Head of Applied Science & Engineering - Search

Head of Applied Science & Engineering - SearchMenuAll JobsCareers HomeOur CultureToggle accordionPerks & BenefitsDiversity & InclusionSustainabilityWhat We DoToggle accordionJob CategoriesEarly CareersWhere We WorkHow We HireBlogENDEAll JobsHead of Applied Science & Engineering - SearchLocationGermany - BerlinContractFull timeJob CategoryApplied Science & ResearchApplyBack 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.Head of Applied Science & Engineering – SearchAbout the RoleWe are looking for a Head of Applied Science to lead the scientific strategy and execution for Search across Europe’s largest fashion & lifestyle platform. This leader will define the long-term vision for Search relevance and discovery, leveraging machine learning, AI, and experimentation to help millions of customers find the right products quickly and confidently. You will lead a team of managers, and principal applied Scientists & engineers responsible for developing and deploying state-of-the-art query understanding, retrieval, and ranking models for Search. Working closely with Product, Engineering, Analytics, and Design, you will shape the future of Search by balancing customer experience, business outcomes, and scientific innovation. INCLUSIVE BY DESIGNIf 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 thrives on diversity and is truly inclusive by design. We believe that diverse teams fuel innovation and creativity, and we actively seek out talent from all backgrounds.We actively seek to reduce bias in our hiring and employment processes, focusing on your qualifications, skills, and contributions. To support this, we kindly ask that you refrain from including personal details such as your photo, age, or marital status in your CV, ensuring a fair and equitable evaluation based solely on your abilities and potential.We are committed to providing an exceptional and accessible candidate experience for everyone. If you require any accommodations to support you throughout the hiring process, please let us know – we are here to assist you.Discover more about our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/our-culture/diversity-and-inclusionWHAT WE'D LOVE YOU TO DO Define and drive the long-term Applied Science strategy, aligning roadmap investments with customer needs and business priorities.Lead the development of advanced ML models for query understanding, retrieval, ranking, and personalization to improve Search relevance.Build and inspire high-performing teams of Applied Scientists and ML engineers, fostering a culture of scientific rigor, mentorship, and continuous learning.Optimize for business outcomes by balancing relevance, diversity, monetization, and operational efficiency.Accelerate innovation by investing in scalable machine learning platforms, data infrastructure, and experimentation frameworks.Establish best practices for model governance, offline evaluation, online experimentation, and standardized scientific methods across teams.Drive adoption of emerging AI/ML techniques, ensuring the organization stays at the forefront of technological advancements.Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, UX, and leadership to define priorities and influence the broader organizational strategy.WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF YOU BRING..Proven experience leading high-performing Applied Science or Machine Learning organizations.Track record of defining technical vision and delivering business impact through AI and machine learning.Ability to attract, develop, and retain exceptional scientific talent.Deep expertise in machine learning, information retrieval, learning-to-rank, NLP, or related disciplines.Strong understanding of experimentation, causal inference, statistical modeling, and evaluation methodologies.Experience deploying and operating large-scale machine learning systems in production.Demonstrated ability to translate customer problems into scientific solutions that deliver measurable business impact.Experience balancing customer experience, operational considerations, and commercial objectives.Strong strategic thinking with the ability to prioritize long-term investments alongside near-term delivery.Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives across engineering, product, analytics, and business teams.Ability to influence senior leadership through data, scientific reasoning, and clear communication.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 employees2 paid volunteering days a yearEmployee shares program40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Lounge by Zalando, discounts from external partnersRelocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)Family services, including counseling and supportHealth and wellbeing options (including Wellhub, formerly Gympass)Mental health support and coaching availableDrive your development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer review RecruiterVerena Nitscheverena.nitsche@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.ApplyAbout ZalandoFounded in Berlin in 2008, Zalando is the leading European technology platform for fashion and lifestyle. Connecting 62 million active customers with more than 7,000 brands across 29 markets, our operations are built on a unique AI-powered data and infrastructure platform. For our customers, our multi-app approach - comprising Zalando, ABOUT YOU, and Lounge by Zalando - delivers an inspiring, highly personalized shopping experience, serving different customers with different needs. For our partners, we are building the operating system for e-commerce. Through ZEOS, Tradebyte, and SCAYLE, we open our logistics, software, and service capabilities to brands and retailers, enabling them to seamlessly scale their businesses across borders.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.