Director, Finance â€" Markets & Marketing

ABOUT ZALANDO
It's the perfect time to join Zalando on our journey, from being a pioneer in the world of e-commerce, to the starting point for fashion in Europe. We connect customers, brands, and partners across 23 markets.

Help us drive digital and sustainable solutions for fashion, logistics, advertising and research, bringing head-to-toe fashion to more than 48 million active customers through a team of diverse skill-sets, cultural backgrounds, and interests.

The Zalando principle is customer centric, focused on sustainability and provides a platform that delivers flawless selection, Zalando never wants you to look for a fashion item and not find it on the platform. Nearly all of Zalando's offer is full price, this builds trust with brands and reflects its superior service. Currently circa 10% of all clothing in Europe is sold on Zalando.

Our values: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/our-founding-mindset

do.More - our sustainability strategy: https://corporate.zalando.com/en/sustainability

Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/insidezalando
THE ROLE & THE TEAM
Director, Finance - Markets & Marketing

Reports to: Vice President Finance - Consumer Business and with a dotted line into the SVP markets

Location: Berlin, Germany (corporate headquarters)

Team Size: 22

Direct reports: 11

Zalando continues to grow rapidly throughout Europe, leading to a constant requirement for the Finance function to reinvent itself. In 2019, the Finance function underwent a full strategic assessment of its role towards its internal and external customers. The key findings were that customers and employees expect Finance to widen its scope and become a co-pilot for the business, co-owning decisions and providing strong advice and highly scalable services along with that. Within this course, Zalando created four pillars of Finance: Business Finance Organization (BFO), Finance Operations, Finance Solutions and Finance Performance Management.

The Director, Finance Markets will serve as a genuine business partner to Zalando's Markets organizaion to help them manage their strategic, operational and financial plans. The Director will bring a strong operational and strategic understanding of the business and its key value drivers to enable the successful execution of the Markets strategy and the efficient scaling of our teams, processes and infrastructure. They will be a business-minded executive with a well-rounded financial expertise. They will be highly collaborative and possess strong leadership and high on the EQ scale. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role that will have a direct influence on the day-to-day rhythm of our business in the markets and the long-term strategic direction in each market.
INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN
At Zalando, our vision is to be the starting point for fashion - one that is inclusive by design. We only assess candidates based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We welcome applications from people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, personal expressions, racial identities, ethnicities, religious beliefs, and disability statuses. We only want to know why you're great for this role, so please avoid including your picture, age, and marital status in your CV as well.

We want to provide you with a great candidate experience. Please feel free to inform us of any accommodations you may need, so we can best support and assist you throughout the hiring process.

do.BETTER - our diversity & inclusion strategy: https://corporate.zalando.com/en/diversity-inclusion
Our employee resource groups: https://corporate.zalando.com/en/diversity-inclusion/our-employee-resource-groups

WHY YOU SHOULD BE INTERESTED...

• Serve as a co-pilot to the leaders of the Markets and Marketing business; bring significant process support, improvement and structure in conjunction with the VP Finance - Consumer Business
• As co-pilot to the Markets organization, supporting the leaders to shape the strategic go-to-market approach across Europe and the GMs to win in their local markets.
• Act as a key partner to achieve short-, mid- and long-term business goals, track and analyse performance, and manage the Markets and Marketing business.
• Play a key role in decision making around country portfolio roles, growth initiatives including entering new markets, optimising our order economics and will lead our "funding for growth" initiative.
• Manage a team that continually interprets and analyzes financial and operational data of the Markets and Marketing business to provide insightful recommendations that accelerate growth and create value.
• Translate business strategies and objectives to financial outcomes by developing trust with executives, engaging in constructive debate, and partnering with leaders, other business divisions, and across other finance functions. This specifically includes the (a) creation of annual budget plans and preparation as well as critical review of investment decisions to make sure they fit the long-term strategy of the respective region/ country, (b) translation of commercial forecasts into P&L forecasts down to country levels as well as corresponding interpretation, and (c) preparation of monthly/quarterly business reviews on market level.
• Provide swift re-prioritization to rapidly changing business demands, continually reviewing behaviors and processes within the consumer markets and marketing business to achieve efficiency and heightened accountability. This includes reviewing current forecasts, investments and current trading and steering the business in the right direction.

EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

Strategic Business Partner

A proven business partner who can shape, develop, and drive the strategy in a team with senior executives from multiple disciplines, and play a key role in developing operational and market insights and commercial decision making, growth initiatives and driving performance across the business.

Change Management

Experience employing best practices and driving notable improvements from a systems, processes and teams perspective. Proven ability of enhancing the stature of the finance organization within the broader business. Track record of digital innovation across finance to effectively support a growing business.

Financial Excellence

A well-rounded senior finance leader with expertise in developing a best-in-class function and team within a division of a global, complex organization of relevant size and scale. Demonstrated thought leadership in strategic thinking and problem solving.

International Disposition

Meaningful exposure to a company with international/global sales and operations.

Sector Relevance

Experience within a consumer, data-focused and technology-driven business, preferably high growth.

Language Skills

Fluent in English, both written and spoken. German language skills are not required.

Cultural Fit and Leadership

Embraces the Zalando culture and vision. Purpose, including team first, Ego second.

Develops a profound understanding of Zalando's customers' needs; advocates customer centricity across the organization.

Being an experienced leader of leaders who is passionate about designing, managing and developing teams.

Track record of successfully leading teams through transformation and comfortable with a flexible, less structured environment where new ideas and processes are (re-)designed, optimized and implemented.

Ability to upskill the organization and from whom Zalando can learn.

Our Founding Mindset is our guide: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/our-founding-mindset/?gh_src=4n3gxh1

The Person, Culture Impact and Leadership Capabilities

A personal presence and a strong leadership style combined with a confident, collegiate approach are critical to the success of this role. The appointed candidate must be technically capable, commercially aware and possess the ability to inspire and influence people at all levels.

Culture and personality fit will be critical, and the successful candidate will need to be commercial, business savvy and have the drive and energy to assist in delivering stretch targets in a dynamic and driven environment.

Culture Impact

• Strong interpersonal skills including written and oral communication skills.
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to be effective in a rapidly changing environment.
• Fosters teamwork; creating a work culture that values collaboration.
• Inspire teams to set aspirational goals and achieve greater results than they otherwise would achieve as individuals
• Excellent analytical skills, a passion for metrics and figures, and the ability to get into the details, while also seeing and understanding the big picture.
• Strong bias for action, including the ability to juggle multiple priorities.
• Strong skills in accessing and using analytical tools and modelling.
• Innovative and commercial.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines while managing multiple projects.
• Ambitious, wants to succeed and be part of a great team.
• Values-based leader; acts with integrity and credibility; engages with and embodies the Zalando mission and values.

Leadership Capabilities

• Shape Strategy: Anticipate & interpret market changes, envision the future, decide strategic priorities.
• Inspire & Influence: Co-create meaning and purpose, engage and energize the organization, lead through influence.
• Drive for Results: Drive execution, continuously improve the core, reallocate resources at pace. A strong performance orientation.

ZALANDO BENEFITS

Career Development

• We offer peer-to-peer performance reviews twice a year
• Learn and develop through our extensive Zalando training platform
• Join regular all-hands, team meetings, Q&A-sessions, and quarterly anonymous employee surveys to ask your questions and provide your feedback
• Support from an international team of experts; mentoring and professional development opportunities

Wellbeing

• 2 days paid leave per year for volunteering
• Minimum of 27 holiday days per calendar year
• Online sports courses, wellbeing, and nutrition advice offered by Humanoo personal wellbeing coach app
• Mental wellbeing support by our Employee Assistance Program and professional consultants to help you find health resources

Flexibility

• Flexible working hours
• Relocation assistance for internationals
• Home office equipment available for hybrid working, to support you working from home
• Hybrid working model with 60% remote per week
• Opportunity to work from abroad for 30 (working) days per calendar year

Financial

• Access to the employee shares program
• 40% shopping discount on products shipped and sold by Zalando, and 30% discount on Zalando Lounge
• Discounts from a wide range of external partners

Family

• Employee parents' forums and employee resource group
• Supported transition into and out of parental leave, with a buddy and re-onboarding plan
• 3 fully-paid child sick days per year
• Free counseling, assistance, and referral service for all matters concerning yourself and your family via the Fürstenberg Institute