Senior Software Engineer (all genders) - ZEOS

Zalando SE; Berlin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days of holiday

40% off fashion and beauty

Family support

Company pension

Employee shares

Wellbeing support

Training platform

2 volunteering days

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Zalando SE in Berlin is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join the ZEOS Outbound team. You will help liquidate and return articles, build high-performance microservices, and own features end-to-end in an API-first environment.

You will work with Java, Spring Boot, and potentially Kotlin, contributing to scalable architectures and operationally responsible deployments in AWS and Kubernetes. English communication is essential in this international team.

Qualifications

• Proficient in Java with Spring Boot and Kotlin is a plus.
• Experience building scalable microservices and RESTful APIs.
• Familiar with CI/CD and automated testing.

Responsibilities

• Develop Robust Services: Build and maintain scalable Microservices using Java and Spring Boot.
• Design Clean APIs: Implement RESTful services for customer portals and internal tools.
• Own Your Code: Manage design, testing, deployment with Gradle and CI/CD pipelines.
• Ensure Operational Health: Deploy and operate services in AWS and Kubernetes.
• Collaborate and Grow: Participate in code reviews and raise standards.
• Think End-to-End: Work with frontend peers to ensure seamless partner experience.
• Design scalable distributed systems and mentor other engineers.
• Lead technical discussions to elevate team performance.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

Kotlin

Event-Driven Systems

Microservices

REST APIs

CI/CD

AWS

Kubernetes

Gradle

Kafka

Jackson

English

Tools

Gradle

Kafka

Nakadi

Jackson

AWS

Kubernetes

Docker

Job description

THE ROLE & THE TEAM

The ZEOS Outbound team handles article liquidation and return of articles to merchants. As a Senior Software Engineer, you will join an agile, cross-functional team dedicated to building the high-performance services that power our partner-facing products. We work in an API-first environment where we turn complex business logic into scalable, reliable software. In this role, you will work alongside Software Engineers and Product Managers to implement new features and evolve our microservice landscape. You will be part of a culture that values technical curiosity and operational responsibility. At ZEOS, we believe in "You Write It, You Run It," meaning you will be involved in the entire lifecycle of your services—from the first line of Java code to monitoring and operating your applications in our cloud environment. 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)

• Develop Robust Services: Build and maintain scalable Microservices using Java and Spring Boot, ensuring your code is clean, well-documented, and performant.
• Design Clean APIs: Contribute to the design and implementation of RESTful services, focusing on creating intuitive interfaces for our customer portals and internal tools.
• Own Your Code: Take responsibility for the full development cycle. You will participate in the design, testing, and deployment of your features using Gradle and our CI/CD pipelines.
• Ensure Operational Health: Participate in the deployment and operation of your services within AWS and Kubernetes, learning to monitor and troubleshoot applications in a production environment.
• Collaborate and Grow: Participate in code reviews and team ceremonies, providing and receiving feedback to help maintain high standards of code quality and technical excellence.
• Think End-to-End: While focusing on the backend, you collaborate closely with frontend engineers and show an interest in Fullstack context to ensure we deliver a seamless experience to our partners.
• Design scalable, fault-tolerant distributed systems and define technical strategy for complex microservices architecture.
• Mentor other Software Engineers, lead technical discussions, and actively share knowledge to elevate team standards and foster continuous learning.

WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF

• Solid Java Foundation: You have professional experience in Java development and a good understanding of the Spring Boot framework. Knowledge in Kotlin is a plus. Check our Tech Radar for more information on the technologies we use at Zalando.
• Event-Driven Systems: You understand how to build asynchronous, event-driven microservices and have experience working with streaming platforms like Nakadi or Apache Kafka.
• Database Know-How: You have practical experience with relational databases, specifically PostgreSQL, and understand how to design clean schemas and write efficient queries.
• Microservices Knowledge: You are familiar with Microservice architectures and have experience working with REST APIs and data handling (e.g., using Jackson).
• Reliable Individual Contributor: You have a proven track record of delivering stable features in an agile environment and taking ownership of your tasks from discovery to delivery.
• Tooling & Automation: You are comfortable using build tools like Gradle and have a strong interest in (or experience with) automated testing and CI/CD workflows.
• Cloud Ready: You are eager to work with AWS and Kubernetes and are excited to embrace "You Write It, You Run It" mindset.
• Effective Communicator: You possess strong English skills and enjoy solving problems collaboratively in a diverse, international team environment.
• Forward-Thinking Developer: You comfortably use modern AI engineering tools like Codex CLI and Claude Code, have experience exposing and using MCPs, and naturally keep up with current shifts in tech. You consistently demonstrate a customer centric approach and start to flag continuous improvements initiatives within your area.

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)

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

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