Team Lead Creative Strategy & Cultural Research - Maternity Cover (all genders) - Zalando Fashion Studios

This position is a 12-month fixed-term contract for parental leave cover, commencing May 2026.

THE ROLE & THE TEAM

The fashion e-commerce landscape is shifting from a transactional model to an entertainment-first experience. At Zalando Studios / Content Solutions, the Creative Strategy & Cultural Research department is the engine that ensures our campaigns are not just visually stunning, but strategically calibrated to meet the dynamic needs of our customers and business partners.

We are looking for a Team Lead Creative Strategy & Cultural Research to steer this department during a maternity cover. You will act as the vital bridge between creative ambition and business results, ensuring that everything from high-heat statement drops to global partner campaigns is rooted in deep cultural intelligence and a clear commercial "Why."

WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)

Strategic Oversight & Vision

• Entertainment-First Roadmap: Guard the scope of creative strategy and cultural research to align with Zalando’s long-term evolution into an inspiration-driven, platform-first ecosystem.

• Creative Strategy Oversight: Lead the strategic development for all key pillars: Stories on Zalando, Zalando Partner Campaigns (ZMS), Editorial Campaigns, and Global Creative Direction.

• Advance Cultural Research: Nurture the maturing Cultural Research function. You will guide in-house talent to build new tools and frameworks that help Zalando forecast trends, identify growth opportunities, and maintain cultural "heat."

• Future-Proofing & Innovation: Anticipate market shifts and implement methodologies to predict project effectiveness and optimize creative output.

Team Leadership & Operations

• Leadership & Mentorship: Lead and inspire a high-performing team of 7 Creative Strategists and 1 Cultural Researcher. You will foster a culture of excellence, intellectual curiosity, and high-impact storytelling.

• Workflow Management: Oversee team capacity, workflow delegation, and the standardisation of strategic processes to ensure consistent quality across all workstreams.

Stakeholder & Client Engagement

• C-Suite Partnership: Act as a strategic peer to senior stakeholders and internal clients (Highsnobiety, ZMS, Global Marketing, and Category Management), navigating complex demands with ease.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamlessly bridge the gap between Creative Direction, Production, Brand Strategy and Media to ensure strategy translates into actionable, high-performing creative executions.

INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN

If you think you have what it takes, we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single requirement. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles!

At Zalando, our vision is to be the leading pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce – one that thrives on diversity and is truly inclusive by design. We believe that diverse teams fuel innovation and creativity, and we actively seek out talent from all backgrounds.

We actively seek to reduce bias in our hiring and employment processes, focusing on your qualifications, skills, and contributions. To support this, we kindly ask that you refrain from including personal details such as your photo, age, or marital status in your CV, ensuring a fair and equitable evaluation based solely on your abilities and potential.

We are committed to providing an exceptional and accessible candidate experience for everyone. If you require any accommodations to support you throughout the hiring process, please let us know – we are here to assist you.

Discover more about our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace: https://jobs.zalando.com/en/our-culture/diversity-and-inclusion

WE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF

• Professional Experience: 8+ years in Creative Strategy, Brand Marketing, or Cultural Foresight. You have a proven track record in a fast-paced agency or high-growth in-house brand environment.

• Leadership: Proven track record of leading and developing multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced agency or in-house environment.

• Commercial Acumen: You understand the Business of Fashion. You can balance the need for cultural relevance with the reality of sales KPIs, customer engagement, and partner ROI.

• Entertainment-First Thinking: A sophisticated understanding of social-first content, the creator economy, and how brands move from "interruption marketing" to "entertainment."

• Executive Presence: An experienced leader who can hit the ground running, manage a large team immediately, and spar with senior leadership while speaking the language of creatives, strategists and creators.

• Mindset: Entrepreneurial, curious, innovative and adaptable. You should be as comfortable streamlining internal processes as you are forecasting the next big shift in youth culture

• Academic Background: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Marketing, Fashion, Communications, or a related field.

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 Lounge by Zalando, discounts from external partners

• 2 paid volunteering days a year

• Hybrid working model with up to 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 for full-time employees

• Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)

• Family services, including counseling and support

• Health and wellbeing options (including Wellhub, formerly Gympass)

• Mental health support and coaching available

• Drive your development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer review