Principal Enterprise Automation Engineer

THE ROLE & THE TEAM

The Logistics Development team is responsible for driving speed, efficiency, and continuous innovation across Zalando's expansive fulfillment network. Fulfilling this mandate requires a structural transition from highly manual task execution toward intelligent, end-to-end AI orchestration. To achieve this, we operate within a fast-paced, autonomous Agile model, running rapid sprint cycles to scale automation on top of process-changing and AI-native architecture capabilities across our entire European logistics footprint.

As a Principal Enterprise Automation Engineer, you will serve as the technical visionary and lead builder for Logistics automation. We operate on a dual-track strategy: our Volume Engine (driving fast, high-volume automation for quick ROI) and our Impact Engine (assess complex, undocumented processes from scratch to be AI-native). You will design the macro-architecture for this ecosystem, and importantly, you are not afraid to get your hands dirty building the most complex components yourself.

Exercising elite "tool judgment," you will decide when to deploy enterprise tools like UiPath, when to leverage API-first orchestration like n8n, and when to seamlessly integrate Agentic AI (LLMs) into the daily business processes of our logistics organisation.. By architecting robust "Human-in-the-Loop" systems, you will mentor our senior automation engineers, breaking down complex blueprints for handoff while actively co-developing alongside them in our execution sprints.

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 & Execute: Serve as a true "Player-Coach." Design scalable automation architectures and get your hands dirty actively developing production-ready code for the most critical logistics bottlenecks.

• Drive the Dual Engine Strategy: Balance rapid sprint delivery between the Volume Engine (executing fast, shallow automations for immediate ROI) and the Impact Engine (assess complex, undocumented processes from scratch to be AI-native).

• Exercise Elite Tool Judgment: Dictate the technology strategy by deciding the optimal tech stack (e.g., UiPath Suite, n8n, Python, or raw APIs) for each unique operational challenge.

• Integrate Agentic AI: Leverage advanced prompt engineering and LLM integrations (e.g., Gemini) to build workflows capable of handling complex, unstructured data.

• Mentor & Delegate: Break down complex architectural blueprints into modular tasks, seamlessly handing off elements to senior engineers while providing ongoing code review and technical guidance.

• Bridge the Data Gap: Design robust, secure API architectures that link legacy enterprise systems (like restricted SAP setups) with modern AI orchestration tools.

• Execute with Agility: Collaborate closely with central Tech teams and operational SMEs to navigate compliance constraints and rapidly push solutions to production within structured 2-to-3-week sprint cycles.

WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF

• You bring 10+ years of hands-on experience in business processes and automation, and/or AI integration, with a proven ability to balance macro-architectural design with getting your hands dirty in active coding.

• You possess elite "tool judgment" and deep architectural design experience across UiPath, n8n, Python, and enterprise APIs.

• You have practical, demonstrated expertise in Agentic AI architectures, prompt engineering, and safely integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) into live business operations.

• Strategic Process Redesign: You understand the strategic difference between automating for volume versus automating for deep process impact, and know how to redesign broken workflows to be AI-native.

• Resilience & Error Handling: You have a proven ability to design for scale, maintainability, and build robust exception-handling frameworks ("self-healing" workflows).

• You have strong technical leadership capabilities, with a passion for mentoring senior developers and orchestrating work across high-velocity Agile sprints.

• Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) & Discovery: You have hands-on experience with process mining/task mining and using AI tools to extract structured data from unstructured documents.

• You are a master communicator and stakeholder manager, able to easily explain complex AI architectures and compliance risks to non-technical operational leads and senior stakeholders.

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

• 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