THE ROLE & THE TEAM
Lounge by Zalando is building the next generation of off-price fashion commerce. Our Product & Technology organisation operates as one unified, outcome-driven organisation, structured around cross-functional missions that bring together Product, Engineering, Design, Analytics, and Applied Science.
As Head of Product & Tech (Mission Lead), you will be the single-threaded owner of a strategically important customer or business domain, accountable for translating Lounge strategy into measurable outcomes. You will own the mission’s multi-year direction, shape how its product, technology, and data capabilities evolve, and lead the cross-functional organisation responsible for delivering it. You will also be a member of the Lounge Tech Leadership Team, helping shape how the overall Product & Technology organisation operates and succeeds.
Find out more about our team here: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/what-we-do#job-categories
INCLUSIVE BY DESIGNIf you think you have what it takes, we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single requirement. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles! At Zalando, our vision is to be the leading pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce – 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
WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)Define and own a compelling multi-year direction for your mission, translating company strategy into clear outcomes, priorities, and measurable success metrics.
Lead cross-functional execution from problem definition through discovery, technical development, experimentation, launch, and continuous improvement.
Partner with senior experts to shape product, technology, and data direction, ensuring capabilities are scalable, maintainable, and aligned with Lounge Tech strategy.
Build and coach a high-performing cross-functional team, fostering a culture of ownership, customer focus, high standards, curiosity, and shared accountability.
Strengthen Lounge Tech as one organisation by contributing to the leadership team, building reusable capabilities, and aligning with Zalando Group teams.
Drive learning and competitive advantage by creating an evidence-based environment, taking calculated risks, and applying emerging technologies like AI and machine learning.
You bring significant experience leading complex technology organisations or multidisciplinary teams in consumer-facing or digitally enabled businesses.
You have a background in either or more: Product Management, Engineering, Applied Science, Machine Learning, Data, or a related technology discipline, with a proven ability to lead beyond your original field.
You demonstrate clear accountability for meaningful customer, business, or operational outcomes, alongside a strong track record of turning strategy into focused execution.
You possess strong judgment and the ability to integrate customer, business, product, technology, and data perspectives into clear trade-off decisions.
You exhibit exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a collaborative leadership style and the ability to navigate organizational complexity and influence senior stakeholders.
You bring a deep appreciation for digital product value, experimentation, iterative development, system architecture, data quality, and technical sustainability.
Zalando provides a range of benefits, here’s an overview of what you can expect. Ask your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about what we offer.
27 days of holiday a year to start for full-time employees (+1 day for every calendar year up to 30 days)
2 paid volunteering days a year
Employee shares program
40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Lounge by Zalando, discounts from external partners
Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)
Family services, including counseling and support
Health and wellbeing options (including Wellhub, formerly Gympass)
Mental health support and coaching available
Drive your development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer review
Skills Required
- Significant experience leading complex technology organizations or multidisciplinary teams in consumer-facing or digitally enabled businesses
- Background in Product Management, Engineering, Applied Science, Machine Learning, Data, or a related technology discipline
- Proven ability to lead beyond one's original technology discipline
- Track record of accountability for meaningful customer, business, or operational outcomes
- Strong ability to translate strategy into focused execution
- Strong judgment integrating customer, business, product, technology, and data perspectives into trade-off decisions
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Collaborative leadership style and ability to navigate organizational complexity
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders
- Understanding of digital product value, experimentation, iterative development, system architecture, data quality, and technical sustainability
Zalando Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Zalando and has not been reviewed or approved by Zalando.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off includes a sizable annual allowance that can grow with tenure, plus additional paid days for volunteering. This breadth is highlighted as supportive of work–life balance.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Mental health support, round‑the‑clock counseling for employees and households, and broad fitness/wellness access are emphasized as robust. Substantial product discounts and partner offers add meaningful lifestyle value.
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Parental & Family Support — Structured support around parental leave—such as buddy programs, re‑onboarding, and paid child sick days—helps ease family responsibilities. Flexible and part‑time leadership options further accommodate parents.
Zalando Insights
What We Do
Welcome to Zalando. Here’s some key info about us: Our position and vision: - We’re Europe’s leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle - Founded in Berlin in 2008, we bring head-to-toe fashion to more than 50 million active customers in 25 markets; offering clothes, footwear, accessories, and beauty - Our vision is to become The Starting Point For Fashion. Our offering: - Our assortment of international brands ranges from world-famous names to local labels - Our platform is a one-stop fashion destination for inspiration, innovation, and interaction - As Europe’s most fashionable tech company, we work hard to find digital solutions for every aspect of the fashion journey: for our customers, partners, and friends of our brand. - Our logistics network with 12 centrally located fulfillment centers allows us to efficiently serve our customers throughout Europe, supported by warehouses in Italy, France, Poland, and Sweden with a focus on local customer needs. Our beliefs: - Our ambition is to combine our passion for self-expression through fashion with our unwavering commitments to sustainability and D&I - We believe that our integration of fashion, operations, and online technology gives us the capability to deliver a compelling value proposition to both our customers and fashion brand partners.









