Principal Product Designer - Fulfillment Core LS (all genders)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer - Fulfillment Core LS (all genders)

Company: Zalando

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-13T00:00:00

Experience Level: Principal (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (up to 60% remote)

🎨 Role Summary

• Lead and shape the user experience vision for critical logistics and fulfillment systems within Zalando, directly impacting customer delivery experiences and internal operations.
• Drive strategic design initiatives focused on optimizing delivery options, balancing speed, convenience, sustainability, and cost for millions of customers.
• Champion user-centricity by conducting comprehensive qualitative user research and translating insights into actionable product strategies for complex e-commerce and logistics platforms.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Product Management, Engineering, and Data Science to explore complex problem spaces and deliver scalable, intuitive product solutions.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and articulate a cohesive UX vision and strategy for the Fulfillment Core product suite, aligning with Zalando's overall logistics strategy and business goals.
• Lead and execute comprehensive qualitative user research initiatives to deeply understand user needs, validate design concepts, and inform product direction.
• Partner effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, and senior stakeholders to navigate complex problem spaces and achieve shared positive outcomes through design.
• Design and map out end-to-end customer journeys across various touchpoints, including product display pages, checkout flows, and post-checkout experiences, defining detailed design deliverables.
• Create inspiring, user-centered solutions that address real customer needs, are technically feasible, and contribute significantly to long-term strategic objectives.
• Contribute actively to Zalando's design community by sharing knowledge, participating in design critiques, and potentially co-leading design operations initiatives to enhance team effectiveness.
• Mentor and support other designers, fostering a culture of high-quality craft and contributing to the team's collective growth and design excellence.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While a degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is often beneficial, extensive practical experience and a strong portfolio demonstrating relevant skills are typically prioritized for Principal-level design roles.

Experience: Extensive practical experience (typically 5-10+ years) in product design, with a strong focus on contributing to UX vision and strategy for complex product ecosystems, preferably within logistics, e-commerce, or similar domains. A portfolio showcasing experience in designing complex user funnels in retail or related areas is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in contributing to UX vision and strategy for complex product ecosystems.
• Thorough understanding and practical experience in applying diverse qualitative user research methods.
• Adeptness in the end-to-end design process: conceptualization, journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, and UI design in Figma.
• Practiced application of systems thinking and/or service design principles to understand interconnected experiences.
• Excellent communication and articulation of design decisions and complex ideas to diverse audiences, including senior leadership.
• Demonstrated dedication to high-quality design craft and a history of supporting other designers through mentorship.
• Strong understanding of Design Systems and their role in product development.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing complex user funnels, particularly within a retail or e-commerce context.
• Experience contributing to Design Systems.
• Initial exposure to, or appreciation for, UX writing or content design principles.
• Experience working with quantitative user research data.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase projects that demonstrate your contribution to shaping UX vision and strategy for complex products or ecosystems.
• Include detailed case studies illustrating your end-to-end design process, from initial research and problem definition through ideation, prototyping, testing, and final implementation.
• Present projects that highlight your experience with qualitative user research methods and how insights were translated into design decisions.
• Demonstrate your proficiency in using Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and creating high-fidelity user interfaces.

Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulate your approach to user research, including methodologies used for discovery and gathering qualitative insights.
• Detail your ideation and iteration process, showing how you explored different solutions and refined designs based on feedback and constraints.
• Explain your methods for validating design solutions, including any usability testing or user feedback collection processes you employed.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on market data for Principal Product Designer roles in Berlin, Germany, and considering Zalando's size and industry, a competitive annual salary range is estimated to be between €80,000 and €110,000 (gross). This estimate is based on typical ranges for senior design roles in major European tech hubs, adjusted for the Principal level and the specific domain of logistics and fulfillment, which involves significant business impact. Actual compensation may vary based on experience, qualifications, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Employee shares program, aligning employee success with company performance.
• Significant discounts on Zalando and Lounge by Zalando products, plus external partner discounts.
• 2 paid volunteering days per year, supporting community engagement.
• Hybrid working model allowing up to 60% remote work per week, with team autonomy on implementation.
• Opportunity to work from abroad for up to 30 working days annually, offering flexibility.
• Generous vacation allowance starting at 27 days a year for full-time employees.
• Relocation assistance available, subject to prior agreement, supporting international candidates.
• Family services, including counseling and support, promoting work-life balance.
• Health and wellbeing options, including access to platforms like Wellhub (formerly Gympass).
• Mental health support and coaching available, prioritizing employee wellbeing.
• Investment in employee development through a training platform and biannual peer-to-peer reviews.

