Ventures Manager

Xylem • Charlotte, NC

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Xylem is seeking a Ventures Manager to identify, evaluate, and advance innovation and venture opportunities aligned with strategic priorities. This role is at the intersection of venture investing, corporate strategy, innovation, and business development, focusing on emerging technologies, strategic partnerships, and investment activities for long-term value creation. The ideal candidate possesses commercial acumen, analytical rigor, strategic thinking, and relationship-building skills. The role involves cross-functional collaboration internally and external engagement with founders, investors, accelerators, and partners to enhance the innovation ecosystem and gain visibility into disruptive technologies and business models.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, science, or a related field.
• 8–12 years of experience in venture capital, growth equity, corporate venture, corporate strategy, corporate innovation, business development, or related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to assess emerging technologies, markets, and business models for strategic and commercial relevance.
• Strong skills in financial modeling, investment analysis, market assessment, and business case development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling executive-level materials.
• Experience working with senior internal and external stakeholders, including founders, investors, corporate partners, and cross-functional business leaders.
• Strong analytical capability, with the ability to synthesize large and varied data sets into actionable insights.
• Comfort operating independently in a fast-paced, globally distributed, and evolving environment.
• High levels of curiosity, adaptability, collaboration, and strategic thinking.
• Proven ability to work effectively across teams, functions, and time zones.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Source and evaluate promising startups and venture opportunities across water, sustainability, climate-tech, industrial, and digital infrastructure sectors.
• Conduct initial opportunity screening and strategic fit assessments aligned with company priorities.
• Partner with internal innovation and scouting teams to perform market sizing, commercial assessments, financial analysis, and competitive landscape reviews.
• Build and maintain relationships with venture capital firms, accelerators, incubators, and external innovation partners to create early visibility into emerging companies and technologies.
• Prepare investment memos, due diligence summaries, and executive-ready materials for leadership and investment committee review.
• Maintain the venture investment pipeline and portfolio databases, supporting quarterly portfolio reviews and monthly business development updates.
• Support and help manage direct equity venture deals in partnership with Business Development, Corporate Strategy, Corporate Development, Legal, Finance, and business leaders.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to build financial models and business cases for venture and strategic investment opportunities.
• Track and report the performance of LP investments and venture portfolio activity.
• Partner with Accounting and Finance teams to support capital calls, distributions, and investment reporting.
• Help ensure investment data, reporting materials, and portfolio insights are clear, accurate, and actionable.
• Participate in LP activities and innovation ecosystem programs, helping internal stakeholders engage in events, webinars, surveys, and market intelligence activities that generate strategic value.
• Identify emerging market trends, whitespace opportunities, and gaps in product or solution offerings, then translate those insights into strong business cases.
• Communicate recommendations effectively to stakeholders across product management, R&D, sales, marketing, business development, and strategy functions.
• Support innovation strategy discussions by connecting external market developments to internal growth priorities.
• Build and manage relationships with other corporate venture groups, strategic investors, and innovation teams globally.
• Identify co-investment opportunities, shared investment theses, and collaboration models that can support startup growth and strategic value creation.
• Represent the company in multi-corporate venture networks, strategic consortiums, and industry coalitions.
• Facilitate introductions, joint diligence, and cross-corporate exploration sessions to expand strategic partnership opportunities.
• Work closely with business leaders to convert collaboration opportunities into commercial, technical, strategic, or investment outcomes.
• Represent the company at industry conferences and innovation events, both in person and virtually.
• Leverage agile tools and collaborative technologies to improve team communication and promote an innovation-focused culture.
• Take on additional responsibilities and strategic projects as needed.

Benefits

• Opportunity to play a meaningful role in shaping innovation in critical sectors.
• Connect the organization to transformative ideas, strategic partnerships, and emerging technologies.
• Energized by venture investing, innovation strategy, and building meaningful partnerships.
• Paid Volunteer Program, Xylem Watermark.
• Prioritize employee well-being through inclusion and belonging.
• Employee Resource Groups (ERG).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior