Job
In this job, you design complex data pipelines, collaborate closely with scientists, and operationalize statistical and machine learning models to develop high-impact data solutions.
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Your role in the team
- As a Principal Data Engineer on our team, you will be the backbone of data architecture, data modeling, and engineering, powering our analytics, statistical modeling, and data-driven products.
- You will transform complex, high-volume upstream datasets, including event tracking, into clean data layers used directly by Applied Scientists and Analysts.
- Your work will bridge the gap between raw data streams and production execution, translating complex upstream event signals into high-impact modeling inputs.
- Unlike a traditional data engineering role focused solely on infrastructure, this position carries an equally important mandate in data modeling and collaborative model productionization.
- You will work side by side with Applied Scientists to operationalize prototype models, ranging from classical statistical frameworks to machine learning, ensuring that critical structural and architectural data decisions are made so they can run reliably at scale.
- You will collaborate closely with Applied Scientists, Analysts, Data Engineers, Product Managers, and upstream engineering stakeholders across the organization.
- Identify relevant tracking events across complex streams, making intentional data modeling choices to build high-quality, standardized, and well-documented data products for downstream scientists and analysts.
- Partner directly with Applied Scientists to transform model prototypes (statistical or ML) into robust, maintainable, and low-latency production pipelines.
- Lead data modeling strategy across production datasets and model pipelines, making critical structural and schema decisions to ensure long-term performance, correctness, and maintainability.
- Design, build, and optimize pipelines, establishing rigorous standards for data quality, testability, monitoring, and pipeline health.
- Set engineering standards, mentor team members, and drive large-scale data architecture initiatives across multidisciplinary teams.
Our expectations of you
Qualifications
- You have led the design of pipelines or data platforms used by multiple teams and can demonstrate measurable improvements in reliability or cost.
- Strong PySpark, Python, and SQL skills, including writing maintainable code, applying software design principles, unit testing, debugging, and conducting code reviews.
- Strong understanding of databases, data modeling, distributed processing, and query and storage performance optimization.
- Hands-on CI/CD and cloud infrastructure, ideally AWS.
Experience
- You have a Bachelor's, Master's, or equivalent practical experience in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related quantitative field with 6+ years of relevant industry experience.
- You have proven experience operationalizing prototype models developed by Applied Scientists into production execution environments.
- Proven experience building and operating data pipelines, covering batch processing and real-time or streaming workloads, using technologies such as Apache Airflow, Apache Spark, and Apache Flink or equivalent frameworks.
- Experience operating production data pipelines, including monitoring, alerting, incident management, root cause analysis, and reliability and cost optimization.
- Experience with statistical data modeling.
What we offer
- Zalando provides a range of benefits. Here's an overview of what you can expect.
- 27 days of annual leave to start for full-time employees (+1 day for each calendar year, up to 30 days).
- 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Lounge by Zalando, discounts from external partners.
- Family support, including counselling and dedicated services for parents and carers.
- Company pension scheme.
- Employee share scheme.
- Health and wellbeing options, including Wellhub.
- Mental health support and coaching.
- Development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer review.
- 2 paid volunteering days a year.
- Relocation assistance (subject to prior agreement).
Benefits
Work-Life-Integration
Health, fitness & fun
Food & drink
Topics you will work on
Job locations
About your employer
Zalando is the leading online fashion platform in Europe, connecting customers, brands, and partners in 17 markets. We offer the latest styles and trends from the best fashion brands around the world, all in one place. With Zalando, you can find the perfect outfit for any occasion, whether you're looking for casual wear, formal wear, or something in between. We also offer a wide range of sizes and styles to suit every customer's needs. Shop with us today and see why we're the leading fashion destination in Europe.
- Established Company
- Full Remote, Hybrid, Onsite
- Trade
Employer reviews
- Working conditions
- 4.4
- Team culture
- 3.5
- Engineering
- 3.1
- Career growth
- 2.6
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