Local Expert Partner Consultant PL (all genders)

As an Expert Lead in the consulting unit you will take a leading role in the development of the Zalando platform business. With your unique expertise of the modern Fashion landscape in Poland & CEE, you will inspire through trend analysis, market/partner insights and newest developments in your area of expertise. You are acting as a knowledge holder towards partners and colleagues in Poland / CEE. You will be the spearhead in designing and executing our ambitious targets on a local level for the modern partner portfolio of Zalando while leading by example through consulting partners, that represent the DNA of the assigned expertise - driving and selling our platform services across your partners base. To ensure sustainable success and guarantee that Zalando continues to lead fashion in Europe, you constantly explore inside your strategic market region to hunt and acquire rising stars, local heroes and authenticators that drive customer acquisition and innovation within the assigned area. 

Taking the partners point of view in shaping the Zalando platform of the future and building local relevance together with outstanding success & growth stories, will ensure that you create a proven success track record in achieving bottom and top line growth within your assigned area of expertise. You work closely with our product, market and proposition teams as well as Zalando Service teams to make sure that you can provide Partners a stage for profitable growth. You will also ensure our assortment strategy and market strategy is aligned with the customer needs and you act as the internal voice of the portfolio & market you represent. 

Department: Zalando Platform Business Consulting

Reports to: as an individual contributor, you report to the Lead Partner consulting modern portfolio

INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN

At Zalando, our vision is to be the starting point for fashion - one that is inclusive by design. We only assess candidates based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We welcome applications from people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, personal expressions, racial identities, ethnicities, religious beliefs, and disability statuses. We only want to know why you’re great for this role, so please avoid including your picture, age, and marital status in your CV as well.

We want to provide you with a great candidate experience. Please feel free to inform us of any accommodations you may need, so we can best support and assist you throughout the hiring process.

do.BETTER - our diversity & inclusion strategy: https://corporate.zalando.com/en/diversity-inclusion
Our employee resource groups: https://corporate.zalando.com/en/diversity-inclusion/our-employee-resource-groups

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

• Partner Management: You acquire, grow and develop partners that define the DNA of your area of expertise, by developing and executing partner specific strategies to elevate the Poland /CEE region in Zalando’s Modern Portfolio proposition for the Zalando customer. Be and act as the knowledge holder of the assigned region & portfolio proposition towards our partners by consulting on, and alignment of tactics to increase the region’s credibility.

• As such you will be responsible to manage the relationship with partners that are defining the DNA of the Poland / CEE market in the Modern Portfolio. 

• You are a respected leader within your area of expertise and you build equity for Zalando in your region. The respect from your stakeholders and the industry peers comes natural and with it you are able to achieve and over- achieve our ambitious goals of profitable growth and customer relevance. 

• You don't wait for things to happen and you take a proactive approach to the challenges, optimism is in your nature. 

• You grow the Zalando services adoption within the Zalando Ecosystem of partners. You support the launch and scaling of our services like marketing or logistics. You ensure these services are adapted to best suit your portfolio - across our Partner Program and Connected Retail sales channels.

• Coming from the strategic priorities of the Group, you are able to translate the Zalando vision into D2D and portfolio responsiblity.You contribute, interioraze and deliver our Zalando group and your unit strategy. 

• Strategic Execution: You develop, maintain and execute an overarching Poland / CEE strategy within the modern partner portfolio with clear roadmaps and timelines. You work in close alignment with stakeholders from markets and / or propositions to execute on a joint strategy and direction leveraging our partners, while being and acting as the knowledge holder and trusted advisor externally as well as internally in your area of expertise. You are therefore able to work with these teams in shaping the strategy and using your experience as the voice of the partners in the discussions.

• You are the sparring partner of the Consultant Leadership Team as well as the market and propositions team supporting these stakeholders to drive locally relevant assortment by highlighting local trends or representing the DNA of your portfolio. 

• You align on the assortment strategy of your portfolio / market in tandem with proposition and/or market leaders. As such you have a shared vision, mission and financial targets. Your success is their success and that of Zalando with our end customers in mind. 

• In collaboration with your operational counterparts, you ensure that our operational resources are in the best possible ROI and aligned with our strategy. You work with the operations leaders to design ways of working and processes. You share with them targets on operational excellence.

• You are frugal in your thinking, you have a deep understanding of the ROI of your decisions. You therefore help us become better and not just bigger. You also shape technology and processes with our tech and products teams to constantly improve the partner experience within your area of expertise. 

WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF

• You are based and contracted in Poland, mostly remote with regular meetings in the HQ Berlin.

• Minimum 8 years of commercial and/or buying experience and fashion knowledge, with a deep background in Poland / CEE for modern Fashion brands and retailers. 

• Experienced at best in a marketplace environment working in consultant/business development/ key account management or sales roles 

• Successful track record of complex sales and account management engagements end2end. 

• Significant involvement in company critical business units in a fast paced, agile and accelerated growth environment.

• Expertise with CRM systems (Salesforce). Strong ability to interpret and understand complex business data reports. Ability to analyse partner performance. 

• In-depth knowledge of the market and portfolio with a relevant and strong upper level network across brands and partners. Aware of trends, relevant brands and assortment.

• As an expert, you are able to manage multiple stakeholders effectively. You understand and are motivated by the challenges of the fashion e-com business and love building up success cases. 

• Passion for and strong understanding of ecommerce and the tech industry (retail and fashion would be a plus) with a strong business acumen/knowledge.

• Strong customer orientation, able to successfully engage on senior leadership level internally and externally across multiple stakeholder functions.

• Outstanding communication skills and cross-border thinking.

• Proficiency in English. And native or proficient on the local polish language or 1 of the regional CEE languages

OUR OFFER

Please note that all applications must be completed using the online form - we do not accept applications via email.