Senior Product Designer - ZEOS (all genders)
📍 Job Overview
Job Title: Senior Product Designer - ZEOS (all genders)
Company: Zalando
Location: Berlin, Germany
Job Type: Full time
Category: Product Design / UX Design
Date Posted: 2026-08-12
Experience Level: 5-10 years
Remote Status: Hybrid
🚀 Role Summary
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Spearhead the design of customer-facing digital experiences for ZEOS Logistics service offerings, focusing on B2B multichannel solutions.
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Drive the 0 to 1 design of experiences that empower brands and retailers to manage their multi-channel logistics through ZEOS digital touchpoints.
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Champion the Customer Experience (CX) vision by collaborating with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to translate strategy into actionable product roadmaps.
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Lead design thinking workshops and design sprints to foster innovation and guide teams toward impactful solutions.
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Mentor fellow designers and contribute to Design Operations initiatives to enhance team health and working methodologies.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer with a strong emphasis on B2B product strategy and execution within the logistics sector. The "0 to 1" aspect indicates a significant opportunity to shape new product offerings from inception. The hybrid work model suggests a need for strong remote collaboration skills alongside in-office synergy.
📈 Primary Responsibilities
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Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product Managers, Engineers) to define and execute the design vision and strategy for the ZEOS B2B multichannel offering.
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Champion the CX vision, partnering with stakeholders to realize it across sprints and quarters, ensuring coherent and impactful user experiences for merchants and their end customers.
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Lead and facilitate design thinking workshops and design sprints to drive innovative solutions for complex B2B logistics challenges.
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Generate, evaluate, and refine multiple design solutions, ensuring technical feasibility, scalability, accessibility, and compliance.
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Contribute to problem definition through compelling visualizations, storyboards, press releases, and holistic customer journey maps.
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Partner with researchers and product managers on user research, shaping quantitative and qualitative data to assess new problem spaces and validate design solutions iteratively.
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Validate and refine design concepts with internal and external stakeholders, including actual merchants and end-users, to ensure market fit and usability.
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Lead by example in user-centered design practices, producing high-quality work across tasks of varying complexity.
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Mentor junior designers, sharing expertise and fostering a collaborative design environment.
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Contribute to Design Operations initiatives aimed at improving team workflows, processes, and overall team health.
📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership, hands-on execution, and team enablement. The emphasis on B2B, multichannel, and logistics implies a need for understanding complex business workflows and partner needs. The "0 to 1" nature suggests a significant role in defining new product areas.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and mastery of design principles is essential.
Experience: Proven track record as a seasoned design professional with substantial experience in B2B product design, leading complex projects from discovery through delivery.
Required Skills:
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B2B Product Design Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading the design of complex B2B projects, delivering valuable end-to-end experiences to real users.
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User-Centered Design Process: Deep understanding of the end-to-end iterative design process, including research, design thinking, user stories, journey mapping, wire-framing, prototyping, user testing, and high-fidelity visuals.
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Cross-functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, stakeholders, and users to define problems and desired experiences in a B2B context.
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Workshop Facilitation: Proven experience in facilitating design thinking workshops and design sprints to drive innovation and stakeholder alignment.
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Design Strategy & Vision: Capability to craft and evangelize design strategies and visions, visualizing and communicating ideas compellingly to senior business stakeholders, partners, and customers.
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Problem Solving & Ambiguity: Ability to create clarity amid uncertainty, guide team members through ambiguous strategic projects, and generate multiple solutions to complex design challenges.
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Technical Proficiency: Must be proficient with current industry design and collaboration tools, with a strong emphasis on Figma.
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Mentoring & Team Contribution: Experience mentoring fellow designers and contributing to team design operations initiatives.
Preferred Skills:
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Prompting Tools Experience: Experience working with prompting tools (e.g., Loveable, Claude) as part of the design process.
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Logistics/E-commerce Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with the fashion, lifestyle, or e-commerce logistics industry, and understanding of partner needs in this domain.
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Scalability & Accessibility Design: Experience designing for scalable, accessible, and compliant digital experiences.
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Data-Informed Design: Ability to leverage quantitative and qualitative data to inform design decisions and validate solutions.
📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize senior-level capabilities, particularly in B2B environments and strategic design leadership. Figma proficiency is explicitly stated as a must-have. Experience with AI prompting tools is a plus, indicating an openness to leveraging emerging technologies in the design process.
📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
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B2B Case Studies: Showcase at least 2-3 comprehensive B2B product design case studies, detailing the problem, your role, design process, and tangible outcomes.
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End-to-End Design Ownership: Demonstrate projects where you owned the design process from discovery through to successful delivery and iteration.
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Complex Problem Solving: Highlight examples of how you tackled ambiguous or complex design challenges, illustrating your strategic thinking and solution generation.
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Cross-functional Collaboration Evidence: Include examples that illustrate your ability to collaborate effectively with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders, showing how you integrated feedback and aligned teams.
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User Research Integration: Showcase how you incorporated user research (qualitative and quantitative) and data insights into your design process to validate concepts and inform decisions.
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Tool Proficiency Showcase: Visually represent your proficiency with tools like Figma, potentially including examples of complex prototypes or design systems you've worked with.
Process Documentation:
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Design Strategy Articulation: Be prepared to articulate your design strategy and vision for a given problem space, drawing upon your portfolio examples.
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Workshop Facilitation Examples: Discuss instances where you facilitated design thinking workshops or design sprints, outlining your approach and the outcomes achieved.
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Iterative Validation Methods: Explain your methodologies for validating and refining concepts with stakeholders and end-users, demonstrating a commitment to iterative improvement.
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Outcome-Oriented Design: Quantify the impact of your designs wherever possible, focusing on metrics related to user engagement, efficiency, or business goals.
📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role, emphasizing B2B context, end-to-end ownership, and strategic thinking. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their process, facilitation skills, and how they leverage research and data to drive impactful design solutions.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: For a Senior Product Designer in Berlin, Germany, with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated annual salary range is €70,000 - €95,000. This range is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major tech hubs in Germany, considering the cost of living in Berlin and Zalando's position as a large e-commerce organization.
Benefits:
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Generous Paid Time Off: 27 days of holiday per year, increasing by one day for every calendar year of service up to 30 days.
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Community Engagement: 2 paid volunteering days per year to support causes you care about.
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Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid working model allowing up to 60% remote work per week, with team-specific flexibility for collaboration.
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Global Mobility: Option to work from abroad for up to 30 working days per year.
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Equity Participation: Employee shares program, offering a stake in the company's success.
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Exclusive Discounts: 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Lounge by Zalando, and discounts from external partners.
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Relocation Support: Assistance available for relocation, subject to prior agreement.
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Family Support: Comprehensive family services, including counseling and support resources.
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Health & Wellbeing: Access to Wellhub (formerly Gympass) and other health and wellbeing programs.
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Mental Health Resources: Dedicated mental health support and coaching services.
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Professional Development: Access to a training platform and biannual peer-to-peer reviews for continuous learning and growth.
Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with a hybrid model offering flexibility in how and where work is completed.
📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on market data for senior design roles in Berlin. The benefits package is comprehensive, reflecting Zalando's commitment to employee well-being, flexibility, and professional growth. The hybrid model offers significant autonomy.
🎯 Team & Company Context
🏢 Company Culture
Industry: E-commerce, Fashion & Lifestyle, Logistics Technology. Zalando operates within the dynamic and competitive European fashion e-commerce market, with ZEOS extending its reach into B2B logistics solutions for partners. This dual focus requires agility and a deep understanding of both consumer and business needs.
Company Size: Zalando is a large, publicly traded company with a significant global presence, employing thousands of individuals across various tech and operational hubs. This scale offers opportunities for impact and career advancement, alongside the potential for navigating complex organizational structures.
Founded: Zalando was founded in 2008, rapidly growing into a leading European e-commerce platform. The ZEOS initiative represents a strategic expansion into providing logistics as a service, leveraging Zalando's established infrastructure and expertise.
Team Structure:
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The ZEOS Logistics department is a key division focused on partner-facing solutions.
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The Senior Product Designer will likely be part of a product team comprising Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and potentially other Designers.
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This team will operate within a broader matrix structure, collaborating with various business units and stakeholders across Zalando. Methodology:
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User-Centric Design: A strong emphasis on understanding user needs through research and data, translating these into human-centered solutions.
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Agile Development: Design work will be integrated into agile sprints, requiring close collaboration with engineering teams for iterative development and delivery.
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Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging quantitative and qualitative data to inform design choices, validate hypotheses, and measure impact.
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Collaborative Innovation: Encouraging cross-functional collaboration through workshops, design sprints, and open communication to foster creative problem-solving.
Company Website: https://www.zalando.com/ (Corporate) and https://www.zeos.eu/ (ZEOS specific)
📝 Enhancement Note: Zalando's culture is characterized by a focus on innovation, customer centricity, and diversity. The ZEOS team operates within this framework but with a specific B2B and logistics-focused mission. The company's scale implies opportunities for significant impact and professional growth.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Operations Career Level: This role is at a Senior level within the Product Design discipline, specifically focused on B2B product experiences. It signifies a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the ability to lead design initiatives from conception to delivery. The role requires not just execution but also the ability to shape product vision and mentor others.
Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Design Lead, Head of Product Design, or a Product Management Lead within the ZEOS department. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on a day-to-day basis, forming a core product triad.
Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer's impact will be significant, directly influencing the usability, efficiency, and adoption of ZEOS Logistics solutions by external partners. By creating seamless and effective digital experiences, they will contribute to partner growth, profitability, and Zalando's strategic expansion into logistics-as-a-service. This role bridges the gap between Zalando's internal capabilities and external partner needs, driving revenue and market share.
Growth Opportunities:
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Design Leadership: Progress into Lead Product Designer, Design Manager, or Head of Design roles, managing teams and setting design strategy for larger product areas.
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Specialization: Deepen expertise in B2B product design, logistics technology, or specific areas of UX research and strategy.
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Cross-Functional Mobility: Transition into Product Management, UX Research, or even business strategy roles within Zalando, leveraging a strong understanding of user needs and business objectives.
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Mentorship & Advocacy: Become a key voice in shaping design practices and culture within Zalando, potentially leading design ops initiatives or community building.
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Strategic Influence: Contribute to the strategic direction of ZEOS and Zalando's B2B offerings, influencing product roadmaps and business goals.
📝 Enhancement Note: This Senior role offers a clear path for career progression within design leadership or broader product roles within Zalando. The emphasis on B2B and logistics provides a specialized skill set that is highly valuable in the e-commerce ecosystem.
🌐 Work Environment
Office Type: Zalando operates with a hybrid work model, meaning the Berlin office serves as a hub for collaboration, workshops, and team synergy, while also supporting remote work. The environment is likely modern, open-plan, and designed to foster collaboration among diverse teams.
Office Location(s): The primary office for this role is in Berlin, Germany. Berlin is a vibrant tech hub with excellent public transportation, making it accessible for employees.
Workspace Context:
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Collaborative Spaces: Expect well-equipped meeting rooms, breakout areas, and open spaces designed for team collaboration, brainstorming, and workshops.
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Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma is a must), collaboration tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence), and potentially dedicated research labs or equipment.
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Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for interaction with product managers, engineers, researchers, and fellow designers, fostering a dynamic and supportive work environment.
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Agile Environment: The workspace will likely support agile methodologies, with teams often co-located or digitally connected for seamless workflow.
Work Schedule: The standard working hours are full-time, likely around 40 hours per week. The hybrid model provides flexibility in structuring the work week, balancing remote productivity with in-office collaborative sessions.
📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment in Berlin offers a balance of flexibility and in-person collaboration, crucial for senior design roles that involve strategic discussions and team synergy.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Interview Process:
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Initial Screening: A recruiter will likely review your CV and portfolio, assessing your experience against the core requirements, particularly B2B and Figma proficiency.
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Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion focused on your experience, design philosophy, approach to B2B challenges, and cultural fit. You'll be asked about your experience leading complex projects and mentoring.
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Design Challenge / Portfolio Deep Dive: This is a critical stage. You may be given a take-home design challenge or asked to present 2-3 of your strongest portfolio case studies in detail. This will assess your design process, strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to articulate design decisions. Expect to discuss your role, the challenges, your solutions, and the impact.
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Cross-Functional Team Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineers to assess your collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to work within an agile team.
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Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Design or Product) to discuss your strategic vision and long-term fit with Zalando and ZEOS.
Portfolio Review Tips:
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Focus on B2B: Prioritize case studies that clearly demonstrate your experience designing for business users and complex workflows, rather than purely consumer-facing apps.
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Showcase End-to-End: Detail your process from problem definition and research through to final delivery and iteration. Highlight your ownership and impact at each stage.
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Articulate Your "Why": Clearly explain the rationale behind your design decisions. Why did you choose a particular approach? What user needs or business goals were you addressing?
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Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased partner satisfaction).
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Figma Mastery: Be prepared to discuss your advanced Figma skills, potentially showing complex component systems, interactive prototypes, or collaborative workflows.
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Storytelling: Frame your case studies as compelling narratives that highlight challenges, your unique contributions, and successful outcomes.
Challenge Preparation:
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Understand the B2B Context: If given a challenge, thoroughly research Zalando, ZEOS, and the B2B logistics space to understand the user (merchant) needs and business objectives.
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Define the Problem Clearly: Spend time defining the problem statement and its scope before jumping into solutions.
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Show Your Process: Even for a take-home challenge, document your thought process, research (even if hypothetical), ideation, and iterative refinements.
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Consider Feasibility: Think about technical constraints and scalability, as this is a senior role.
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Presentation: Practice presenting your work concisely and clearly, anticipating questions about your design choices and trade-offs.
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is rigorous, with a strong emphasis on practical design skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to articulate design decisions. A well-curated portfolio showcasing B2B experience and Figma proficiency is paramount.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Tools:
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Figma: Explicitly required for UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency with advanced features, component libraries, and design systems is expected.
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Prototyping Tools: While Figma offers robust prototyping, experience with other tools like InVision, Sketch (though Figma is preferred), or Axure may be beneficial.
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Collaboration Platforms: Likely Jira for project management and task tracking, Confluence for documentation and knowledge sharing, and Slack for team communication.
Analytics & Reporting:
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Web Analytics Tools: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or internal Zalando analytics platforms to understand user behavior and track performance.
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Data Visualization Tools: Experience with tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for analyzing data and creating reports, though direct usage might be by PMs or analysts.
CRM & Automation:
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CRM Systems: Understanding of how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) might integrate with B2B platforms, though direct usage is unlikely for a designer.
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Workflow Automation: Awareness of how design impacts automated workflows within B2B logistics platforms.
Emerging Tools:
- Prompting Tools: Experience with AI prompting tools (e.g., Loveable, Claude) is a plus, indicating an openness to leveraging AI in the design process for ideation or content generation.
📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the core design tool. Familiarity with the broader tech stack used in product development (project management, analytics) is beneficial for effective collaboration, even if not directly used daily. The mention of prompting tools suggests an interest in AI-assisted design.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Operations Values:
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Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of both end customers and business partners (merchants).
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Data-Driven: Decisions are informed by data and insights, ensuring that design solutions are effective and impactful.
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Collaboration & Inclusion: Fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and teams work together effectively across disciplines.
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Innovation & Agility: Encouraging creative problem-solving and adapting quickly to market changes and technological advancements.
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Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for design outcomes and driving projects to successful completion.
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Continuous Improvement: A mindset of always seeking ways to enhance processes, tools, and user experiences.
Collaboration Style:
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Cross-functional Partnership: Emphasis on close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, forming a cohesive product development unit.
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Open Communication: Encouraging transparent and honest feedback exchange within the team and with stakeholders.
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Design Critiques: Regular design reviews and critiques to share work, gather feedback, and ensure high-quality standards.
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Knowledge Sharing: Proactive sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings through internal documentation, presentations, or informal channels.
📝 Enhancement Note: Zalando's culture emphasizes collaboration, data-driven decisions, and a strong focus on the customer. For ZEOS, this translates to a B2B focus, where understanding partner needs and driving business outcomes are paramount.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Challenges:
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Designing for B2B Complexity: Navigating the intricate workflows, diverse user roles, and business-critical needs inherent in B2B logistics solutions.
