Head of Product - Transport & Customs (all genders)

THE ROLE & THE TEAM Zalando’s Transport Management System (First, Middle & Last Mile) and Customs infrastructure is the backbone of our European transportation network. As we transition to a flexible, platform-based architecture, we are unlocking unprecedented optimisation potential. In this role, you will lead the strategic evolution of our Transport and Customs products. You will head a high-calibre, multi-disciplinary team comprising Principal Product Managers, Machine Learning Engineers, and Data Engineers . Your mission is to rethink complete process chains with a long-term impact horizon, elevating our product strategy through deep discovery, opportunity sizing, and the deployment of advanced data and ML-driven capabilities. The areas where you and your team will drive impact include: #1: Building and optimisation of Zalando’s next-generation transport systems. #2: Central exchanges of capacities, promises, and cut-offs at the highest level of the system architecture. #3: Customs services optimisation , with a focus on advanced data modelling and seamless interface design. 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 Head a cross-functional, high-performing department: Directly manage and mentor a team of Principal Product Managers and technical specialists (ML & Data Engineering). Build a culture of excellence, shared ownership, and delivery across domains. Translate fulfilment strategy into action: Turn high-level business goals into operational plans and system evolutions, leveraging ML and data-driven capabilities to stabilise and scale our TMS systems. Shape and scale the organisation: Evolve team structures and career paths. You will define how Principal-level talent and engineering resources are deployed to achieve maximum impact across the fulfilment landscape. Drive product strategy & thought leadership: Formulate a multi-year product roadmap that includes mid- to long-term features. You will be responsible for the "big picture" while ensuring your team executes with precision. Collaborate across the matrix: Work closely with Operational teams, Network Planning, and Budgeting to drive consensus around your vision. Evidence-based decision-making: Back up intuition with data-driven insights and architectural proposals, working alongside principal-level architects to impact e-commerce KPIs. Author key product artefacts: Oversee the creation of product roadmaps, "Working Backwards" press releases, requirements, and large-scale solution papers. Resource & Capacity Planning: Pitch phased execution plans based on team capacity and, where necessary, build the business case for additional resources. WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF... Experienced Product Champion: You are a seasoned leader who thrives in complex environments and has a proven track record in large-scale technical products, ideally within fulfilment or logistics. People Leadership: You have extensive experience managing senior stakeholders and leading high-level individual contributors (Principal PMs) and technical teams (Data/ML). Strategic Mindset: You are driven to improve Zalando's fulfilment experience for both customers and partners, tackling opportunities with a proactive, positive attitude. Cross-Functional Expertise: You bring broad experience across Product, Engineering, and Data Science. You understand how to bridge the gap between business needs and technical execution. Delivery at Scale: You’ve successfully led complex initiatives involving diverse stakeholder groups and integrated system landscapes, balancing agility with structured execution. Communication: You are fluent in English and can navigate large, matrixed organisations with influence and empathy. 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