Senior Legal Counsel

Xylem•Morrisville, NC

9d•$110,000 - $160,000

About The Position

The Senior Legal Counsel serves as the primary legal partner to Xylem Inc.’s Measurement and Control Solutions segment, providing practical, commercially oriented advice across a broad range of matters. The role works closely with segment leadership and cross-functional partners to identify and manage risk, support business objectives and sound decision-making, and escalate specialized matters when appropriate. It calls for strong judgment, business acumen, responsiveness, and the ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for nonlegal stakeholders. The position covers segment legal partnership, commercial contracts, general corporate and business guidance, compliance and risk management, disputes and external counsel management, and collaboration across the Legal function. The Senior Legal Counsel builds trusted relationships across the segment, helps improve legal processes and scalable resources, and uses sound judgment to determine when to act independently, collaborate, or escalate. Xylem is a global water solutions company with 23,000 employees operating in over 150 countries. Its products and technologies support public utilities, industrial sectors, residential areas, and commercial buildings, including smart metering, network technologies, and advanced analytics for water, electric, and gas utilities. The role’s salary range is $110,000 to $160,000 plus bonus; starting pay depends on factors including skills, experience, and work location and is not typically at the top of the range.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school and active license to practice law in at least one relevant jurisdiction.
At least 5 years of relevant legal experience, preferably including in-house experience supporting a business or operating unit.
Broad experience across commercial contracting and general business legal matters, including recognizing when specialist expertise is required.
Strong business acumen and ability to provide clear, concise, actionable guidance to nonlegal stakeholders.
Excellent negotiation, analytical, problem-solving, communication, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and operate effectively in a complex, matrixed, global environment.
Experience partnering with senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
Commitment to professional ethics, discretion, and confidentiality.
Efficient use of legal technology tools, including the Microsoft suite, contract lifecycle tools, and matter management tools.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting a technology, manufacturing, industrial, or other complex global business.
Experience with complex commercial technology agreements, compliance matters, disputes, corporate matters, strategic transactions, employment, regulatory, and product-related issues.
Experience managing external counsel and legal spend.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary day-to-day legal advisor to the assigned segment and develop a deep understanding of its products, strategy, operations, customers, markets, and risk profile.
Partner with segment leaders and functional teams to provide pragmatic guidance balancing business objectives, legal requirements, risk, and reputation.
Participate in business and leadership discussions to identify legal implications early, shape solutions, and support timely decisions.
Triage legal matters, manage priorities, and coordinate with subject-matter experts, regional counsel, and external counsel when specialized support is required.
Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including supply, services, technology (including SaaS and licensing), and other agreements with customers, distributors, and subcontractors.
Advise on contract interpretation, performance issues, claims, disputes, remedies, and risk allocation.
Improve contracting practices with practical templates, playbooks, approval guidance, and training for business stakeholders.
Provide general legal support for day-to-day matters involving sales and marketing, operations, channel management, product-related issues, strategic initiatives, and organizational changes.
Advise on corporate governance, delegations of authority, entity matters, and segment-related internal decision-making processes.
Support business development, partnerships, integrations, restructurings, and other strategic transactions in coordination with specialist counsel.
Partner with Ethics & Compliance and business leaders to promote compliance with applicable laws, company policies, and ethical standards.
Identify emerging legal and regulatory risks affecting the segment and recommend practical mitigation strategies.
Support internal reviews, investigations, audits, and corrective actions, as appropriate and in coordination with relevant specialists.
Develop and deliver targeted legal and compliance training for segment leaders and employees.
Assess disputes, claims, and potential litigation affecting the segment, and provide strategic guidance.
Coordinate with litigation specialists and external counsel to define scope, manage strategy, monitor cost, and keep business leaders informed.
Promote proactive dispute avoidance and commercially reasonable resolution of matters.
Build trusted relationships across the segment and broader Legal function, share insights, and help ensure consistent legal advice.
Contribute to Legal function priorities, knowledge sharing, process improvement, and the development of scalable tools and resources.
Demonstrate sound judgment about when to act independently, collaborate, or escalate.