Director, Manufacturing

Ebro Electronic GmbH; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Xylem, a Fortune 500 water technology company, seeks an experienced Operations Leader to manage the DuBois operating team and drive site performance.

You will translate objectives into clear priorities, guide safety, quality, delivery, and cost, and foster a high‑performance culture focused on accountability. Lead continuous improvement, develop talent, and partner with engineering, quality, supply chain, and maintenance to sustain gains and support growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in a relevant field.
• Significant progressive leadership experience in operations, manufacturing, or industrial environments, including direct responsibility for site or plant performance.
• Demonstrated success leading teams and improving results across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity metrics.
• Strong experience with operational excellence, continuous improvement, and performance management systems.
• Proven ability to lead through complexity, drive change, and build alignment across multiple functions.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect operational execution to broader commercial and strategic goals.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Experience developing talent, building strong teams, and creating a culture of accountability and engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the DuBois operating team with full accountability for site performance.
• Translate division and business objectives into clear operating priorities, action plans, and performance expectations.
• Drive execution against key operational goals related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Establish a high-performance operating culture focused on accountability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.
• Support business growth by aligning operating capabilities, capacity, and execution with customer and market needs.
• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure safety remains a visible and uncompromising priority across the operation.
• Lead efforts to improve quality performance, reduce variability, and strengthen process discipline throughout manufacturing and operational workflows.
• Improve on-time delivery and operational reliability through effective planning, execution, and issue resolution.
• Drive cost competitiveness through waste reduction, productivity improvement, and disciplined resource management.
• Monitor and improve site KPIs and operating metrics, using data-driven decision-making to prioritize actions and sustain gains.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity, flow, quality, and overall site performance.
• Build and reinforce structured problem-solving, root cause analysis, and performance management practices.
• Advance operational excellence by improving processes, standard work, visual management, and management operating systems.
• Identify opportunities to simplify operations, remove barriers, and improve scalability in support of business objectives.
• Lead, coach, and develop operations leaders and functional team members across the site.
• Build organizational capability through succession planning, talent development, and strong performance management.
• Foster an inclusive, team-oriented environment where employees are engaged, respected, and empowered to contribute.
• Set clear expectations and create alignment around priorities, behaviors, and results.
• Support change leadership efforts that strengthen culture, improve performance, and build long-term organizational resilience.

Skills

Leadership experience

Operational excellence

Performance management

Communication skills

Decision making

Business acumen

Talent development

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in a relevant field

Advanced degree or additional professional training in operations, engineering, business, or related discipline

Job description

Xylem ist ein Fortune 500 Wassertechnologieunternehmen mit global 23.000 Mitarbeitenden in über 100 Ländern und einer Mission: unseren Kunden durch innovative Technologielösungen und unser Fachwissen bei der Lösung von Wasserproblemen und -herausforderungen zu helfen. Wir sind der weltweit führende Anbieter effizienter, innovativer und nachhaltiger Wassertechnologien, die dafür sorgen, dass unser Wasser nachhaltig genutzt, optimal verwaltet, erhalten und wiederverwendet wird.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the DuBois operating team with full accountability for site performance and operational results.
• Translate division and business objectives into clear operating priorities, action plans, and performance expectations.
• Drive execution against key operational goals related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Establish a high-performance operating culture focused on accountability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.
• Support business growth by aligning operating capabilities, capacity, and execution with customer and market needs.
• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure safety remains a visible and uncompromising priority across the operation.
• Lead efforts to improve quality performance, reduce variability, and strengthen process discipline throughout manufacturing and operational workflows.
• Improve on-time delivery and operational reliability through effective planning, execution, and issue resolution.
• Drive cost competitiveness through waste reduction, productivity improvement, and disciplined resource management.
• Monitor and improve site KPIs and operating metrics, using data-driven decision-making to prioritize actions and sustain gains.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity, flow, quality, and overall site performance.
• Build and reinforce structured problem-solving, root cause analysis, and performance management practices.
• Advance operational excellence by improving processes, standard work, visual management, and management operating systems.
• Identify opportunities to simplify operations, remove barriers, and improve scalability in support of business objectives.
• Lead, coach, and develop operations leaders and functional team members across the site.
• Build organizational capability through succession planning, talent development, and strong performance management.
• Foster an inclusive, team-oriented environment where employees are engaged, respected, and empowered to contribute.
• Set clear expectations and create alignment around priorities, behaviors, and results.
• Support change leadership efforts that strengthen culture, improve performance, and build long-term organizational resilience.
• Partner effectively with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure alignment on priorities, resources, and execution.
• Work closely with engineering, quality, supply chain, maintenance, and other business partners to solve complex operational issues and improve outcomes.
• Communicate clearly with senior leadership on site performance, risks, opportunities, and progress against objectives.
• Serve as a key leader in supporting broader division initiatives and strategic priorities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in a relevant field.
• Significant progressive leadership experience in operations, manufacturing, or industrial environments, including direct responsibility for site or plant performance.
• Demonstrated success leading teams and improving results across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity metrics.
• Strong experience with operational excellence, continuous improvement, and performance management systems.
• Proven ability to lead through complexity, drive change, and build alignment across multiple functions.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect operational execution to broader commercial and strategic goals.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Experience developing talent, building strong teams, and creating a culture of accountability and engagement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree or additional professional training in operations, engineering, business, or a related discipline.
• Experience in a multi-functional manufacturing environment with a strong emphasis on operational rigor and customer delivery.
• Background in lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or other structured operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience leading through transformation, business growth, or operational scale-up.
• Demonstrated ability to influence at senior leadership levels and drive enterprise-wide collaboration.

Werden Sie Teil des globalen Xylem-Teams und gestalten Sie innovative Technologielösungen mit, die die Nutzung, Verfügbarkeit, den Schutz und die nachhaltige Verwendung von Wasser sicherstellen. Unsere Produkte kommen in der öffentlichen Versorgung, der Industrie, im Wohnbereich und in gewerblichen Gebäuden zum Einsatz – mit dem Ziel, intelligente Maschinen, Anlagen, Messsysteme, Netzwerktechnologien und fortschrittliche Analysen für Wasser-, Strom- und Gasversorger sowie die Industrie bereitzustellen.

Arbeiten Sie mit uns an einer Welt, in der die aktuellen und kommenden Wasserherausforderungen mit Kreativität und Engagement gelöst werden und in der Inklusion und Zugehörigkeit als Treiber für Innovation erkannt werden, um unsere Wettbewerbsfähigkeit weltweit zu stärken.

At Xylem, you'll not only contribute to solving water issues but also have the chance to make a difference through our paid Volunteer Program, Xylem Watermark. We prioritize our employees' well-being through inclusion and belonging as well as our Employee Resource Groups (ERG).

Proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (including disability and veterans) and affirmative action workplace, Xylem fosters an inclusive environment free from discrimination or harassment.

Inklusion und Zugehörigkeit bei Xylem Xylem ist ein Unternehmen, was Chancengleichheit fördert. Alle Entscheidungen werden ohne Rücksicht auf Nationalität, Hautfarbe, Religion, ethnische Herkunft, Geschlecht, sexuelle Orientierung, Geschlechtsidentität oder -ausdruck, Alter, Behinderung oder anderer gesetzlich geschützter Merkmale getroffen.

Please note that the information in this job description outlines the general nature of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties.

Xylem is dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations to enable all employees to perform their essential job functions.

We reserve the right to modify this job description and assign additional duties as needed.