Customer Relations Lead (all genders)

THE ROLE & THE TEAM As a Customer Relations Lead, you’ll be responsible for leading a group of Customer Relations Experts across assigned markets or functions. Your main goal is to ensure consistent excellence in operational performance, customer service quality, and the professional development of your team. You'll shape strategy implementation, resolve complex issues, and collaborate across departments to improve tools, processes, and customer satisfaction. INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN At Zalando, our vision is to be the leading pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce - one that is inclusive by design. We only assess candidates based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We welcome applications from people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, personal expressions, racial identities, ethnicities, religious beliefs, and disability statuses. We only want to know why you’re great for this role, so please avoid including your picture, age, and marital status in your CV as well. We want to provide you with a great candidate experience. Please feel free to inform us of any accommodations you may need, so we can best support and assist you throughout the hiring process. do.BETTER - our diversity & inclusion strategy: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/our-culture/diversity-and-inclusion WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING) Lead and Develop - Lead and nurture a team of CuCa Experts, empowering them to thrive in a results-driven yet flexible environment. Provide consistent coaching, structured feedback, and career development opportunities. Encourage self-management and ownership, enabling the team to meet operational goals through autonomy and accountability, rather than rigid schedules or performance metrics. Foster a culture of continuous growth, high performance, and mutual support. Drive Operational Excellence - Oversee daily operations and ensure teams meet quality, efficiency, and compliance standards. Support in workforce planning, issue resolution, and escalation handling. Guide teams in solving complex or sensitive customer queries. Monitor and Improve KPIs - Track team performance via productive efficiency and quality KPIs. Initiate performance improvement plans and implement best practices. Actively contribute to the development and optimization of operational processes. Lead Strategic Initiatives - Drive and implement cross-market projects to optimize service operations. Use data-driven insights to propose and execute change. Ensure alignment with business goals and effective stakeholder management. Collaborate Across Teams - Partner with cross-functional teams within Customer Care and beyond. Communicate team needs, project updates, and strategic priorities. Contribute to organization-wide continuous improvement efforts. ​Solve problems - Supervise critical incident handling and ensure swift, clear communication. Identify and define Tier 3 defects and process gaps with improvement plans. Represent Customer Relations in broader stakeholder or cross-department forums. WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF YOU HAVE Proven Leadership Experience: Minimum 3-5 years of experience leading Customer Service teams, preferably with exposure to managing other leaders People Development Acumen: Proven track record of mentoring, coaching and growing high-potential team members. Operational & Performance Management Expertise: Strong understanding of Customer Service KPIs and operational metrics. Demonstrated experience managing performance and delivering against KPI targets. Strategic & Improvement Focus: Experienced in leading initiatives or change programs with measurable impact. Exceptional Stakeholder Management: Skilled in stakeholder engagement and cross-functional collaboration.​ Robust organisational skills: Ability to effectively manage time, prioritise tasks and utilise resources to achieve goals efficiently. Change Leadership: Adaptability and the ability to understand and communicate the bigger picture and context of changes to your Team, your peers, and other stakeholders, guiding them through transitions effectively. Excellent Communication & Organizational Skills: Strong communication, organization, and time-management skills. Business proficiency in English; additional languages are a plus. Customer-Centric Mindset: High business acumen with a strong orientation toward service quality hence customer satisfaction. Able to handle sensitive, high-risk customer cases effectively. Analytical Thinker: Analytical thinker with a problem-solving mindset. Additional Benefit: Prior experience in Quality Assurance is a benefit. Technical Proficiency: Experienced in using common office suites (e.g., G Suite) 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 Employee shares program​ 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Lounge by Zalando, discounts from external partners 2 paid volunteering days a year​ Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year 27 days of vacation a year to start for full-time employees​ 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