Senior Backend Engineer (Java) - Recommendations Platform

Location
Berlin
Contract
Full time
Job Category
Software Engineering - Machine Learning

THE ROLE & THE TEAM

We are looking for an experienced Senior Backend Engineer to shape the future of our recommendation systems. You will design and build scalable, high-throughput services that directly impact millions of customers across Europe. Working with AWS and Kubernetes at scale, you’ll help us create reliable, efficient, and low-latency systems that power personalized shopping experiences.

If you enjoy solving complex problems and want to see your work make a difference for millions of users, we’d love for you to join our team. 
 

INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN

Zalando is Europe’s leading online platform for fashion, connecting customers, brands, and partners across 25 markets. Learn more about our vision for inclusivity and innovation here.

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. 

do.BETTER - our diversity & inclusion strategy: 

https://corporate.zalando.com/en/our-impact/dobetter-our-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy
Our employee resource groups: 

https://corporate.zalando.com/en/our-impact/our-employee-resource-groups 

WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)

  • Design, develop, and scale backend infrastructure to support our 52-million-strong customer base and future growth needs, with a focus on reliability, performance, and sustainability.

  • Build and optimize recommendation services at scale, ensuring low latency and high reliability on AWS and Kubernetes.

  • Collaborate closely with data scientists, machine learning engineers, and product managers to bring cutting-edge personalization features into production.

  • Partner with leaders and stakeholders across Zalando to deliver innovative, production-ready solutions aligned with best practices in software development.
     

WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF

  • You have 5+ years of experience with proficiency in Java, AWS, and Kubernetes, along with hands-on experience in Python and NoSQL databases.

  • Proven ability to design, develop, and maintain backend systems in large-scale production environments, ensuring reliability and efficiency.

  • Excellent communication skills with a record of leading organization-wide collaborations effectively.

  • Strong ability to understand the broader context of customer problems, driving impactful and value-focused solutions.
     

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 Zalando Lounge, discounts from external partners

  • 2 paid volunteering days a year

  • Hybrid working model with 60% (or more) 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

  • 27 days of vacation a year to start

  • Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)

  • Family services, including counseling and support

  • Health and wellbeing options (including Gympass)

  • Mental health support and coaching available

Learn all about Zalando and our values here: 

https://jobs.zalando.com/en/?gh_src=22377bdd1us 

Recruiter

Donatella Marcellino

donatella.marcellino@zalando.de

Please note that all applications from this job page must be completed using the online form - we do not accept applications via e-mail. Once reviewed, our recruiters will contact applicants via an official Zalando email address (@zalando.de).

In some cases we also work with a selection of headhunters and agencies to fill specific roles. Please note that neither Zalando nor our recruiting partners will ask for any kind of payment to apply for a job or attend an interview.

If you have any questions about our recruitment process, please take a look at our FAQ page.

Our Software Engineering teams deploy software extensively, managing a broad set of applications and conducting thousands of deployments per week. The Software Engineering team enables Zalando as Europe’s number one multi-brand, digital platform for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle for our partners and customers. As a Zalando Software Engineer, you’ll be part of a community of thousands of colleagues across Europe.

Learn More

Software Engineering

Zalando SE Berlin headquarter BHQ-X

About Zalando

It’s the perfect time to join Zalando on our journey to build the leading pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce. Help us offer an inspiring and quality multi-brand shopping experience for fashion and lifestyle products to about 50 million active customers in 25 markets. Or be part of our logistic infrastructure, software or service capabilities to help brands and retailers run and scale their entire e-commerce business, on or off Zalando. Join our Zalando ecosystem, to enable positive change for the fashion and lifestyle industry. 

Learn more about our culture