As a Principal Software Program Manager you will be part of the Global Project Management Organization (GPMO). The GPMO focus areas are: (Technical) Project and Program and Portfolio Management. We believe that lean but high-quality portfolio, program, and project management practices combined with centralised expertise will help teams across Zalando to focus more on customer needs and core capabilities. Our purpose is to drive the successful delivery of Zalando’s most impactful, collaborative and technically complex initiatives. WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING) Principal Program Managers at Zalando SE play a highly strategic and impactful role within the organization, particularly within the Group PMO (Program Management Office). They are typically responsible for driving large, complex, cross-functional, and often technologically intensive initiatives that are critical to Zalando's overarching business strategy. 1 Principal Program Managers at Zalando lead critical, large-scale, cross-functional, and technologically complex initiatives vital to the company's business strategy. You will : 1. Strategic Leadership & Vision:Transform strategic objectives into actionable program roadmaps. Provides strategic guidance and thought leadership to influence product and commercial strategies. Defines program vision, goals, and success metrics aligned with company growth targets. 2. End-to-End Program Ownership & Delivery: Lead and deliver complex, multi-year programs involving multiple departments and stakeholders. Orchestrate and coordinate efforts across internal and external teams, managing interdependencies. Identify complex problems, analyze root causes, and craft data-driven solutions to guide teams to successful outcomes. 3. Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement: Drive process design and optimization for efficiency and service delivery. Champion standardization and continuous improvement through best practices and KPI-driven operations, raising program management targets within the GPMO. Apply methodologies like Agile, Prince2, and hybrid models to schedule and run initiatives. 4. Stakeholder Management & Communication: Establish strong senior stakeholder relationships and influence decisions through compelling strategies. Drive cross-functional collaboration as a key liaison. Proactively manage program risks and issues, removing obstacles and resolving priority conflicts. 5. Mentorship & Team Empowerment: Provide expert guidance and mentorship to program and project managers, fostering innovation and high performance, and developing talent. Strengthen teams by actively participating in hiring, development, and retention. 6. Data-Driven Decision Making & Analytical Acumen: Utilize data and experimentation to inform program decisions, define success criteria, and measure strategy impact. WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF You have 8 years of end-to-end project management experience leading software, technical, business, and product-oriented projects and programs. You understand the languages of business, tech, and digital products, with a strong focus on customer experience. You draw upon your broad experience working in traditional project management and agile environments. You look to simplify where possible, can raise flags where needed, and drive rather than coordinate projects. You effectively collect and analyse requirements and dependencies to validate the most relevant scope in order to achieve the defined objectives of a program You have experience partnering with senior leaders (VP-level and above) to define business problems, set priorities and goals, and drive complex, cross-functional programs across multiple business units. You understand how to move your project or program from ideation through go-live, delivery, and handover, looking for ways to simplify future efforts to make them more "business-as-usual." A highly motivated team player, you can manage conflicts and priorities among teams and stakeholders. You take ownership of your tasks and work in an independent and structured manner. You are an innovator by heart and look for ways to put new tools and concepts into practice in a diverse project management organization. You contribute to a direct, constructive feedback culture and bring positive energy, a constructive mindset, and a team-support orientation to the table. Good to have : A background in Process Design and Implementation: You have successfully rolled out scalable processes in large cross-functional organizations Experience with the use of project or program management tools. Experience as a go-to resource & consultant business impact expert on projects and programs Experience in developing the project management community of practice to help evolve and support our scalable growth. OUR OFFER Zalando provides a range of benefits, here’s an overview of what you can expect. Ask your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about what we offer. Employee shares program 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Zalando Lounge, discounts from external partners 2 paid volunteering days a year Hybrid working model with 60% remote per week, actual practice is up to each team to best support their collaboration Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year 27 days of vacation a year to start Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement) Family services, including counselling and support Health and wellbeing options (including Gympass) Mental health support and coaching available Learn all about Zalando and our values here: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/?gh_src=22377bdd1us Please note that all applications must be completed using the online form - we do not accept applications via email.