strong project leadership, analytical rigor and the credibility to challenge established ways of working.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Excellence Programme Delivery

Lead end‑to‑end delivery of commercial excellence initiatives covering various topics such as funnel management, sales incentive planning and tracking, 80/20 simplification, growth planning, etc. Deploy strategic division goals and targets into structured workplans, milestones and governance. Partner with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Pricing and Operations to align execution and remove friction across the commercial lifecycle.

Performance Management & Analytics

Design and embed robust performance management frameworks including KPIs, dashboards and management routines. Ensure consistent definitions and usage of commercial metrics (e.g., pipeline win rate, pricing discipline, margin forecast accuracy). Use data to identify performance gaps, root causes and improvement opportunities at global, regional and local levels.

Sales Effectiveness & Process Optimisation

Assess and improve core sales processes such as opportunity management, forecasting, account planning and bid governance. Support adoption and effective use of CRM and related commercial tools (e.g., Salesforce) working closely with digital and IT teams. Identify best practices across regions and drive standardisation where it creates value.

Change & Stakeholder Management

Act as a trusted partner to senior commercial leaders providing insight, challenge and practical recommendations. Drive change through influence rather than authority, managing resistance and ensuring sustainable adoption. Develop clear communication, training and enablement materials to support new ways of working.

Governance & Value Tracking

Establish project governance, risk management and reporting for commercial initiatives. Track benefit realisation and ensure initiatives deliver tangible measurable commercial impact. Escalate issues appropriately and recommend corrective actions where performance is off‑track.

Key Interfaces

• Sales Leadership & Field Sales Teams
• Marketing & Product Management
• Finance (FP&A, Pricing, Commercial Finance)
• Digital CRM & IT Teams
• Regional and Global Commercial Excellence Communities

Skills, Experience & Capabilities

Essential

• Proven experience leading complex cross‑functional projects in commercial excellence, sales operations, performance management or business transformation.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to turn data into clear insight and action.
• Experience working with sales performance metrics, CRM systems and commercial dashboards.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and challenge constructively.
• Excellent project management discipline including planning, governance and benefits tracking.

Desirable

• Experience in B2B industrial engineering or solutions‑based environments.
• Exposure to pricing, margin management or value‑based selling initiatives.
• Experience operating in matrixed international organisations.

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about AI and digital tools and how they can simplify complex business processes.
• Commercially curious and outcome‑driven; focused on impact rather than activity.
• Structured thinker with a pragmatic delivery‑oriented mindset.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to bring clarity to complex situations.
• Resilient, credible and confident engaging with senior leaders.
• Aligned with Xylem’s mission to solve water challenges through innovation and performance.

What Success Looks Like

• Clear, trusted commercial performance visibility across the organization.
• Improved sales effectiveness, forecast accuracy and margin discipline.
• Consistent adoption of commercial best practices across regions.
• Commercial initiatives that deliver measurable sustained business value.

Join the global Xylem team to be 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.