Principal Software Engineer CuCa Tech (All Genders)

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.

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…

• Pyth on & 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

• 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

WHO WE ARE

Inclusion: Inclusive by design. We do not discriminate and welcome all qualified candidates. We provide accommodations upon request.