Principal Software Engineer, Core Platform & Growth

Principal Software Engineer Core Platform & Growth / Lounge by Zalando (all genders)MenuAll JobsCareers HomeOur CultureToggle accordionPerks & BenefitsDiversity & InclusionSustainabilityWhat We DoToggle accordionJob CategoriesEarly CareersWhere We WorkHow We HireBlogENDEAll JobsPrincipal Software Engineer Core Platform & Growth / Lounge by Zalando (all genders)LocationGermany - BerlinContractFull timeJob CategorySoftware Engineering - Principal EngineeringApplyBack to job descriptionApplication FormFirst Name*Last Name*Email*Country Code*Germany (+49)---Afghanistan (+93)Åland Islands (+358)Albania (+355)Algeria (+213)American Samoa (+1)Andorra (+376)Angola (+244)Anguilla (+1)Antigua and Barbuda (+1)Argentina (+54)Armenia (+374)Aruba (+297)Australia (+61)Austria (+43)Azerbaijan (+994)Bahamas (+1)Bahrain (+973)Bangladesh (+880)Barbados (+1)Belarus (+375)Belgium (+32)Belize (+501)Benin (+229)Bermuda (+1)Bhutan (+975)Bolivia (+591)Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (+599)Bosnia and Herzegovina (+387)Botswana (+267)Brazil (+55)British Indian Ocean Territory (+246)British Virgin Islands (+1)Brunei (+673)Bulgaria (+359)Burkina Faso (+226)Burundi (+257)Cabo Verde (+238)Cambodia (+855)Cameroon (+237)Canada (+1)Cayman Islands (+1)Central African Republic (+236)Chad (+235)Chile (+56)China (+86)Christmas Island (+61)Cocos (Keeling) Islands (+61)Colombia (+57)Comoros (+269)Congo (+242)Congo, Democratic Republic of the (+243)Cook Islands (+682)Costa Rica (+506)Côte d'Ivoire (+225)Croatia (+385)Cuba (+53)Curaçao (+599)Cyprus (+357)Czechia (+420)Denmark (+45)Djibouti (+253)Dominica (+1)Dominican Republic (+1)Ecuador (+593)Egypt (+20)El Salvador (+503)Equatorial Guinea (+240)Eritrea (+291)Estonia (+372)Eswatini (+268)Ethiopia (+251)Falkland Islands (+500)Faroe Islands (+298)Fiji (+679)Finland (+358)France (+33)French Guiana (+594)French Polynesia (+689)Gabon (+241)Gambia (+220)Georgia (+995)Ghana (+233)Gibraltar (+350)Greece (+30)Greenland (+299)Grenada (+1)Guadeloupe (+590)Guam (+1)Guatemala (+502)Guernsey (+44)Guinea (+224)Guinea-Bissau (+245)Guyana (+592)Haiti (+509)Holy See (Vatican City State) (+39)Honduras (+504)Hong Kong (+852)Hungary (+36)Iceland (+354)India (+91)Indonesia (+62)Iran (+98)Iraq (+964)Ireland (+353)Isle of Man (+44)Israel (+972)Italy (+39)Jamaica (+1)Japan (+81)Jersey (+44)Jordan (+962)Kazakhstan (+7)Kenya (+254)Kiribati (+686)Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (+850)Korea, Republic of (+82)Kosovo (+377)Kosovo (+381)Kosovo (+383)Kosovo (+386)Kuwait (+965)Kyrgyzstan (+996)Laos (+856)Latvia (+371)Lebanon (+961)Lesotho (+266)Liberia (+231)Libya (+218)Liechtenstein (+423)Lithuania (+370)Luxembourg (+352)Macao (+853)Madagascar (+261)Malawi (+265)Malaysia (+60)Maldives (+960)Mali (+223)Malta (+356)Marshall Islands (+692)Martinique (+596)Mauritania (+222)Mauritius (+230)Mayotte (+262)Mexico (+52)Micronesia, Federated States of (+691)Moldova (+373)Monaco (+377)Mongolia (+976)Montenegro (+382)Montserrat (+1)Morocco (+212)Mozambique (+258)Myanmar (+95)Namibia (+264)Nauru (+674)Nepal (+977)Netherlands (+31)New Caledonia (+687)New Zealand (+64)Nicaragua (+505)Niger (+227)Nigeria (+234)Niue (+683)Norfolk Island (+672)North Macedonia (+389)Northern Mariana Islands (+1)Norway (+47)Oman (+968)Pakistan (+92)Palau (+680)Palestine (+970)Panama (+507)Papua New Guinea (+675)Paraguay (+595)Peru (+51)Philippines (+63)Pitcairn Islands (+64)Poland (+48)Portugal (+351)Puerto Rico (+1)Qatar (+974)Reunion (+262)Romania (+40)Russian Federation (+7)Rwanda (+250)Saint Barthelemy (+590)Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (+247)Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (+290)Saint Kitts and Nevis (+869)Saint Lucia (+1)Saint Martin (+590)Saint Pierre and Miquelon (+508)Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (+1)Samoa (+685)San Marino (+378)Sao Tome and Principe (+239)Saudi Arabia (+966)Senegal (+221)Serbia (+381)Seychelles (+248)Sierra Leone (+232)Singapore (+65)Sint Maarten (+1)Slovakia (+421)Slovenia (+386)Solomon Islands (+677)Somalia (+252)South Africa (+27)South Sudan (+211)Spain (+34)Sri Lanka (+94)Sudan (+249)Suriname (+597)Svalbard and Jan Mayen (+47)Sweden (+46)Switzerland (+41)Syria (+963)Taiwan (+886)Tajikistan (+992)Tanzania (+255)Thailand (+66)Timor-Leste (+670)Togo (+228)Tokelau (+690)Tonga (+676)Trinidad and Tobago (+1)Tunisia (+216)Turkey (+90)Turkmenistan (+993)Turks and Caicos Islands (+1)Tuvalu (+688)U. S. Virgin Islands (+1)Uganda (+256)Ukraine (+380)United Arab Emirates (+971)United