Applied Science Manager in Berlin bei Zalando

The content and ad economics team is working on creating great customer experiences with promotional content. We do this by building a fair and explainable visibility marketplace, optimizing long-term value for customers and brands. We are running millions of ad auctions per day and are building innovative, scalable and value-creating products. We are highly motivated, collaborative and have a bias for action.

As an Applied Science Manager, you will be leading scientists in a cross-functional team with Applied Scientists, Software & Research Engineers and product experts. You will work on improving our algorithms that measure and match customer preferences with the offerings of our brands and our platform. This entails understanding the short- and long-term impact of these matches on all marketplace participants and steering towards optimal value. Our research problems are involved, at the intersection of Microeconomics (Auctions), Econometrics, Causal inference, and high-load low-latency Machine Learning Engineering, giving opportunities for scientific contributions.

We are looking for someone who can lead a cross-functional team of Economists and Engineers and collaborate with Engineering leadership across the organization in order to deliver science-driven measurement and decision-making systems at industry-scale. You will support the team working in a structured and transparent way to achieve results we can all proudly celebrate. If required, you support and challenge us to improve our solutions based on your foundational knowledge in Economics and Econometrics. This position is a unique opportunity to have industry-scale business impact through the combination of (Computational) Economics and Engineering.

WHERE YOUR EXPERTISE IS NEEDED

• Team Management: Recruit, empower and support Economists, reviewing and guiding their work, creating conditions for high-quality deliveries and career growth.

• Project Management: Support the team in defining and executing roadmaps, in a way that integrates the high level of uncertainty and complexity involved in our projects.

• Applied Science Excellence: Raise the bar, engage the team into defining and adopting higher and higher standards in Applied Science, Economics and Software Engineering.

• Communication and Leadership: Make sure the team collaborates smoothly with other teams and other job functions.

• Marketplace design: Drive change by leading the team to improve the Zalando visibility marketplace.

• Shape and champion an inclusive culture and diverse team environment.

• Contribute to the vibrant science community at Zalando.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Master or above (PhD) in quantitative economics, physics or a related quantitative discipline with a strong foundation in statistics, econometrics, microeconomics and computational methods

• At least 2 years of domain-related industry experience in people and project leadership under uncertainty and ambiguity

• High rigor and at the same time strong drive for impact

• Passion for good science, while being just as passionate about deriving actionable insights

• Nice to have:

  • Background in Empirical Industrial Organization and/or Algorithmic Game Theory

  • Education/Expertise in both Economics and Computer Science (for example: Bachelor in CS, Master in Econ)

  • Previous experience in AdTech

PERKS AT WORK

• A workplace run on trust, empowerment and feedback; positive, inspiring working atmosphere

• Competitive salary, employee share shop, 40% Zalando shopping discount, discounts from external partners, centrally located offices, public transport discounts, municipality services, great IT equipment, flexible working times, additional holidays and volunteering time off, free beverages and fruits, diverse sports and health offerings

• Mentoring and personal development opportunities and an international team of experts

• Relocation assistance for internationals, PME family service and parent & child rooms* (*available in select locations).

We celebrate diversity and are committed to building teams that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.

ABOUT ZALANDO

Zalando is Europe’s leading online platform for fashion, connecting customers, brands and partners across 17 markets. We drive digital solutions