Manufacturing Plant Manager

Xylem; Rockford (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Xylem is seeking an tenured manufacturing leader in Rockford to drive site performance and organizational excellence. The role focuses on safety, quality, delivery, and cost, translating strategic objectives into actionable priorities and leading a high-performance team.

The ideal candidate will have a background in chemical manufacturing or related fields, with strong change leadership, talent development, and cross-functional collaboration to support growth and operational scalability.

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant field required.
• Significant progressive leadership experience in operations.
• Proven track record improving safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Experience leading through complexity and driving cross-functional alignment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Rockford operating team with full accountability for site performance.
• Translate division objectives into clear operating priorities and plans.
• Drive safety, quality, delivery, and productivity improvements.
• Develop a high-performance culture through accountability and continuous improvement.
• Align capabilities and execution with customer and market needs.
• Monitor KPIs and use data-driven decisions to sustain gains.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Operations management

Continuous improvement

Safety & quality focus

People leadership

Data-driven decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in related field

Job description

Xylem continues to grow, build and looking for a tenured manufacturing professional who can drive results and servant leader. The ideal candidate will have a background in chemical manufacturing or related fields.

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Lead the Rockford 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.

Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost Performance

• 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.

Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence

• 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.

People Leadership and Talent Development

• 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.

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.