As a Senior Applied Scientist in ZMS, you will help deliver effective and scientifically-sound solutions to our main business problems: real-time recommendation for our Sponsored Product and Campaign advertisements.
Every time a customer interacts with Zalando, our ad tech systems make real-time decisions at immense scale. The platform evaluates thousands of candidate ads, predicts complex performance metrics, and executes sophisticated auction mechanics in tens of thousands of requests per second. At the intersection of market dynamics, machine learning, and high-throughput engineering, you will define how we solve these high-stakes algorithmic challenges.
In this role, you will work on complex problems at the intersection of Deep Learning, Auction Theory, Econometrics, Causal inference, and high-load low-latency Machine Learning Engineering. Working alongside Principal Scientists and engineering teams, you will focus on building and implementing technical initiatives within our ad tech systems. This position is a unique opportunity to have a visible impact and connect with exceptional talents from many different backgrounds.
WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)- Contribute to the development of our real-time bidding and allocation algorithms, optimizing for advertiser performance and user relevance.
- Build, train, and deploy machine learning models to help solve challenges in targeting and ad candidate retrieval.
- Work with Product Managers, Engineers, and Analysts to assist in translating business constraints into mathematical objective functions.
- Apply high Applied Science and ML Engineering standards within your daily work and code reviews.
- Share knowledge and best practices across the team to ensure smooth collaboration with other job functions.
WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF
- You hold a MSc or PhD in Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics.
- You have about 3+ years of industry experience in Machine Learning, Data Science, or Deep Learning.
- You have experience in developing solutions from initial idea to production.
- You have strong proficiency in Python and its related stack, coupled with practical knowledge in Deep Learning, Econometrics, or Causal inference.
- You have excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a focus on clarity and structure.
- Experience in the Advertising or Ecommerce industry is highly preferred.
INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN
If 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 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://jobs.zalando.com/en/our-culture/diversity-and-inclusion
OUR OFFERZalando 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 counselling 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
- MSc or PhD in Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics
- Approximately 3 or more years of industry experience in Machine Learning, Data Science, or Deep Learning
- Experience developing solutions from initial concept through production
- Strong proficiency in Python and its related stack
- Practical knowledge of Deep Learning, Econometrics, or Causal Inference
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Experience in advertising or ecommerce
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.





