Director, Business Systems & Automation

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 Director, Business Systems & Automation will lead the design, development, and support of business-facing reporting, automation, data integration, and internal business applications for the MCS segment of Xylem, with selective support across other business areas. The role leads a software and data team responsible for internally developed application and reporting platforms with broad user adoption and integrations across ERP, CRM, financial, engineering, and operational systems.

***While this role supports Finance and business stakeholders, this is not a traditional Finance, Accounting, FP&A, Financial Reporting, or Controllership leadership position. This role will be based in our Charlotte, NC office hub.

The role sits between business stakeholders and enterprise IT, translating financial and operational requirements into working applications, automated processes, integrations, and reporting the business can rely on. It spans strategy and hands-on delivery, including architecture, data engineering, application development, security, deployment, production support, and documentation.

Current focus areas include ERP modernization readiness, finance reporting automation, data governance, and scalable reporting and platform architecture.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:  To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. 

Business Intelligence & Reporting

• Lead the design, development, and delivery of trusted Finance reporting and analytics for assigned business areas, including flash, actuals, forecast, budget, margin, spend, order intake, backlog, invoicing, and related operational reporting.

• Develop and maintain standardized reporting, dashboards, self-service analytics, and the underlying datasets that support executive and operational decision-making.

• Improve reporting timeliness, consistency, and data availability across multiple business functions.

• Maintain reporting continuity through overlapping system changes, including ERP, consolidation, HR, and reporting platform transitions.

Enterprise Systems & Data Integration

• Design, implement, and oversee reporting integrations across ERP, CRM, finance, HR, engineering, supply chain, billing, and operational systems.

• Define business rules, data mappings, reconciliation logic, controls, and validation processes that make consolidated reporting trustworthy.

• Prepare legacy business data and reporting structures for ERP modernization, including cleanup, mapping, cutover readiness, and testing.

• Support master data governance for core financial and operational data domains, including the approved vendor and manufacturer system of record used by internal and outsourced manufacturing plants.

Application Development & Automation

• Lead development, modernization, and production support of internally built business applications, from architecture and code through deployment, monitoring, and incident response.

• Replace spreadsheet-driven, email-based, and manual processes with automated, standardized workflows.

• Deliver practical interim solutions when business priorities require speed, without breaking from long-term enterprise architecture.

• Create documentation, support models, and handoff paths that keep solutions sustainable over time.

Controls, Security & IT Partnership

• Maintain secure reporting platforms, role-based access, and audit-ready controls across applications and reporting environments, subject to recurring external and internal audit review.

• Serve as a key liaison between Finance, business stakeholders, enterprise IT, and external implementation partners on reporting, automation, integration, and business systems initiatives.

• Support enterprise initiatives through business analysis, solution design, testing, implementation support, and issue resolution.

• Establish standards for documentation, development, security, and production support.

Leadership & Operating Model

• Lead and develop a four-person software and data team covering application development, data engineering, reporting, and business automation.

• Set priorities across strategic initiatives, production support, audit and control needs, and incoming business demand.

• Partner with executive leadership and functional leaders in Finance, Operations, Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Customer Operations to improve business capability.

• Promote continuous improvement by converting recurring problems into standardized workflows, automation, reporting capabilities, and repeatable support processes.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in business systems, analytics, automation, enterprise reporting, application development, or technology leadership.

• Strong understanding of finance, accounting, operational workflows, and enterprise business processes.

• Experience with ERP, CRM, business intelligence platforms, enterprise reporting, data integration, and application development.

• Experience leading technical teams and cross-functional initiatives involving business stakeholders, IT, implementation partners, and executive leadership.

• Demonstrated ability to translate business requirements into working systems while balancing long-term architecture with near-term delivery.

The estimated salary range for this position is $175,000 to $210,000 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 a competitive compensation package with a generous benefit package, including Medical, Dental, Vision plans, 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.