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.
About the Role (Role Purpose)
The Central VAVE team works across Xylem segments and product lines to deliver annualized cost savings through structured VAVE methodology. The Senior VAVE Engineer will lead end-to-end VAVE projects focused on pump assemblies and components (hydraulics, castings, rotating parts, housings, mechanical interfaces), partnering with Engineering, Sourcing, Manufacturing, Quality, and Suppliers to generate, validate, and industrialize value ideas.
Impact: Drive measurable annualized savings through robust engineering-based VAVE, with a strong focus on pumps, hydraulics, and mechanical design excellence.
Key Responsibilities
VAVE Delivery & Project Leadership
- Lead VAVE projects from ideation to implementation with clear charters, savings validation, and timeline ownership.
- Perform Function Analysis and develop FAST diagrams to identify value opportunities and eliminate non-value-adding cost.
- Generate and evaluate concepts using structured tools (e.g., functional decomposition, cost drivers, teardown/benchmarking, DFM/DFA).
- Convert ideas into implementable engineering changes: design updates, drawings, specifications, and validation plans.
Pump Domain Engineering (Core)
- Provide deep technical leadership in pump design & development, including hydraulic components such as impellers, volutes/diffusers, and associated mechanical interfaces.
- Conduct analytical assessments (performance, structural integrity, fit-up, manufacturability, tolerance stack impacts).
- Ensure designs meet functional requirements: performance, reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, and compliance.
CAD, Drawings, GD&T
- Create/review 3D models and 2D drawings in PTC Creo; ensure change control and configuration discipline.
- Interpret and apply GD&T; drive robust tolerancing for manufacturability and quality.
- Perform drawing reviews and ensure design intent is captured accurately for suppliers and manufacturing.
Benchmarking, Cost & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Lead benchmarking / teardown activities to compare competitive design and cost structures; translate learnings into actionable VAVE proposals.
- Collaborate with cost engineering team on should-cost inputs, supplier ideas, and cost breakdown discussions.
- Able to comprehend cost drivers and focus points for ideation from should cost report out.
- Work with Manufacturing/Quality to validate process capability, risk, and implementation readiness.
- Present VAVE findings to leadership with clear ROI, risk mitigation plans, and implementation roadmap.
Required Qualifications (Must Have)
Experience
- 10+ years of industry experience with strong focus on pump design and development (centrifugal / mixed flow / axial, as applicable).
- Demonstrated hands-on expertise in VAVE tools and processes, with Function Analysis and FAST diagram development as core strengths.
Technical Skills
- Strong pump domain knowledge, including hydraulic components (e.g., impellers, volutes/diffusers) and associated mechanical design considerations.
- Strong Mechanical Engineering fundamentals (mechanics, machine design, materials, manufacturing basics, tolerance stack concepts).
- Excellent drawing reading skills with solid GD&T application and interpretation.
- Proven experience using Creo (PTC Creo) for 3D modeling and 2D drawings.
- Strong analytical/problem-solving skills; ability to validate concepts using calculations, data, and engineering judgment.
Education & Academic Criteria (Screening)
- 10th and 12th: Minimum 70% aggregate (or equivalent grading).
- Full-time BE/BTech (Mechanical or equivalent) from a recognized institute/university, 7CGPA.
- Preferred education path: 12th → Engineering degree (candidates with diploma route are not preferred for this role).
Nice to Have (Preferred)
- Ability to interpret and apply manufacturing drawings and production documentation.
- Knowledge of material standards (common pump metals, polymers, coatings) and standardization opportunities.
- Knowledge of manufacturing processes (casting, machining, welding, sheet metal, injection molding, additive where relevant).
- Experience with plastic part design (DFM, ribs, drafts, gating considerations, shrink/warp awareness).
- Strong data analytics skills; experience with Excel (advanced), Power BI, and usage of AI tools for engineering productivity.
- Experience conducting ideation workshops / Kaizen / VAVE workshops with cross-functional teams.
- Familiarity with Six Sigma tools (DMAIC, hypothesis testing, capability, FMEA, MSA).
- Exposure to pressure vessel design fundamentals (codes/standards awareness is a plus).
Behavioral Competencies
- Strong stakeholder management across Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Sourcing.
- Executive-ready communication—able to defend assumptions, trade-offs, and risks.
- Bias for action and closure—drives implementation, not just ideas.
- High learning agility and ability to work across multiple product lines/segments.
- Structured thinking and documentation discipline.
Working Conditions / Additional Information
- Travel: Up to 15–25% (sites/suppliers/workshops) as needed.
- Work mode: As per site policy (hybrid/onsite).
- Role type: Individual Contributor with project leadership responsibilities.
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.
Skills Required
- 10+ years of industry experience focused on pump design and development, including centrifugal, mixed-flow, or axial pumps
- Hands-on expertise with VAVE tools and processes, including Function Analysis and FAST diagram development
- Strong pump domain knowledge, including impellers, volutes, diffusers, and associated mechanical interfaces
- Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals covering mechanics, machine design, materials, manufacturing, and tolerance stacks
- Excellent drawing-reading skills and solid GD&T application and interpretation
- Proven experience using PTC Creo for 3D modeling and 2D drawings
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including concept validation using calculations, data, and engineering judgment
- Minimum 70% aggregate in 10th and 12th grade, or equivalent
- Full-time BE/BTech in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent from a recognized institute or university, with 7 CGPA
- Preferred education path of 12th grade followed by an engineering degree; diploma route is not preferred
- Ability to interpret and apply manufacturing drawings and production documentation
- Knowledge of pump material standards, including metals, polymers, and coatings
- Knowledge of casting, machining, welding, sheet metal, injection molding, and additive manufacturing processes
- Experience with plastic part design, including DFM, ribs, drafts, gating, shrink, and warp considerations
- Advanced Excel, Power BI, and AI tools for engineering productivity
- Experience conducting ideation, Kaizen, or VAVE workshops with cross-functional teams
- Familiarity with Six Sigma tools, including DMAIC, hypothesis testing, capability analysis, FMEA, and MSA
- Exposure to pressure vessel design fundamentals and relevant codes or standards
What We Do
Xylem |ˈzīləm| 1) The tissue in plants that brings water upward from the roots; 2) a leading global water technology company. Xylem, a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, is the leading global provider of efficient, innovative and sustainable water technologies improving the way water is used, managed, conserved and re-used. Our international team is unified in a common purpose: creating advanced technology and other trusted solutions to solve the world’s water challenges. We are committed to creating an organization of inclusion and diversity, where everyone feels involved, respected, valued and connected, and where everyone is free to bring their authentic selves and ideas. If you are excited and passionate about helping us #letssolvewater, we want to hear from you!
