Principal Software Engineer CuCa Tech (All Genders)

Zalando; Berlin; Hybrid; EUR 140.000 - 210.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Employee shares program

40% off fashion and beauty products

2 paid volunteering days a year

Hybrid working model with 60% remote

Work from abroad for up to 30 working*

27 days of vacation a year to start

Relocation assistance available (topic

Family services

Health and wellbeing options

Mental health support and coaching

Zusammenfassung

Zalando, Berlin, is seeking a Principal Software Engineer in the CuCa Tech department to architect AI-powered automated resolution for high‑volume customer queries. You will shape the end-to-end architecture where AI models meet production environments, with a robust human-in-the-loop fallback for complex cases.

You will lead technical strategy, mentor engineers, and collaborate with product and engineering management to align the roadmap with the next generation of automated customer care.

Qualifikationen

• Expert in Python with strong software design and data modeling skills.
• Proven track record deploying AI/ML models into production at scale.
• Ability to decompose complex AI requirements into clear technical designs.
• Experience leading cross-team projects and managing dependencies.
• Strong communication with management to align strategy.

Aufgaben

• Own and drive the technical design for large AI/ML projects in production.
• Collaborate with Applied Scientists to productionize experiments.
• Design automated, scalable query routing and response workflows.
• Lead architecture reviews and promote observability and reliability of AI systems.
• Mentor engineers and champion engineering standards and practices.
• Influence the Tech Radar and drive MLOps maturity across the department.

Kenntnisse

Python

AI/ML Productionization

Distributed systems

Software architecture

Technical leadership

Jobbeschreibung

THE ROLE & THE TEAM

As a Principal Software Engineer in Zalando’s Customer Care (CuCa) Tech department, you will be the primary architect of our transformation from traditional service models to AI-powered automated resolution. You will move beyond a single team's scope to provide hands‑on technical leadership for the entire department. Your mission is to define the architecture for systems where complex AI models meet customer‑facing production environments. You will ensure that automated intelligence handles high-volume customer queries monthly while maintaining a seamless "human-in-the-loop" fallback for complex cases. You will be the go‑to expert for Product and Engineering Management, ensuring our technology roadmap directly supports the next generation of automated customer care.

INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN

At Zalando, our vision is to be inclusive by design. And this vision starts with our hiring – we do not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, personal expression, ethnicity, religious belief, or disability status. You are welcome to leave out your picture, age, or marital status from your application. We only assess candidates on their qualifications and merit. We want to provide you with a great candidate experience. Feel free to inform us of any accommodations you may need, so we can best support you throughout the hiring process. do.BETTER – our diversity & inclusion strategy https //corporate.zalando.com/en/our-impact/dobetter-our-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy Our employee resource groups https //corporate.zalando.com/en/our-impact/our-employee-resource-groups

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

• System Architecture for AI Own and drive the technical design for large‑scale projects that integrate Python‑based AI/ML microservices into our production environment.


• Applied Science Collaboration Partner with Applied Scientists to move experimental models into reliable, high‑performing production services at Zalando scale.


• Strategic Automation Design and execute technical improvements for intelligent query routing and automated response workflows that impact the long‑term (2‑3 year) strategic vision.


• Engineering Excellence & MLOps Act as a guardian of Operational Excellence, conducting architecture and production readiness reviews to ensure AI systems are observable and scalable.


• Technical Leadership & Mentoring Lead other Engineers across the department, enabling them to deliver complex features and proactively supporting their growth.


• Innovation & Standards Proactively contribute to setting engineering standards for AI productionization (MLOps) and influence our internal Tech Radar.

WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF…

• Python & Engineering Expertise You are a recognized expert in Python with a deep understanding of software design, data modeling, and distributed systems.


• AI/ML Productionization at Scale You have a proven track record of deploying AI models into production and managing the technical debt associated with high‑volume AI applications.


• Complex Problem Solving You can decompose highly ambiguous AI requirements into clear technical designs that balance business value with technical constraints.


• Department-Level Impact You have experience leading cross‑team projects and managing dependencies across multiple delivery teams.


• Communication & Alignment You can explain complex AI technical concepts to non‑specialists and Senior Management to drive decision‑making.


• Community & Talent You are an active member of the engineering community and act as a Talent Champion for hiring and developing senior talent.

OUR OFFER

Zalando provides a range of benefits, here’s an overview of what you can expect.

• Employee shares program


• 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Zalando Lounge, discounts from external partners


• 2 paid volunteering days a year


• Hybrid working model with 60% remote per week, actual practice is up to each team to best support their collaboration


• Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year


• 27 days of vacation a year to start


• Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)


• Family services, including counseling and support


• Health and wellbeing options (including Gympass)


• Mental health support and coaching are available