Principal Security Engineer (All Gender)

Zalando SE; Berlin; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days holiday

Employee shares programme

Health and wellbeing options

Relocation assistance

Pension scheme

Volunteering days

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

Zalando SE in Berlin seeks a Principal Security Engineer to lead the OpSec function, shaping technical security strategy and regulatory compliance for our e-commerce and fintech systems.

You will bridge software engineering with governance, acting as the primary technical authority on security architecture, change governance, and risk assessments for critical cloud infrastructure.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of technical security engineering experience with multi-team impact.
• Deep understanding of regulatory standards (DORA, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001).
• Experience securing cloud-native architectures and critical financial systems.
• Knowledge of cryptography, data protection, and identity and access management.

Responsibilities

• Review high-criticality architecture changes and gate security reviews.
• Enforce baseline security standards across cloud, server, and endpoints; oversee SDLC security practices.
• Align technical security with regulatory requirements and ICT risk management.
• Lead cross-functional security strategy across engineering, product, and security teams.

Skills

Security architecture

Regulatory knowledge

Stakeholder communication

Cloud security

System design

Cryptography basics

Education

Bachelor/Master in CS/Engineering

Tools

WAF

CI/CD security

Cloud security tooling

Job description

THE ROLE & THE TEAM

We are seeking an experienced, high-impact Principal Security Engineer to join our Operational Security (OpSec) function as an individual contributor to lead our technical security strategy and regulatory compliance posture across our e-commerce and financial technology systems.
In this role, you will bridge deep software engineering and technical system design with regulatory compliance and governance (e.g., DORA, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001), operational resilience and cross-departmental alignment. You will serve as the primary technical authority on complex security architectures, change management guardrails, overall security posture and risk assessments for critical financial and cloud infrastructure.

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

Security Architecture & Technical Change Governance

System Design & Reviews: Function as the technical security reviewer and gatekeeper for high-criticality architecture changes. Strong understanding of network and application security, cryptographic primitives and identity and access management.

Secure Engineering Standards

Maintain and enforce baseline configuration standards across cloud, server, and endpoint assets and secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) practices.

Financial & Regulatory Compliance

Regulatory Compliance: Direct technical alignment with regulatory standards including DORA, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, and local regulatory frameworks. Improve the effectiveness of the ISMS and manage ICT risks from the Operational Security domain.
Third-Party & Data Transfer Security: Evaluate security posture, CIA requirements, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for critical ICT outsourcing services and payment partner integrations.
Risk Management: Familiarity with vulnerability management concepts and risk management methodologies.

Technical Leadership & Cross-Departmental Strategy

Multi-Team Scope: Drive system designs and technical strategies spanning cross-functional multiple teams (engineering teams, product managers, and principal engineers), business units, and corporate entities (e.g., aligning Zalando Payments infrastructure with central Zalando Group tech).
Stakeholder Management: Foster a Security first culture across departments, and bridge the gap between core engineering teams and information security operations.

WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF

• Experience: 8+ years of technical security engineering experience, with demonstrated impact at a Principal / Lead level across multi-team or department-wide scopes.
• Regulatory & Compliance Mastery: Deep technical understanding of DORA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and ICT risk management frameworks. Experience in financial services, payment processing, or highly regulated e-commerce environments.
• System Design & Cloud Security: Proven track record in securing cloud-native microservices, web application firewalls (WAF), and supply-chain/CI-CD pipeline security.
• Cryptography & Data Protection: Strong foundation in transport and storage encryption standards, tokenization, PGP/GPG key management, and data classification guidelines.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Exceptional capability to articulate complex technical security risks to executive leads, auditors, and engineering teams.

OUR OFFER

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

Ask your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about what we offer.

INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN

At Zalando, our vision is to be the leading European technology platform for fashion and lifestyle – 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.
Discover more about our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/our-culture/diversity-and-inclusion