Principal Software Engineer Core Platform & Growth / Lounge by Zalando (all genders)

Role: Principal Software Engineer Core Platform & Growth / Lounge by Zalando Responsibilities: - Architect Scalable Platforms: Shape the technical direction for core growth, data, and AI infrastructure, guiding the evolution of event-driven microservices and high-throughput pipelines. - Drive Lounge-Wide Technical Initiatives: Lead cross-team engineering efforts, enabling other teams to make better technical decisions and fostering a cohesive architectural vision. - Enable AI & Modern Engineering Practices: Help transition GenAI initiatives from prototype to production-ready platforms, guiding teams in adopting modern engineering workflows. - Multiply Engineering Impact: Mentor and coach senior engineers, elevating technical craft through architecture reviews, pair programming, and clear guidelines. - Represent and Contribute: Engage with Zalando's Principal Engineering community, champion engineering excellence, author ADRs, and establish standards. - Drive Business & Product Initiatives: Partner with Project Management to deliver complex product and business initiatives across the Lounge organization. Qualifications: - Extensive Backend Expertise: Strong track record in designing, building, and operating distributed, highly available backend systems; adaptability matters most. - Cloud & Data Platform Experience: Comfortable with modern cloud-native environments (e.g., AWS, Kubernetes) and solid understanding of data infrastructure, streaming pipelines (like Kafka), and operational best practices. - Applied AI Knowledge: Experience bringing machine learning or GenAI solutions into production, with understanding of observability, evaluation, and scaling. - Cross-Team Leadership: Proven ability to lead without formal authority, guiding cross-functional teams and driving alignment on complex architectural decisions. - Exceptional Communication: Ability to distill complex technical concepts for both engineering and non-technical stakeholders. 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 - Hybrid working model with up to 60% remote per week - 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 - Drive your development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer review