Commercial Director - Xylem

Halden Pharma; Oslo fylke; On-site; NOK 1,800,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Xylem Water Solutions Norway AS is seeking a commercially driven leader to head the Transport business in Norway, overseeing a sales organization of ~22 employees and five direct reports. You will own commercial direction, order intake, and profitability, while partnering with the Nordic leadership team to align priorities and drive growth.

The Commercial Director will report to the Senior Director, Nordic Transport, and play a pivotal role in shaping the commercial agenda for Transport Norway,

Qualifications

• Hands-on sales leadership experience coaching leaders and contributors.
• Strong financial acumen with full P&L understanding.
• Proven track record of profitable growth and performance improvement.
• Experience with leading transformation.
• Go-to-market capability across direct and indirect routes.
• Analytical capability for what-if scenarios and translating insights into actions.
• Strong matrix leadership and stakeholder management.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Collaborative but performance-oriented leadership style.
• Fluent English; Norwegian or another Nordic language preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the Transport Norway sales team with a strong operating rhythm.
• Own order intake and commercial performance for Transport Norway with focus on profitable growth and pricing discipline.
• Drive orders and growth through stronger account planning, funnel management and value-based selling.
• Shape and execute the Norway go-to-market model.
• Translate Nordic and regional priorities into a practical Norway growth plan with measurable outcomes.
• Lead continuous transformation and performance improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate across Service, Finance, Product Management, Marketing and Operations.
• Navigate the matrix and influence stakeholders to mobilize resources.

Skills

Sales leadership

P&L management

Strategic account management

Go-to-market

Stakeholder management

Commercial mindset

Communication skills

Fluent English

Job description

We are seeking a commercially driven leader to head Xylem’s $60M Transport business in Norway. The role combines sales and people leadership, profitable growth, and active participation in the Nordic leadership agenda.

As Commercial Director, you will lead the local sales organization, drive commercial performance, and strengthen customer and market engagement. Success requires a hands‑on approach to sales leadership, strong business acumen, and the ability to lead continuous improvement in a matrix organization. This role is fully focused on commercial leadership, profitable growth, sales execution and business performance, while working in close partnership with the Managing Director and the wider leadership team.

You will report to the Senior Director, Nordic Transport, and serve as a member of the Nordic Leadership Team. In this role, you will contribute actively to Nordic priorities while leading the commercial agenda for Transport Norway.

The opportunity

As Commercial Director, you will lead a commercial organization of approximately 22 employees, including sales leaders and Key Account Managers, with five direct reports. You will own the commercial direction, order intake and sales performance of the Transport business. Our new Commercial Director will also:

• Be expected to be visible with the team and in the market: coaching sales leaders, engaging strategic customers, improving account planning, strengthening funnel quality and increasing the pace and quality of execution.

• Be accountable for the commercial drivers that have the greatest impact on profitability, including pricing, sales mix, order intake, forecast quality and commercial execution.

• Work closely with Finance and the wider organization to understand how commercial decisions translate into contribution margin, EBITDA, revenue mix, SG&A and overall business performance.

• Be an important contributor to the Nordic Leadership Team. You will bring the commercial perspective from Norway into Nordic decisions, share ideas and best practices across countries, and engage senior stakeholders across the Nordic and European organization when required.

Key accountabilities

• Lead, coach and develop the Transport Norway sales team, creating high customer‑facing intensity, clear expectations, accountability and a strong operating rhythm.

• Own order intake and commercial performance for Transport Norway, with clear focus on profitable growth, pricing discipline, mix, funnel quality, forecast accuracy and the commercial drivers that materially influence local EBITDA and consolidated margin.

• Drive orders and profitable growth through stronger account planning, funnel management, CRM discipline, win‑rate improvement and value‑based selling.

• Shape and execute the Norway go‑to‑market model.

• Translate Nordic and regional priorities into a practical Norway growth plan with clear choices, measurable outcomes and disciplined follow‑through.

• Lead continuous transformation and drive continuous performance improvement

• Work closely across Service, Finance, Product Management, Marketing, Operations and other enabling functions

• Navigate the matrix effectively, influencing stakeholders and mobilizing resources without relying only on formal authority.

• Contribute actively to the Nordic Leadership Team and help shape commercial priorities, transformation initiatives and organizational development beyond Norway.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a commercially driven leader who combines proven experience with clear ambition and capacity to grow. You may currently be a Sales Director, Commercial Director, Business Unit Manager, Regional Sales Leader or in a similar role where you have combined hands‑on sales leadership with strong financial and P&L understanding.

Experience from industrial, infrastructure, technology, water, automation, technical solutions, or related B2B environments is advantageous.

You should bring:

• Strong hands‑on sales leadership experience, including coaching and developing both sales leaders and individual contributors, with a proven ability to create results through others.

• Strong financial acumen and a full‑P&L mindset, with a clear understanding of how order intake, pricing, mix, volume, channel choices, commercial terms and sales productivity flow through to contribution margin, EBITDA and overall business performance.

• A proven track record of profitable growth and performance improvement in a commercial organization.

• Experience with leading transformation.

• Strong go‑to‑market capability across direct and indirect routes to market, including channel and partner management.

• The analytical capability to run what‑if scenarios and translate business insight into practical commercial choices.

• Strong matrix leadership and stakeholder management.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to simplify complex situations.

• A collaborative but performance‑oriented leadership style.

• Fluent English; Norwegian or another Nordic language is strongly preferred.

Why this role matters

Transport Norway is an important business within Xylem Nordics, with strong market relevance and significant opportunity to strengthen profitable growth. The next leader will have the opportunity to build a stronger sales engine, develop leaders and employees, and improve sustainable business performance through a high‑performing commercial organization.

At the same time, this is a visible role within the Nordic organization that provides strong exposure and a meaningful platform for continued development within Xylem.

Xylem is an international, purpose‑driven company focused on solving one of the world’s most important challenges: water.

Who we are

Xylem Water Solutions Norway AS is the leading specialist company within pumping, water technology and fluid handling, and this year we proudly celebrate our 60th anniversary. With 125 employees across 9 locations and our head office at Kjeller, just outside Oslo, we are a strong and established player in the Norwegian market.

Our business spans four divisions, and we are the market leader within the municipal water and wastewater sector and aquaculture.

Quality, sustainability and continuous improvement are at the core of how we operate, and we are certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

You will become part of a supportive and inclusive culture where engagement, collaboration and mutual respect are highly valued. Over time, employees and management have built a strong foundation of trust and open dialogue, creating a workplace defined by professionalism, creativity, transparency and integrity - combined with positive energy, humour and a genuine team spirit.

Location, travel and application

Position is based in Kjeller, Norway

Travel: Approximately 20%