Working Hours: Full-time position (typically 40 hours per week) with flexibility offered through the hybrid working model and work-from-abroad option to accommodate creative workflows and personal needs.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: E-commerce / Retail. Zalando is Europe's leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle. The design team operates within a fast-paced retail environment, requiring adaptability, customer focus, and an understanding of business impact.

Company Size: 10,001+ employees. As a large organization, design within Zalando likely involves navigating complex stakeholder landscapes, contributing to established design systems, and collaborating with multiple teams across different domains.

Founded: 2008. Founded in Berlin, Zalando has grown significantly, establishing itself as a major player in European e-commerce with a focus on technology and logistics innovation.

Team Structure:

• The Principal Product Designer will be part of the Fulfilment Product Design team within the Fulfillment Core domain.
• This role involves close collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Scientists in cross-functional teams.
• Reporting structure likely involves reporting to a Design Lead or Manager within the Fulfillment Core design team.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on user-centricity driven by qualitative user research to uncover deep user needs.
• Likely employs agile or lean methodologies in product development, with iterative design processes.
• Focus on designing holistic customer journeys across various touchpoints, suggesting a service design or systems thinking approach.

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

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is a Principal-level role, representing a senior position within the design career ladder at Zalando. Principal designers are expected to operate with significant autonomy, lead strategic initiatives, mentor other designers, and have a broad impact across teams and products.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports to a Design Manager or Lead within the Fulfillment Core design team, providing guidance and support while allowing for a high degree of independence in executing responsibilities.

Design Impact: Design in this role has a direct and significant impact on critical aspects of Zalando's business, including customer satisfaction with delivery options and the operational efficiency of the logistics network. Principal designers are expected to influence product strategy and business outcomes through their design leadership.

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential for continued growth within the Principal track, taking on even more complex or strategic initiatives within Fulfillment Core or other domains.
• Opportunities to explore design leadership roles, potentially moving into management or lead positions as the team and organization grow.
• Development opportunities focused on deepening expertise in specific areas like service design, complex systems design, or e-commerce logistics.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Hybrid working model with a physical presence in Zalando's Berlin campus. The campus is described as inspiring, with views of the Spree river and East Side Gallery.

Office Location(s): Primary location is the Berlin campus and HQ, situated in Friedrichshain. Zalando also has other offices and fulfillment centers, but this role is based in Berlin.

Design Workspace Context:

• The Berlin campus likely offers collaborative spaces designed to foster creativity and teamwork among designers and cross-functional teams.
• Access to necessary design tools, technology, and potentially dedicated lab spaces for user research activities.
• Opportunities for in-person interaction with design colleagues, product partners, and stakeholders, balancing remote work flexibility.

Work Schedule: Full-time (approx. 40 hours/week) with the flexibility of a hybrid model, allowing up to 60% remote work per week. The specific hybrid schedule is determined at the team level to best support collaboration needs.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Initial screening call, likely with a recruiter, to assess basic qualifications and fit. Prepare to discuss your experience and interest in logistics/e-commerce design.
• Portfolio review and presentation round with design team members. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 complex case studies in detail, focusing on your strategic approach, research methods, and impact.
• Design challenge or take-home assignment. This may involve a real-world problem related to fulfillment or e-commerce logistics, requiring you to demonstrate your problem-solving process and design skills.
• Team and cross-functional interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially Data Scientists, assessing collaboration skills and ability to work in a cross-functional environment.
• Interview(s) with design leadership to discuss strategic thinking, mentorship experience, and how you would contribute to the design culture and vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects demonstrating experience with complex systems, logistics, e-commerce, or similar domains.
• Structure case studies to clearly articulate the problem space, your role, the research conducted (especially qualitative), your design process, key decisions, and the impact of your work.
• Highlight your strategic contributions and how your design work influenced product or business outcomes.
• Showcase your proficiency in Figma and your ability to create detailed user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity interfaces.

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with common design challenge formats for Principal roles, which often involve tackling ambiguous or complex problems.
• Practice articulating your design process and rationale clearly and efficiently within a time limit.
• Be prepared to discuss your assumptions, trade-offs, and how you would validate your design solutions.

