Senior Applied Scientist - Logistics Algorithms (all genders)

As a Senior Applied Scientist, you will drive the algorithmic research-driven software development in a logistics team. At Zalando, we process millions of customer orders every week and our systems make critical scheduling, planning, and routing decisions within our warehouses. Predictive warehousing allows us to preemptively take actions, which improve the warehouse efficiency by solving a stochastic optimization problem, at the crossroads of combinatorial optimization and data science. Our research pipeline enables fast incremental improvements which together with the scale of our decisions has a direct impact on the productivity of our warehouses.

At Zalando, our vision is to be inclusive by design. And this vision starts with our hiring - we do not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, personal expression, ethnicity, religious belief, or disability status. You are welcome to leave out your picture, age, or marital status from your application. We only assess candidates on their qualifications and merit. 

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

do.BETTER - our diversity & inclusion strategy: https://corporate.zalando.com/en/our-impact/dobetter-our-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy 

Our employee resource groups: https://corporate.zalando.com/en/our-impact/our-employee-resource-groups

• Drive the research, design, and implementation of algorithms and predictive models.

• Deliver end-to-end solutions and set the bar for the entire development cycle, which includes research, prototyping, implementing production software, as well as testing and operating the highly available production system.

• Influence our research and development methodologies to foster a scalable and data-driven architecture.

• Support and coach other Applied Scientists by sharing your knowledge and expertise in applied research.

• You hold a Master’s or PhD in Mathematics, Computer Science, or another quantitative field, together with industry experience in algorithm-related software development in Java, Kotlin, Python, or similar.

• Your professional background includes hands-on experience translating industry problems into mathematical models and solving them with state-of-the-art methods.

• You are an expert in at least one of the following: advanced algorithmic techniques (e.g., from combinatorics, graph theory, control theory), mathematical modeling (e.g., from operations research, statistics, experimentation), or machine learning approaches (e.g., forecasting, Bayesian networks).

• You exhibit a high degree of autonomy to translate real-world business cases into mathematical problems, with a proven record of at least 6 years of applied research experience.

• Your strengths extend to your ability to effectively collaborate within an agile and cross-functional team environment, engaging with engineers, product owners, and fellow applied scientists.

Want to know what kind of problems you will be working on? You can find on this google doc a stochastic optimization problem that showcases an example. If you like solving mathematical puzzles, send us your solution instead of uploading a cover letter.

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.

• 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

• 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 available

Learn all about Zalando and our values here: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/?gh_src=22377bdd1us