Director Customer Enablement (all genders)

Zalando; Cheltenham; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fashion e-commerce company is seeking a Director of Customer Operations passionate about enhancing customer experience and operational excellence. This role focuses on defining customer operations strategy, leading a high-performing team, and optimizing AI-driven service management. The ideal candidate has a minimum of 7 years’ experience in customer service or ITSM and possesses strong leadership skills. Join us in building a diverse, inclusive workplace with a strong commitment to work-life balance.

Benefits

Employee shares program

40% off fashion and beauty products

2 paid volunteering days a year

Hybrid working model

Work from abroad for up to 30 days

27 days of vacation

Relocation assistance

Health and wellbeing options

Mental health support

Qualifications

• Minimum 7+ years of leadership experience in Customer Service, Customer Operations, or IT Service Management.
• Proven experience in implementing ITSM solutions.
• Excellent understanding of modern IT architectures and APIs.

Responsibilities

• Manage relationships with customers to ensure satisfaction.
• Develop customer operations strategy supporting business growth.
• Lead deployment of AI-First ITSM platform.

Skills

Customer Operations Strategy

Leadership

IT Service Management

Communication

Education

Completed degree in Business Administration, Business Informatics, Engineering

Tools

Salesforce

Atlassian Suite

Job description

I identify as * We process your gender for statistical reasons and separated from the recruitment process to foster inclusivity and diversity. Learn more in our Privacy Information .

In the case that I have provided data which could be considered sensitive in my application (e.g. sexual orientation, ethnic origin, political opinions, health, criminal record), I explicitly agree that Zalando may process my application containing this data during the application process.

Note: In general, we do not ask you to provide us with any sensitive information. In the case that you provided us with sensitive information, we need your consent to be able to process your application.

ABOUT TRADEBYTE

At Tradebyte, we work with the biggest players in e-commerce - from trendsetting fashion brands to major online retailers. Our goal is to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered.

We offer flexible work schedules, professional development opportunities, and a real commitment to work-life balance. We embrace diverse perspectives and ensure that every voice is heard and respected, because you’re unique and that matters to us.

As we continue to grow, we’re looking for new colleagues who share our passion. Love what you do - do what you love. Join Tradebyte, an independent company within the Zalando Group!

THE ROLE AND THE TEAM

As the Director of Customer Operations , you will be the strategic leader at the intersection of customer, product, and technology. Your main task is to scale and optimize request, support and daily operating customer-facing processes post-initial sale in close handshake with the Customer Success Management Team. You will define the strategy, implement an AI-powered ITSM infrastructure , and ensure that our Support and Customer Education functions become a competitive advantage .

Strategic Focus: Knowledge & Customer Expertise

Elevate Operational Excellence: Champion the strategy of developing customer-facing teams into deep product and problem-solving experts, establishing support as a core knowledge center within the organization.

Optimize Resolution Pathways: Drive down operational inefficiency and customer friction by empowering the team to understand the root cause of customer issues, thereby eliminating repeat contacts and support loops.

Accelerate Value Delivery: Implement frameworks and processes that enable fast, accurate, and high-quality solution delivery, ensuring rapid time-to-value for customers.

Define CX Leadership: Be accountable for using knowledge as the primary lever to elevate the overall Customer Experience (CX), transforming support interactions from transactional fixes into moments of trust and expertise.

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.

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

1. Strategy, Leadership, and Vision

Manage relationships/agreements with customers focusing on delivering 100% customer satisfaction.

Develop and execute a forward-looking Customer Operations Strategy (Service, Support, and Education) that supports business growth within the SaaS environment and maximizes Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).

Disciplinary and functional leadership of Team Leads across Service Operations and Customer Education, as well as the strategic management of APM interfaces.

Ownership of the Operations budget , resource planning, and the definition and adherence to critical SLAs and KPIs (e.g., CSAT, First Contact Resolution Rate, MTTR).

Accountability to optimize the cost of service per interaction, driving down operational expense/cost to serve as automation is introduced

2. ITSM Transformation and Scaling

End-to-end responsibility for the deployment and continuous development of an AI-First ITSM platform (based on Salesforce, Atlassian Suite and tools of your choice)

Design and implement new, lean processes based on modern frameworks (e.g., ITIL 4), with a clear focus on automation and self-service .

Strategic utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) eg. to automate first-level support, optimize ticket triage, and enable proactive support (e.g., predictive service and transparently communicate ROI of ITSM investment.

3. Process and Application Management

Ensure operational excellence and the stability of all customer services.

Work closely with the Product & Engineering Team to optimize processes at key interfaces (Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management).

Oversee the stability of critical applications (Application Management) and ensure effective communication between Engineering and customers during outages.

4. Customer Education & Enablement

Strategic leadership of the Customer Education area to ensure that customers and partners are optimally trained and enabled (e.g., through knowledge bases, on-demand videos, and scalable training programs).

Utilize customer data and support insights to identify friction points in our products and feed them directly into the product roadmap (Voice of the Customer).

Experience: Several years (minimum 7+ years) of disciplinary and strategic leadership experience in Customer Service, Customer Operations, or IT Service Management within a SaaS or technology company .

ITSM Expertise: Proven experience in the conceptualization, selection, and implementation of Enterprise ITSM solutions.

Tech Affinity: Excellent understanding of modern IT architectures, APIs, and the role of Generative AI/ML in customer service.

Leadership Style: Ability to inspire and lead multi-disciplinary teams (Service, Support, Training) in a high-velocity environment.

Communication: Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills to transparently communicate complex issues to the C-level, the team, and customers.

Education: Completed degree (Business Administration, Business Informatics, Engineering, or comparable). ITIL certifications are a plus.

OUR OFFER

Tradebyte 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 - work where it works for you within Germany or the UK, with occasional office attendance required for moments that matter.

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 with our training offerings and biannual peer-to-peer review

Please note that all applications from this job page must be completed using the online form - we do not accept applications via e-mail. Once reviewed, our recruiters will contact applicants via an official Zalando email address (@zalando.de).

In some cases we also work with a selection of headhunters and agencies to fill specific roles. Please note that neither Zalando nor our recruiting partners will ask for any kind of payment to apply for a job or attend an interview.

If you have any questions about our recruitment process, please take a look at your FAQ page .

About Zalando

It’s the perfect time to join Zalando on our journey to build the leading pan-European ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle e-commerce. Help us offer an inspiring and quality multi-brand shopping experience for fashion and lifestyle products to about 52 million active customers in 26 markets. Or be part of our logistic infrastructure, software or service capabilities to help brands and retailers run and scale their entire e-commerce business, on or off Zalando. Join our Zalando ecosystem, to enable positive change for the fashion and lifestyle industry.