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Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing expectations and integrating feedback from various internal and external stakeholders with potentially competing priorities.
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"0 to 1" Product Development: Building new product experiences from scratch, requiring strong strategic thinking, hypothesis testing, and comfort with ambiguity.
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Scalability and Global Reach: Designing solutions that can scale across multiple European markets and adapt to diverse partner requirements.
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Integrating AI/Emerging Tech: Effectively incorporating new tools like prompting engines into the design process without compromising quality or user experience.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
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B2B Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for business users, complex enterprise systems, and partner ecosystems.
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Logistics Technology Acumen: Gain in-depth knowledge of the logistics and e-commerce fulfillment industry.
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Design Leadership Skills: Develop mentorship capabilities, team leadership, and strategic design planning through senior-level responsibilities.
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Exposure to AI in Design: Experiment with and integrate AI-powered tools into the design workflow, staying at the forefront of design technology.
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Cross-functional Exposure: Learn from Product Management, Engineering, and Business Strategy teams, broadening your understanding of the e-commerce and logistics value chain.
📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant opportunities for growth in specialized B2B design and logistics technology, alongside leadership development. Embracing ambiguity and driving innovation in a "0 to 1" context are key growth areas.
💡 Interview Preparation
Strategy Questions:
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"Describe a time you led the design of a complex B2B product from concept to launch. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Assesses B2B experience, end-to-end ownership, problem-solving.)
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"How do you approach designing for ambiguity in a '0 to 1' product environment? Walk me through your process." (Tests strategic thinking, comfort with uncertainty, and process articulation.)
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"How do you balance the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., business, engineering, end-users) when defining a design strategy?" (Evaluates stakeholder management and strategic alignment skills.)
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"Imagine we need to design a new feature for ZEOS that helps our partners manage cross-border shipping documentation. What would be your initial steps and considerations?" (Assesses problem definition, ideation, and strategic approach.) Company & Culture Questions:
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"What interests you about Zalando and the ZEOS Logistics initiative specifically?" (Tests research and genuine interest.)
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"How do you contribute to a collaborative and inclusive team environment? Provide an example." (Assesses cultural fit and teamwork.)
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"How do you ensure your designs are scalable, accessible, and technically feasible?" (Explores practical considerations and execution quality.)
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"How do you incorporate user research and data into your design process?" (Evaluates data-driven approach and research integration.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
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Structure for Impact: For each case study, clearly outline: The Problem, Your Role, The Process (Research, Ideation, Design, Testing), The Solution, and The Outcome/Impact.
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Focus on B2B Nuances: Highlight how your design addressed specific business needs, complex workflows, and partner value propositions.
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Demonstrate Figma Proficiency: Be ready to show specific examples of your Figma work, such as complex prototypes, design system components, or collaborative workflows.
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Articulate Trade-offs: Be prepared to discuss design decisions and any trade-offs you made, explaining your rationale clearly.
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Showcase Mentorship: If possible, include examples of how you've mentored other designers or contributed to design operations.
📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating senior-level B2B design expertise, strategic thinking, and strong collaborative skills. A portfolio that clearly showcases these aspects, with a particular emphasis on Figma and impact, will be crucial.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:
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Submit your application through the Zalando careers portal via the provided link.
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Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest B2B product design case studies that highlight end-to-end ownership, strategic thinking, and tangible impact. Ensure your Figma proficiency is evident.
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Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize your experience in B2B product design, stakeholder management, design strategy, and proficiency with Figma. Quantify achievements wherever possible.
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Prepare Your Presentation: Practice articulating your case studies clearly and concisely, focusing on the problem, your process, your solutions, and the impact. Be ready to discuss your approach to ambiguity and collaboration.
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Research Zalando & ZEOS: Understand Zalando's business model, the ZEOS Logistics offering, and the B2B market they serve. Consider how your design skills can drive value for their partners.
⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.
Application Requirements
The ideal candidate is a seasoned design professional with extensive B2B experience and a deep understanding of the end-to-end iterative design process. You must possess strong skills in stakeholder management, design strategy, and proficiency with industry-standard tools like Figma.