Senior Culture Research Manager (all genders) - Zalando Fashion Studios

<h2><b>THE ROLE &amp; THE TEAM</b></h2><p></p><p><span>As Senior Culture Researcher at Zalando, you will be our cultural radar, blending deep, seasonal cultural foresight with rapid, real-time intelligence. You will track what matters now and forecast what’s coming next, ensuring Zalando’s creative, content, and marketing teams stay emotionally resonant, on-tone, and ahead of cultural shifts. This is a role for someone who thrives in both the slow burn of research and the fast pulse of culture.</span></p><p></p><h2><b>WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)</b></h2><ul><li><p><b><b>Cultural (Trend) Research</b></b></p><p><span>Lead seasonal and annual cultural trend analysis across fashion and lifestyle (streetwear, designer, beauty, sport, kids).</span><br/><span>Translate complex research into clear narratives and actionable insights for multiple business units.</span><br/><span>Produce foresight reports and inspiration decks that inform product, marketing, and brand storytelling.</span><br/><span>Operate a daily “cultural radar” using social monitoring, and human curation to detect emerging signals from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, Discord, and more.</span><br/><span>Filter noise, prioritise relevant signals, and translate them into actionable cultural opportunity notes for creative activation.</span></p></li><li><p><b><b>AI-Augmented Insight</b></b></p><p><span>Use AI technology to cluster and cross-reference cultural signals with consumer behaviour data.</span><br/><span>Establish workflows to speed up signal-to-activation translation.</span></p></li><li><p><b><b>Writing, Editing and Presenting</b></b><br/><span>Write, edit and distribute daily/weekly trend updates via newsletters or other mediums.</span><br/><span>Deliver compelling in-person and virtual presentations of cultural trends to internal and external stakeholders, using storytelling, multimedia, and interactive formats to drive engagement.</span><br/><span>Continuously experiment with presentation formats: from short-form video briefings to immersive trend experiences, to ensure trend intelligence is engaging, shareable, and easy to act on.</span></p></li><li><p><b><b>Embedded Collaboration</b></b></p><p><span>Partner and collaborate with zStudios Creative teams, CSCC, Zalando Originals, Global Marketing, PR, and Global Social Media to ensure cultural intelligence feeds directly into campaign and content pipelines.</span><br/><span>Adapt insights to each team’s needs, from deep subcultural studies to meme fluency checks and act as a cultural sounding board.</span></p></li><li><p><b><b>Process Building</b></b></p><p><span>Create scalable workflows that integrate research into content production.</span><br/><span>Maintain a shared cultural knowledge base accessible to all creative stakeholders.</span><br/><span>Track KPIs for cultural resonance, speed-to-culture, and insight adoption.</span></p></li></ul><p></p><h2><b>WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF</b></h2><p></p><ul><li><p><span><u>6+ years in cultural research</u>, trend forecasting, or creative strategy: ideally in fashion or lifestyle.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Proven experience turning cultural insights into campaigns, content formats, or creative activations.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Fluency in subcultures, emerging formats, and Gen Z/Alpha digital behaviour.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Comfortable with AI and social listening tools</span></p></li><li><p><span>Exceptional synthesis and storytelling skills: able to make complex trends simple and inspiring.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Experience working cross-functionally in large, matrixed organisations.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Confident public speaker with experience delivering insights to creative, marketing, and leadership audiences.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Innovative content creator able to design new share-out formats (videos, podcasts, visual boards, live sessions) to bring cultural insights to life.</span></p></li></ul><p></p><h2><b>OUR OFFER</b></h2><p></p><p><span>Zalando provides a range of benefits, here’s an overview of what you can expect. Ask your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about what we offer.</span></p><ul><li><p><span>Employee shares program</span></p></li><li><p><span>40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Zalando Lounge, discounts from external partners</span></p></li><li><p><span>2 paid volunteering days a year</span></p></li><li><p><span>Hybrid working model with up to 60% remote per week, actual practice is up to each team to best support their collaboration</span></p></li><li><p><span>Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year</span></p></li><li><p><span>27 days of vacation a year to start</span></p></li><li><p><span>Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)</span></p></li><li><p><span>Family services, including counseling and support</span></p></li><li><p><span>Health and wellbeing options (including Gympass)</span></p>