Data Analyst - Forecasting (all genders)

Role In the heart of Berlin, the customer service at Zalando and Zalando Lounge is the voice and ear of Europe's leading online fashion platform. We create a unique shopping experience and take feedback seriously to optimize our services and processes. In the workforce management department, we are the strategic heart of customer care. Strategic capacity planning, accurate staffing and speedy responsiveness to the Customer Care Operations teams are our core mission. The forecasting team is responsible for analysing trends and forecasting the demand for the organisation, providing analytical support to our customer care operations functions. Responsibilities As a Data Analyst for Forecasting, you will act as the bridge between deep technical modeling and strategic business ownership, ensuring our operational teams have the exact forecast they need to succeed. - Own the forecast: Predict and analyze expected contact volumes for internal teams and outsourcing partners, directly driving capacity planning across a large-scale, multi-site customer care network. - Build and optimize models: Perform deep statistical analyses and leverage machine learning to continuously improve the accuracy, reliability, and explainability of our time-series forecasting models. - Design experiments: Create research and experimentation plans, selecting the most appropriate methodologies and metrics to extract actionable insights from customer service demand data. - Empower stakeholders: Design, maintain, and expand our reporting and data visualization portfolio to deliver clear, accessible insights to department management and operational leaders. - Bridge technical and business domains: Translate complex business challenges into robust analytical approaches, driving strategic initiatives directly connected to your forecasting expertise. Qualifications We're looking for a blend of technical capability, analytical mindset, and business pragmatism. - Advanced Analytics: Hands-on experience with predictive algorithms and time-series forecasting using state-of-the-art machine learning. Knowledge of driver analysis, anomaly detection and simulation is a strong plus. - Programming & Infrastructure: Strong proficiency in Python and SQL is a must. Experience with Databricks, GitHub (CI/CD), MLOps, AWS and AI-assisted coding tools will set you apart. - Data Pipelines & Visualization: Experience defining data tracking requirements, building simple ETLs, and designing dashboards using modern BI tools (e.g., Microstrategy, Looker, PowerBI, Tableau). - Pragmatic Problem-Solving: You know exactly when to build a complex ML pipeline and when a simple spreadsheet calculation is the smartest, fastest path forward. - Relevant Background: Proven professional experience as a Data Analyst, Business Analyst, Data Scientist, or Time-Series Forecasting Specialist with a strong technical background. A degree in a quantitative field (Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, or Business) is preferred. - Communication: Excellent English communication skills with the ability to thrive in an intercultural environment and clearly explain technical forecasting concepts to business stakeholders. What We Offer 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. - 27 days of holiday a year to start for full-time employees (+1 day for every 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 shares programme - 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)