Kingdom (+44)United States Minor Outlying Islands (+1)United States of America (+1)Uruguay (+598)Uzbekistan (+998)Vanuatu (+678)Venezuela (+58)Vietnam (+84)Wallis and Futuna (+681)Western Sahara (+212)Yemen (+967)Zambia (+260)Zimbabwe (+263)Phone Number*Résume*Attach FilePDF only. Maximum file size: 10 MB.Cover LetterAttach FilePDF only. Maximum file size: 10 MB.LinkedIn ProfileHow did you hear about this job?Please enter your earliest possible starting date.Please tell us your salary expectations (annual gross salary, number format without special characters)*Attach a file, if applicable.Attach FilePDF only. Maximum file size: 10 MB.Are you currently based in the European Union or do you possess a valid work permit/residence title for the European Union (EU)?*Yes, I am an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen or hold a valid work permit.No, I would require visa/a work permit to work.Are you employed by any of Zalando entities?*Yes, About You GroupYes, Other EntityNo, former temporary workerNoI identify as*ManWomanNon-binaryPrefer not to sayWe process your gender for statistical reasons and separated from the recruitment process to foster inclusivity and diversity. Learn more in our Privacy Information.Please read our privacy information before you submit your application.In the case that I have provided data which could be considered sensitive in my application (e.g. sexual orientation, ethnic origin, political opinions, health, criminal record), I explicitly agree that Zalando may process my application containing this data during the application process.Note: In general, we do not ask you to provide us with any sensitive information. In the case that you provided us with sensitive information, we need your consent to be able to process your application.THE ROLE & THE TEAMAre you a seasoned technical leader passionate about building scalable platforms and elevating the engineering craft around you? Lounge by Zalando is our thriving off-price shopping club, serving millions of members across 20+ European markets.In this role, you will act as a key technical anchor for the Core Platform & Growth, while also stepping up to drive Lounge-wide engineering initiatives. You will help shape the architecture of our growth engine—spanning event-driven pipelines, lifecycle messaging, and modern AI infrastructure. Beyond your immediate domain, you will play a pivotal role in enabling other missions and teams across Lounge, helping them deliver robust solutions and make better, more informed technical decisions. If you thrive on multiplying the impact of engineers around you and driving broad architectural excellence, this role is for you.INCLUSIVE BY DESIGNAt 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 WHAT WE'D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)Architect Scalable Platforms: Shape the technical direction for our core growth, data, and AI infrastructure. You will guide the evolution of event-driven microservices and high-throughput pipelines, ensuring reliability and sustainable scale.Drive Lounge-Wide Technical Initiatives: Look beyond your immediate mission to lead cross-team engineering efforts. You will enable other teams across Lounge to make better technical decisions, sharing best practices and fostering a cohesive architectural vision.Enable AI & Modern Engineering Practices: Help transition GenAI initiatives from prototype to robust, production-ready platforms. You will guide teams in adopting modern engineering workflows, including the effective, secure use of AI coding assistants and evaluation tooling.Multiply Engineering Impact: Act as a mentor and coach to senior engineers. Rather than centralizing knowledge, you will elevate the technical craft of those around you through thoughtful architecture reviews, pair programming, and clear architectural guidelines.Represent and Contribute: Engage actively with Zalando’s broader Principal Engineering community and guilds. You will champion engineering excellence, author architecture decision records (ADRs), and help establish the standards that others build upon.Drive Business & Product Initiatives: Partner with Project Management to deliver complex product and business initiatives across the entire Lounge organization.WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IFExtensive Backend Expertise: You have a strong track record of designing, building, and operating distributed, highly available backend systems. While we rely heavily on Kotlin and the JVM ecosystem, your broad foundational architectural