Head of Applied Science & Engineering - Ranking

Head of Applied Science & Engineering – Ranking About the Role We are looking for a Head of Applied Science to lead the scientific strategy and execution for Ranking across Europe’s largest fashion & lifestyle platform. This leader will define the long-term vision for Ranking relevance and visibility, leveraging machine learning, AI, and experimentation to help millions of customers find the right products quickly and confidently. You will lead a team of applied scientists driving the core ranking platform across Zalando’s discovery surfaces. Partnering with Product, Engineering, Analytics, and Design, you will shape cross-surface experiences by balancing customer relevance, commercial steering governance, and marketplace health in line with Zalando's Platform-First strategy. WHAT WE'D LOVE YOU TO DO Define and drive the long-term Applied Science strategy, aligning roadmap investments with customer needs and business priorities. Lead the development of advanced ML models for retrieval, ranking, and personalization to improve product ranking and discovery. Build and inspire a high-performing team of Applied Scientists, fostering a culture of scientific rigor, mentorship, and continuous learning. Optimize for business outcomes by balancing relevance, diversity, monetization, and operational efficiency. Accelerate innovation by investing in scalable machine learning platforms, data infrastructure, and experimentation frameworks. Establish best practices for model governance, offline evaluation, online experimentation, and standardized scientific methods across teams. Drive adoption of emerging AI/ML techniques, ensuring the organization stays at the forefront of technological advancements. Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, UX, and leadership to define priorities and influence the broader organizational strategy. WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF YOU BRING.. Proven experience leading high-performing Applied Science or Machine Learning organizations. Track record of defining technical vision and delivering business impact through AI and machine learning. Ability to attract, develop, and retain exceptional scientific talent. Deep expertise in machine learning for ranking and recommender systems, particularly learning-to-rank and personalization. Strong understanding of experimentation, causal inference, statistical modeling, and evaluation methodologies. Experience deploying and operating large-scale ranking systems in production. Demonstrated ability to translate customer problems into scientific solutions that deliver measurable business impact. Experience balancing customer experience, operational considerations, and commercial objectives. Strong strategic thinking with the ability to prioritize long-term investments alongside near-term delivery. Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills. Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives across engineering, product, analytics, and business teams. Ability to influence senior leadership through data, scientific reasoning, and clear communication. OUR OFFER 27 days of holiday a year to start for full-time employees 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