Senior Backend Software Engineer — Lounge Discover (all genders)
THE ROLE & THE TEAM
The
Lounge Discover
squad is the gateway to Lounge customer experience. As a cross-functional team, we are responsible for building the client-facing applications and the high-performance APIs that power them. Our mission is simple but ambitious: to make our vast fashion and lifestyle catalog effortlessly navigable. We focus on
discoverability and search
, ensuring that every user finds their next favorite item with ease.
As a
Senior Backend Software Engineer
, You will act as a technical owner for key discovery services, driving architecture decisions and leading complex initiatives from design to production Your work directly impacts how millions of users discover products and drives key business metrics such as engagement and conversion. You will collaborate closely with Product Managers, Designers, and Frontend Engineers to turn complex discovery challenges into elegant, scalable backend solutions.
INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN
If 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-inclusion
WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)
Architect & Design:
Lead the creation of
Technical Design Documents (TDD)
and define robust architectures that support high-traffic discovery features and complex catalog structures.
Collaborate Cross-Functionally:
Work daily with
Product Managers, Product Analytics, Designers, and Frontend Engineers
to translate business requirements into technical reality.
Build & Scale:
Develop and maintain high-availability APIs and microservices using
Java
, ensuring they are performant and resilient.
Embrace an AI-first development approach
, utilizing AI-powered tools to enhance efficiency and accelerate innovation in our discovery features.
Optimize Search:
Design and optimize search systems (e.g. Elasticsearch, vector search), balancing relevance, latency, and scalability.
Tackle complex discovery challenges such as real-time catalog updates, search relevance optimization, and high-throughput API design at scale.
Manage Data:
Design and optimize data models across a diverse stack including
PostgreSQL, DynamoDB
, and caching layers like
Redis (Valkey)
.
Operational Excellence:
Take ownership of the full software development lifecycle, including a
voluntary 24/7 on-call rotation
to ensure our customers have a seamless experience around the clock.
WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF
Backend Expertise:
You have extensive professional experience with
Java
and building distributed systems at scale.
Search & Data Specialist:
You are proficient with
Elasticsearch
and have hands-on experience with both NoSQL (
DynamoDB
) and Relational (
PostgreSQL
) databases.
Architecture Mindset:
You are comfortable writing detailed architecture proposals and mentoring more junior engineers through code reviews and design feedback.
Product Thinker:
You don't just "build to spec"—you take an active interest in
Product
and user behavior to help shape the roadmap.
Team Player:
You actively drive alignment across teams and challenge decisions constructively.
Reliability Driven:
You understand the importance of system health and are willing to contribute to our voluntary on-call rotation to keep the Lounge running smoothly.
OUR 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)
2 paid volunteering days a year
Hybrid working model with up to 60% remote per week, actual practice is up to each team to best support their collaboration
Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year
Employee shares program
40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Lounge by Zalando, discounts from external partners
Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)
Family services, including counseling and support
Health and wellbeing options (including Wellhub, formerly Gympass)
Mental health support and coaching available
Drive your development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer review