Principal Product Designer - Zalando Assistant (all genders) - limited contract

Description

The company is a leading online fashion and lifestyle platform in Europe, serving over 60 million active customers across 25 markets.

The Search & Discovery team behind the company Assistant, based in Berlin and Dublin, builds personalised discovery experiences that respond to customers' needs, interests, intentions and context, helping them find fashion, beauty and lifestyle inspiration.

This is a Principal Product Designer role shaping the conversational design and customer impact of the company Assistant.

This is a limited contract running until 31 July 2027.

Responsibilities

• Design scalable, customer-centred solutions that use new technology such as generative AI and machine learning.
• Work with designers, engineers, data scientists, product managers and other teams across the company to explore solution spaces iteratively and turn the future into something tangible for internal teams, customers and partners.
• Give your team a clear direction by turning complex, uncertain projects into concrete concepts and design artefacts that move the customer experience vision forward.
• Shape intuitive, useful experiences for AI-powered and data-driven products, including machine learning features.
• Build personalised, seamless customer journeys with stakeholders, designers and product teams, pushing the limits of what is possible.
• Use a broad design toolkit, including user research, workshop facilitation, UX and UI design and prototyping, to create cohesive, accessible end-to-end journeys.
• Act as a thought leader and role model for the company Product Design community and the wider European design field: share best practice, mentor colleagues, raise the bar in design reviews and lead discussions.

Requirements

• Strong foundational UX skills are essential.
• Experience with concept design methods, conversational design, user research, workshop facilitation and balancing the big picture with attention to craft is valued.
• Experience working on complex design projects and turning innovative ideas into tangible concepts and artefacts.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams to design intuitive, impactful experiences for AI-powered, machine learning and data-driven products.
• Experience designing personalised customer experiences with cross-functional teams and stakeholders, developing solutions that challenge the status quo.
• Enjoy designing technology products and keep people at the centre of the process, so that technical depth always serves real human needs.
• A broad set of design skills, including user research, workshop facilitation, UX and UI design and prototyping, to deliver fluid, holistic and accessible journeys.
• Encouraged to apply even if you do not meet every requirement.

Conditions

Limited contract until 31 July 2027.

Based in Berlin or Dublin, the team's locations.

The company aims to be inclusive and to assess candidates on qualifications, skills and contributions; please leave personal details such as photo, age or marital status off your CV.

Accommodations are available during the hiring process on request.

Benefits

• 27 days of holiday a year for full-time employees, rising by one day per calendar year up to 30 days.
• 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by the company, 30% off Lounge by the company, and discounts from external partners.
• Family support, including counselling and dedicated services for parents and carers.
• Company pension scheme and employee share programme.
• Health and wellbeing options including Wellhub, plus mental health support and coaching.
• Development through the training platform and a biannual peer-to-peer review.
• 2 paid volunteering days a year.
• Relocation assistance, subject to prior agreement.