Principal Software Engineer - Risk Management / Risk AI (all genders)

Role: Principal Software Engineer in Zalando's Risk Management department. You will guide multiple teams developing software and machine‑learning solutions to manage payment‑risk and detect fraud, elevate architectural and engineering standards, mentor engineers, and collaborate with Engineering Managers, Applied Science Managers, Principal Applied Scientists and Product Managers. Responsibilities: - Design and drive technical solutions for high‑impact, ambiguous projects across several teams. - Break down complex solutions into iterative releases, reduce risk and ship large‑scale projects to production while providing design, code contributions and mentorship. - Evangelize best software practices and drive technical innovation within the department and across teams. - Provide day‑to‑day technical guidance and mentorship to software engineers. - Improve operational excellence through review meetings, post‑mortems and hands‑on support for time‑critical incident investigations. - Act as a sparring partner for tech and product leadership, researching and proposing productivity‑enhancing solutions. Qualifications: - 3+ years experience as a Principal Engineer, Solutions Architect or Staff Engineer. - Extensive experience in software architecture and cloud‑environment design, leading complex multi‑team projects. - Experience with Machine Learning, especially productionizing models and MLOps. - Strong leadership and communication skills to guide and mentor teams. - Comfortable being hands‑on while also delegating effectively. What We Offer: - 27 days of holiday per year (full‑time) plus 2 paid volunteering days. - Hybrid working model with up to 60 % remote work and up to 30 days per year working from abroad. - Employee share program, 40 % discount on Zalando fashion and beauty products, additional partner discounts. - Relocation assistance (subject to agreement), family services, health and wellbeing options, mental‑health support and coaching. - Continuous development through a training platform and bi‑annual peer‑to‑peer reviews.