Senior Principal Engineer (all genders)

THE ROLE & THE TEAM

Partner Tech is one of the core organisations within Zalando. We are responsible for sourcing fashion products and consumer goods into Zalando. Through our platform and tools, we provide a wide range of products to customers all over Europe. The organization is composed of more than 300 talented individuals who are dedicated to creating the best platform and inspiring opportunities for multi million euro fashion brands and physical retail stores, connecting them with consumers across multiple European markets.

As we continue to scale and enhance our platform, we are looking for a Senior Principal to join our team, having a special focus on wholesale buying & planning, platform development, and the data and AI capabilities. We are seeking a visionary and strategic Senior Principal Engineer to drive innovation while ensuring operational excellence across key areas of Zalando's business. You will be at the forefront of shaping our platform and processes, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to propel Zalando into the future while continuously enhancing the operational efficiencies of our current systems. You will collaborate across teams to build scalable, forward-looking solutions that enable growth, agility, and a seamless experience for our internal teams and external partners.
 

WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)

• Architect and Scale Multi-Organization Solutions – Design and implement high-performance, cloud-native architectures that support Zalando’s multi-organization setup. Ensure these solutions are scalable, efficient, and adaptable to evolving business needs, laying the groundwork for long-term success.

• Drive Cross-Functional Innovation – Work closely with system architecture, product, and engineering teams to build and refine platforms that power key business operations. Balance technical excellence with practical business impact, fostering collaboration across teams to drive innovation.

• Lead Platform Tech Strategy – Own and enhance Zalando’s non-consumer platform infrastructure, ensuring seamless integration across wholesale buying, supplier management, and B2B interactions. Define the technical direction to improve system reliability, flexibility, and overall performance.

• Advance Data & AI Capabilities – Leverage data, AI, machine learning, and analytics to strengthen Zalando’s forecasting, planning, and inventory management capabilities and data sharing with the partners. Champion a data-driven approach that improves decision-making and operational efficiency across the business.

• Shape Wholesale Buying & Forecasting Architecture – Define and implement scalable solutions that support Zalando’s wholesale buying, planning, and forecasting processes. Align these systems with future business needs, market trends, and the latest technological advancements to maintain a competitive edge.

• Champion Long-Term Platform Vision – Ensure Zalando’s platform remains adaptable and future-proof by prioritizing scalability, usability, and performance. Stay ahead of emerging technologies and industry best practices to continuously evolve the platform in line with the company’s growth.
   

WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF

• Proven experience in wholesale buying, planning, forecasting, and inventory management, preferably within an e-commerce or retail environment.

• Strong expertise in non-consumer platforms, infrastructure, and non-consumer processes, with a focus on scalable and high-performance solutions.

• A track record of innovation, with experience leveraging emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics to drive business outcomes.

• Strong academic background in system architecture, with deep knowledge of architectural principles, cloud technologies, and infrastructure design.

• Proven success in guiding and steering complex, multi-organization solutions in multi-tenant and public cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).

• A visionary mindset with the ability to plan and implement long-term strategies, while ensuring operational excellence in day-to-day execution.

• Extensive experience working with system architecture teams and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver integrated and scalable platform solutions.

• Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to inspire teams and influence at all levels of the organization.

• A deep understanding of Zalando’s or similar companies’ business models, with a passion for innovation and delivering