Principal Software Engineer CuCa Tech (All Genders) at Zalando

✨ The Stack take on this Zalando job

• 🏢 Zalando has 15 jobs here, 15 with visa sponsorship see all
• 🛂 Visa: EU Blue Card. Minimum salary: €50,700 a year guide
• 💡 No salary shown. Ask Zalando if it is above the minimum.

Updated 2026-11-03, from our data and official sources.

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About the role

Responsibilities:
- Own and drive the architecture for Python-based AI/ML microservices that operate in customer-facing, high-volume production environments.
- Design intelligent query routing and automated response workflows with reliable human-in-the-loop fallbacks.
- Partner with Applied Science to productionize experimental models: define APIs, performance targets, monitoring, and retraining pathways.
- Lead department-wide architecture and production-readiness reviews; define MLOps standards, observability, SLOs, and incident-response practices.
- Mentor engineers across teams, run RFCs and design reviews, and enable others to deliver complex features with operational excellence.
- Influence the technical roadmap and align stakeholders (Product, Engineering Management) on strategic automation and scalability initiatives.

Requirements:
- 10+ years building distributed systems and shaping software architecture; recognized expertise in Python.
- Proven record of deploying AI/ML models to production at scale and managing model/infra technical debt.
- Deep knowledge of MLOps practices (CI/CD for models, monitoring, feature pipelines, model rollout strategies) and production readiness.
- Strong skills in system design, data modeling, performance tuning, and scalability planning for high-throughput services.
- Experience leading cross-team initiatives, communicating complex trade-offs to senior stakeholders, and mentoring engineers.
- Pragmatic decision-making, strong communication, and a customer-focused mindset; prior customer-care or conversational AI experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

You will architect the transformation of customer service models into AI-powered automated resolution systems. Additionally, you will provide technical leadership across the department to ensure scalable, high-performing AI production services.

Requirements

You must be a recognized expert in Python with a proven track record of deploying AI models into production at scale. Strong experience in leading cross-team projects and communicating complex technical concepts to senior management is required.

Key skills

• Python — in 1173 other listings on The Stack
• Software architecture — in 102 other listings on The Stack
• AI/ML productionization — not in any other listing on The Stack
• MLOps — in 70 other listings on The Stack
• Distributed systems — in 332 other listings on The Stack
• Data modeling — in 182 other listings on The Stack
• Technical leadership — in 131 other listings on The Stack
• Mentoring — in 174 other listings on The Stack
• Cross-team project management
• Stakeholder communication
• System design
• Operational excellence
• Automation
• Query routing
• Production readiness

On The Stack (as of 2026-11-03)

• Zalando has 14 other listings on The Stack, 14 of them marked as offering visa sponsorship.
• 162 visa-sponsored jobs in Germany on The Stack, posted in the last 60 days.
• 180 visa-sponsored software engineer jobs in Europe on The Stack, posted in the last 60 days.

Frequently asked questions about Zalando

Is this Principal Software Engineer CuCa Tech (All Genders) role still open?

It was posted on 2026-08-06. Listings more than 30 days old may no longer be active, so check Zalando's site before applying.

Does Zalando offer visa sponsorship?

This listing is marked as offering visa sponsorship. Eligibility rules are set by the employer, so check the details on Zalando's site.

Where is this role located?

The listing gives the location as Germany. It is marked on-site.

What skills does this role ask for?

The listing names: Python, Software architecture, AI/ML productionization, MLOps, Distributed systems, Data modeling, Technical leadership, Mentoring, Cross-team project management, Stakeholder communication, System design, Operational excellence, Automation, Query routing, Production readiness.