Senior Applied Scientist - Warehouse Fulfillment Quality Algorithms (all genders)

Zalando SE; Berlin; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

Fashion and beauty discounts

Company pension scheme

Employee shares program

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Zalando SE is seeking a Senior Applied Scientist to join a team of software engineers and researchers focused on preserving the delivery time promise for Zalando customers. You will translate real-world problems into mathematical models and design algorithms, while building and maintaining software systems to run these algorithms.

This role offers an opportunity to shape scalable software for logistics and order processing and to work within an inclusive, high-impact environment.

Qualifications

• Strong academic background in combinatorial optimization.
• Some experience in professional software engineering, ideally in a JVM-based language.
• Strong proficiency in English.

Responsibilities

• Innovative problem solving: contribute to modeling, solving, and implementing our research-driven software framework.
• End-to-end ownership: take responsibility for the entire development cycle from understanding business requirements and prototyping to implementing production-ready software, with testing and operations support for highly available systems.
• Collaborative impact: work closely with software engineers to influence system constraints and opportunities, helping shape the future of the system.
• Big picture thinking: apply abstract thinking to connect problems, methods, and solutions within a team pushing boundaries.
• Inclusive culture: foster a positive, inclusive and diverse team environment.

Skills

Combinatorial optimization

JVM language experience

English proficiency

Job description

THE ROLE & THE TEAM

As a Senior Applied Scientist, you will be part of an expert team of software engineers and applied scientists working towards keeping the delivery time promise for all Zalando customers. In this role you will translate real-world problems into mathematical models, and design algorithms that solve these models. Beyond the algorithmic challenges, a significant part of your role will be creation and maintenance of the software systems required to run these algorithms. Here, you will have to ensure that the system adheres to the latest software engineering standards, and you will gain a comprehensive understanding of order processing systems to identify opportunities for improvement. If you are passionate about building scalable software systems and solving complex problems using discrete optimization, we want to hear from you. This is a unique opportunity to make a real impact and help drive the success of our business. Learn more about our Software engineer team https://jobs.zalando.com/en/what-we-do/software-engineering and how we work together https://jobs.zalando.com/en/where-we-work

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

• Innovative Problem Solving: Contribute to modeling, solving, and implementing our research-driven software framework.
• End-to-End Ownership: Take responsibility for the entire development cycle from understanding business requirements and prototyping to implementing production-ready software, and ensuring quality through testing and operational support for highly available systems.
• Collaborative Impact: Work closely with our software engineers to mutually influence and understand system constraints and opportunities, and take part in shaping the future of our system.
• Big Picture Thinking: Apply abstract thinking to uncover correlations between problems, methodologies, and solutions. Be part of a team that continually pushes the boundaries of what is possible.
• Inclusive Culture: Help foster a positive, inclusive, and diverse team environment where everyone's contributions are valued, and collaboration thrives.

WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF

You have a strong academic background of combinatorial optimization and you are able to detect these concepts even if they are hidden in complex real-world problems.

You prefer simple solutions over complex ones but at the same time, you are aware that complex problems sometimes require advanced algorithms.

You have some experience in professional software engineering, ideally in a JVM-based language.

You are eager to learn more about software engineering.

You're excited about working in a setup that requires a deep domain understanding (e.g., how our logistics order processing works).

You are a team player who thrives in an agile and cross-functional environment, and is passionate about fostering a positive and productive work environment.

You have strong proficiency in English and the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and effectively in an international team setting.

OUR OFFER

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

• 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)

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.

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

It's the perfect time to join Zalando on our journey, from being a pioneer in the world of e-commerce, to the Starting Point for Fashion in Europe. We connect customers, brands, and partners across 25 markets. Help us drive digital and sustainable solutions for fashion, logistics, advertising and research, bringing head-to-toe fashion to 50 million active customers through a team of diverse skill-sets, cultural backgrounds, and interests.

Our values do.More - our sustainability strategy

Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/insidezalando