ATS Keywords:

• Design Skills: User Experience Design, Product Design, UX Strategy, UX Vision, User Research, Qualitative Research, Journey Mapping, Wireframing, Prototyping, UI Design, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, Systems Thinking, Service Design, Inclusive Design, Design Thinking, Design Leadership, Mentorship, Design Critique, Design Operations, Portfolio, Case Study
• Tools: Figma, Prototyping Tools, User Research Tools, Collaboration Tools, Design Systems, Analytics Tools
• Methodologies: Agile, Lean UX, User-Centered Design, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Stakeholder Management
• Soft Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Problem-Solving, Critical Thinking, Strategic Thinking, Mentoring, Leadership, Influence, Articulation, Empathy
• Industry Terms: E-commerce, Logistics, Fulfillment, Supply Chain, Retail, Customer Journey, Delivery Options, Shipping Fees, Internal Tools, Platform Strategy, Operational Efficiency

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Required for wireframing, prototyping, and creating user interfaces. Proficiency at a high level is expected for a Principal role, including understanding of its collaborative features and potential for design system integration.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Tools supporting cross-functional collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Scientists (e.g., Slack, Jira, Confluence).
• Handoff tools or features within Figma to facilitate seamless collaboration with engineering teams and ensure accurate implementation of designs.
• Documentation tools for maintaining design systems, style guides, and design specifications.

Research & Testing:

• Tools for conducting and analyzing qualitative user research (e.g., interview recording/transcription software, affinity mapping tools).
• Prototyping tools (potentially within or integrated with Figma) for testing design concepts and gathering user feedback.
• Familiarity with analytics tools to understand user behavior and measure the impact of design changes is beneficial, even if not directly using them for research.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• User-centricity: A strong emphasis on understanding and meeting user needs through research and empathetic design.
• Collaboration: Valuing close partnership with product, engineering, and other teams to achieve shared goals.
• Design Excellence: Dedication to high-quality craft and continuous improvement in design outcomes.
• Inclusivity: Commitment to creating inclusive products and a diverse, supportive work environment.
• Impact: Focusing on designing solutions that deliver tangible value and contribute to business objectives.

Collaboration Style:

• Close partnership within cross-functional teams, involving designers, product managers, engineers, and data scientists.
• Likely a culture of regular design critiques and feedback sessions to refine work and share knowledge.
• Emphasis on clear communication and articulation of design decisions to diverse audiences.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Navigating the complexity of designing for both customer-facing experiences (delivery options, shipping fees) and complex internal tools used by partners and internal teams.
• Balancing competing priorities such as speed, convenience, sustainability, and cost when designing delivery options.
• Driving the UX vision across a large domain like Fulfillment Core, ensuring consistency and scalability.
• Translating high-level business goals and logistics strategy into tangible and effective design approaches.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen expertise in designing for complex logistics and e-commerce systems, a highly specialized domain.
• Enhance leadership and mentorship skills by supporting other designers on the team.
• Opportunities to contribute to and potentially co-lead design operations initiatives.
• Stay updated on industry trends in e-commerce fulfillment, sustainable delivery, and related areas.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Be prepared to discuss your approach to tackling complex design problems, particularly in ambiguous or uncharted territory. Use examples from your portfolio.
• Articulate your process for conducting qualitative user research, including how you identify research questions, recruit participants, conduct interviews, and synthesize findings into actionable insights.
• Explain how you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the design lifecycle, from discovery to implementation.

Company Culture Questions:

• Research Zalando's values, particularly their focus on inclusivity and sustainability, and be prepared to discuss how your values align.
• Ask questions about the design team structure within Fulfillment Core, collaboration patterns, and how design impact is measured.
• Discuss your experience mentoring other designers and contributing to a positive team culture.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 case studies that best demonstrate your experience with complex systems, user research, strategic thinking, and collaboration.
• For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the research conducted, your process, key design decisions, and the outcome/impact.
• Focus on storytelling, guiding the interviewers through your thought process and highlighting your contributions to the UX vision and strategy.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link
• Customize your design portfolio to highlight your experience with complex systems, user research, and strategic contributions, focusing on relevant case studies from e-commerce or logistics if possible.
• Optimize your resume to include design-relevant ATS keywords from the list provided, ensuring your skills and experience in UX strategy, research, and complex system design are prominent.
• Prepare thoroughly for the interview process by practicing portfolio presentations, reviewing your research methodologies, and anticipating questions related to collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving in a logistics context.
• Research Zalando's Fulfillment Core domain and logistics strategy to demonstrate a strong understanding of the business context and how your design skills can contribute to their goals.