Senior Applied Scientist - Logistics Algorithms (all genders)

About the team

As a Senior Applied Scientist, you will drive the algorithmic research-driven software development in a logistics team. At Zalando, we process millions of customer orders every week and our systems make critical scheduling, planning, and routing decisions within our warehouses. Predictive warehousing allows us to preemptively take actions, which improve the warehouse efficiency by solving a stochastic optimization problem, at the crossroads of combinatorial optimization and data science. Our research pipeline enables fast incremental improvements which together with the scale of our decisions has a direct impact on the productivity of our warehouses.

Inclusive by design

At Zalando, our vision is to be inclusive by design. And this vision starts with our hiring - we do not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, personal expression, ethnicity, religious belief, or disability status. You are welcome to leave out your picture, age, or marital status from your application. We only assess candidates on their qualifications and merit. We want to provide you with a great candidate experience. Feel free to inform us of any accommodations you may need, so we can best support you throughout the hiring process.

We maintain a diversity and inclusion strategy and have employee resource groups to support our people.

Responsibilities

• Drive the research, design, and implementation of algorithms and predictive models.
• Deliver end-to-end solutions and set the bar for the entire development cycle, including research, prototyping, implementing production software, testing, and operating the highly available production system.
• Influence research and development methodologies to foster a scalable and data-driven architecture.
• Support and coach other Applied Scientists by sharing knowledge and expertise in applied research.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Mathematics, Computer Science, or another quantitative field, with industry experience in algorithm-related software development in Java, Kotlin, Python, or similar.
• Hands-on experience translating industry problems into mathematical models and solving them with state-of-the-art methods.
• Expertise in at least one of: advanced algorithmic techniques (e.g., combinatorics, graph theory, control theory), mathematical modeling (e.g., operations research, statistics, experimentation), or machine learning (e.g., forecasting, Bayesian networks).
• Ability to translate real-world business cases into mathematical problems with a proven track record of at least 6 years of applied research experience.
• Strong collaboration skills in an agile, cross-functional team with engineers, product owners, and fellow applied scientists.

What you will work on

You may refer to a stochastic optimization problem that showcases the type of problems you would work on. If you enjoy solving mathematical puzzles, you can contribute solutions as part of your application.

Our offer

• Employee shares program
• Discounts on fashion and beauty products, Zalando Lounge, and discounts from external partners
• Paid volunteering days
• Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year
• 27 days of vacation per year to start
• Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)
• Family services, including counseling and support
• Health and wellbeing options, including mental health support and coaching

Learn more about Zalando and our values, and follow our sustainability initiatives as part of our broader mission.