Head of Product and Tech - Lounge by Zalando (all genders)

Zalando GmbH; Berlin; On-site; EUR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days holiday

Employee shares program

40% off fashion

Relocation assistance

Health and wellbeing options

Mental health support

Training platform

Job summary

Zalando's Lounge by Zalando is building the next generation of off-price fashion. As Head of Product & Tech (Mission Lead), you will be the single-threaded owner of a strategically important mission, translating Lounge strategy into measurable outcomes and directing its multi-year product, technology, and data direction.

You will lead a cross-functional organisation, coach a high-performing team, and partner with senior experts to ensure scalable, sustainable platforms.

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex technology organisations or multidisciplinary teams.
• Background in product management, engineering, applied science, ML, data or related tech.
• Strong ability to translate strategy into execution and measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Define multi-year direction for your mission and translate strategy into outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional execution from discovery to launch and improvement.
• Partner with senior experts to shape product, technology, and data direction.
• Build and coach a high-performing cross-functional team with ownership and customer focus.
• Strengthen Lounge Tech as one organisation and align with Zalando Group teams.
• Drive learning and competitive advantage with evidence-based approaches and AI/ML.
• Lead large technology organisations or multidisciplinary teams in consumer-facing businesses.
• Demonstrate accountability for customer, business outcomes and execution.
• Communicate clearly with senior stakeholders and influence decisions.
• Balance customer, business, product, tech and data perspectives in trade-offs.

Skills

Product Management

Engineering

Applied Science

Machine Learning

Data

Job description

Lounge by Zalando is building the next generation of off-price fashion commerce. Our Product & Technology organisation operates as one unified, outcome-driven organisation, structured around cross-functional missions that bring together Product, Engineering, Design, Analytics, and Applied Science.

As Head of Product & Tech (Mission Lead), you will be the single-threaded owner of a strategically important customer or business domain, accountable for translating Lounge strategy into measurable outcomes. You will own the mission’s multi-year direction, shape how its product, technology, and data capabilities evolve, and lead the cross-functional organisation responsible for delivering it. You will also be a member of the Lounge Tech Leadership Team, helping shape how the overall Product & Technology organisation operates and succeeds.

If you think you have what it takes, we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single requirement. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles! At Zalando, our vision is to be the leading pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce – one that thrives on diversity and is truly inclusive by design. We believe that diverse teams fuel innovation and creativity, and we actively seek out talent from all backgrounds. We actively seek to reduce bias in our hiring and employment processes, focusing on your qualifications, skills, and contributions. To support this, we kindly ask that you refrain from including personal details such as your photo, age, or marital status in your CV, ensuring a fair and equitable evaluation based solely on your abilities and potential.

We are committed to providing an exceptional and accessible candidate experience for everyone. If you require any accommodations to support you throughout the hiring process, please let us know – we are here to assist you.

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

• Define and own a compelling multi-year direction for your mission, translating company strategy into clear outcomes, priorities, and measurable success metrics.
• Lead cross-functional execution from problem definition through discovery, technical development, experimentation, launch, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with senior experts to shape product, technology, and data direction, ensuring capabilities are scalable, maintainable, and aligned with Lounge Tech strategy.
• Build and coach a high-performing cross-functional team, fostering a culture of ownership, customer focus, high standards, curiosity, and shared accountability.
• Strengthen Lounge Tech as one organisation by contributing to the leadership team, building reusable capabilities, and aligning with Zalando Group teams.
• Drive learning and competitive advantage by creating an evidence-based environment, taking calculated risks, and applying emerging technologies like AI and machine learning.
• You bring significant experience leading complex technology organisations or multidisciplinary teams in consumer-facing or digitally enabled businesses.
• You have a background in either or more: Product Management, Engineering, Applied Science, Machine Learning, Data, or a related technology discipline, with a proven ability to lead beyond your original field.
• You demonstrate clear accountability for meaningful customer, business, or operational outcomes, alongside a strong track record of turning strategy into focused execution.
• You possess strong judgment and the ability to integrate customer, business, product, technology, and data perspectives into clear trade-off decisions.
• You exhibit exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a collaborative leadership style and the ability to navigate organizational complexity and influence senior stakeholders.
• You bring a deep appreciation for digital product value, experimentation, iterative development, system architecture, data quality, and technical sustainability.

OUR OFFER

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.

• 27 days of holiday a year to start for full-time employees (+1 day for every calendar year up to 30 days)
• 2 paid volunteering days a year
• Employee shares program
• 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Lounge by Zalando, discounts from external partners
• Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)
• Family services, including counseling and support
• Health and wellbeing options (including Wellhub, formerly Gympass)
• Mental health support and coaching available
• Drive your development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer review

About Zalando

Founded in Berlin in 2008, Zalando is the leading European technology platform for fashion and lifestyle. Connecting 62 million active customers with more than 7,000 brands across 29 markets, our operations are built on a unique AI-powered data and infrastructure platform. For our customers, our multi-app approach - comprising Zalando, ABOUT YOU, and Lounge by Zalando - delivers an inspiring, highly personalized shopping experience, serving different customers with different needs. For our partners, we are building the operating system for e-commerce. Through ZEOS, Tradebyte, and SCAYLE, we open our logistics, software, and service capabilities to brands and retailers, enabling them to seamlessly scale their businesses across borders.