skills and ability to adapt matter most.Cloud & Data Platform Experience: You are comfortable working in modern cloud-native environments (e.g., AWS, Kubernetes) and have a solid understanding of data infrastructure, streaming pipelines (like Kafka), and operational best practices.Applied AI Knowledge: You have experience bringing machine learning or GenAI solutions into production, understanding the broad nuances of observability, evaluation, and scaling these systems reliably for real users.Cross-Team Leadership: You possess a proven ability to lead without formal authority. You are experienced in guiding cross-functional teams, shaping technical strategies across multiple domains, and driving alignment on complex architectural decisions.Exceptional Communication: You can distill complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights for both engineering peers and non-technical stakeholders, whether in writing or in architectural forums.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.Employee shares program40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Zalando Lounge, discounts from external partners2 paid volunteering days a yearHybrid working model with up to 60% remote per weekWork from abroad for up to 30 working days a year27 days of vacation a year to startRelocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)Family services, including counseling and supportHealth and wellbeing options (including Gympass)Mental health support and coaching availableDrive your development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer reviewLearn all about Zalando and our values here: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/?gh_src=22377bdd1usABOUT LOUNGE BY ZALANDOLounge by Zalando is an online outlet for fashion and lifestyle products in +20 European countries. We offer our members daily, time-limited sale campaigns with discounts of up to 75% off the recommended retail price. However, Lounge by Zalando is so much more than discounts. Our strength lies in our focus on fashion and lifestyle brands: from sought-after labels to niche brands, from famous international names to trendy luxury brands, we make sure to meet the fashion taste of all our customers, who are always on the hunt for the best products at the best prices. Working with our brand partners, we're pioneering innovative supply-chain and production processes and offer them an impactful and smart solution, creating a new way to shop for fashion - and a new way to sell it.https://www.zalando-lounge.deRecruiterBenan Ababaybenan.ababay@zalando.dePlease note that all applications from this job page must be completed using the online form - we do not accept applications via e-mail. Once reviewed, our recruiters will contact applicants via an official Zalando email address (@zalando.de).In some cases we also work with a selection of headhunters and agencies to fill specific roles. Please note that neither Zalando nor our recruiting partners will ask for any kind of payment to apply for a job or attend an interview.If you have any questions about our recruitment process, please take a look at our FAQ page.ApplySoftware EngineeringOur Software Engineering teams deploy software extensively, managing a broad set of applications and conducting thousands of deployments per week. The Software Engineering team enables Zalando as Europe’s number one multi-brand, digital platform for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle for our partners and customers. As a Zalando Software Engineer, you’ll be part of a community of thousands of colleagues across Europe. Learn MoreSoftware EngineeringAbout ZalandoIt’s the perfect time to join Zalando on our journey to build the leading pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce. Help us offer an inspiring and quality multi-brand shopping experience for fashion and lifestyle products to about 50 million active customers in 25 markets. Or be part of our logistic infrastructure, software or service capabilities to help brands and retailers run and scale their entire e-commerce business, on or off Zalando. Join our Zalando ecosystem, to enable positive change for the fashion and lifestyle industry. Learn more about our cultureCareers HomeOur CultureToggle accordionPerks & BenefitsDiversity & InclusionSustainabilityWhat We DoToggle accordionJob CategoriesEarly CareersWhere We WorkHow We HireBlogAll JobsZalando ShopZalando CorporateZalando LoungeZalando OutletFollow us onLegal NoticePrivacy InformationData Preferences© 2025 Zalando SE All rights reserved.