Director, Customer Vertical, Data Centers

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.

THE ROLE: We are seeking a Director, Vertical Market- Data Centers.  Working within the Water Solutions and Services segment (WSS), you will develop, lead, and direct commercial initiatives aimed at increasing penetration for our water treatment products and services within the Data Center vertical market. Our ideal candidate will provide leadership and expertise to maximize sales revenues, develop key account relationships, and provide assistance to grow sales of our solutions to the Data Center industry globally.  Our candidate will have expertise to understand how and where Data Center buying decisions are made, and will have commercial skills needed to develop and pursue business growth strategies within the vertical.  Knowledge of construction, working with specifying engineers, and water treatment within the industry will be particularly valuable.

An ideal candidate will operate with a great deal of autonomy, with responsibility to make decisions that have significant impact on business results and strategy. They will be recognized as a SME in Xylem and demonstrate mastery of solution and value selling.  They will a lead a team of segment focused efforts while working within a team of enterprise level resources to generate business results.  A keen knowledge of emerging trends in the Data Center vertical, and contribution to solution offerings are key indicators of a successful candidate.
 

CORE RESPONSIBILITES:

• Key Accounts
  • Segment the market and identify key accounts based on business potential
  • Cultivate positive and lasting relationships with key account holders
  • Manage critical accounts with responsibility for revenue, profit, and Voice of Customer (VOC)
  • Resolve complex commercial issues using advanced problem-solving skills.
• Market Analysis
  • Promote products
  • Conduct opportunity size analysis
  • Understand and communicate industry trends to a broader Xylem team to increase potential for sales within the Data Center industry
  • Work closely with the product team to build business cases necessary to support new or enhanced product solution development
  • Be an ambassador/SME for the Data Center vertical market within the Water Solutions and Services (WSS) segment
  • Coordinate segment level business activities with enterprise level Xylem colleagues
• Strategic Leadership
  • Define and execute Xylem’s overall approach to the Data Center vertical market
  • Drive growth through differentiated product and service offerings
  • Direct and coordinate efforts with a team of Vertical Market Leads and Business Developers
  • Lead vertical specific go to market strategies, including value propositions, messaging, and market campaigns aligned with Data Center customer needs
• Performance & Growth
  • Drive sales pipeline development by partnering with sales and marketing resources to identify, prioritize, and advance qualified opportunities across regions
  • Increase share of wallet per customer within the vertical
  • Own the “virtual P&L” for the vertical, including accountability for segment KPI’s
• North American Focus, International Responsibility
  • Operate with a focus on the North American market, while identifying potential international opportunities and promoting appropriately
  • Carry the offer for expansion of our water treatment products and services forward
  • Interface, collaborate, and support international colleagues

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Responsible for Xylem's overall approach to the market and will drive growth by carefully and selectively pursuing actions to differentiate Xylem's product and service offers to the market
• Provide vertical market leadership to commercial team; identifies and resolves most complex problems and applies problem-solving skills to deal with most situations
• Creates market campaigns designed to increase awareness of Xylem solutions and services among internal and external users, influencers, and specifiers
• Provides insights and suggestions to the M & A (mergers and acquisitions) team as necessary
• Translates industry drivers into actionable market and sales initiatives designed to increase sales into the relevant vertical market
• Growth in sales and EBITDA for the relevant vertical market
• Growth in rate of success for pursuit of opportunities in vertical market
• Increased vertical market sales penetration, measured both by penetration into number of customers, as well as by increased share of wallet captured per customer in the vertical market
• Owner of "virtual P&L" of vertical market, (KPI's for role include market P&L)
• Directs sales and R&D strategy and direction within customer segment
• Critical key account assignments with revenue, profit, and VOC responsibility for Xylem business within a vertical

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Strategic thinking and market analysis
• Leadership and team development; people management
• Solution and value-based selling
• Financial acumen (P&L ownership)
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement

POSITION REQUIREMENTS/PREFERENCES:

• Formal education/experience requirements: BS/BA in related discipline, such as marketing, engineering, or environmental science + 10 years Marketing and/or relevant industry experience
• Formal education/experience preferences: Master’s degree in related discipline, such as business, marketing, engineering, or environmental science + 8 years
• Proven track record in solution and value selling
• Strong leadership and strategic planning capabilities
• International experience highly preferred
• 25%-50% travel within mostly continental US, potential international travel required
• High proficiency in English required
• Locations: Charlotte, NC / Chicago, IL / Atlanta, GA (other locations will be considered, must be within 1 hour or less of an international airport)

Salary

The estimated salary range for this position is $175K to $200K plus bonus.   Starting pay is dependent on multiple factors, such as skills, experience and work location, and is not typically at the top of the range.  At Xylem we offer competitive compensation with a generous benefit package, including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, as well as 401(k) with company contribution, paid time off, paid parental leave, and tuition reimbursement.

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Join the global Xylem team to be a 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.