Sr. Product Development Specialist

About us:

As a Fortune 50 company with more than 350,000 team members worldwide, Target is an iconic brand and one of America's leading retailers.

Working at Target means the opportunity to help all families discover the joy of everyday life. Caring for our communities is woven into who we are, and we invest in the places we collectively live, work and play. We prioritize relationships, fuel and develop talent by creating growth opportunities, and succeed as one Target team. At our core, our purpose is ingrained in who we are, what we value, and how we work. It’s how we care, grow, and win together.

At the heart of one of the world’s best loved and most recognizable brands is an impeccable Product Development & Design organization. We thrive on the magic of discovering that just-right thing, and we infuse everything we do with our passion for affordable chic. We concept, develop, make and deliver the stylish new favorites that Target guests expect and deserve. We are uber-savvy trend and style experts who stay ahead of the curve, proactively identifying our market’s needs and exceeding them, every time. Join one of our dynamic and inventive teams to influence the style, quality and value that decisively position Target above the competition. Your input will have a direct and positive effect, whether on home, hardlines or apparel & accessories. Here, you’ll be close to the action of dreaming up and bringing to life the Target-owned brands that surprise and gratify guests, wherever and whenever they love to shop.  

Owned Brand Sourcing and Development comprises project managers, operations managers and engineers. As a Sr. Product Development Specialist, you are a key partner in supporting the cross functional team, including technical, design, marketing, project management and vendor teams by understanding the CADs and roadmaps and turning them into sample requests for business partners including but not limited to artwork, trim, sample yardage, shade bands, packaging samples, or user testing.  In addition, you will work closely with design, engineers, project managers, sourcing and business partners, to facilitate the sampling tracking and communication in preparation for team decisions on product development. 

This position has a Hybrid work arrangement. A Hybrid work arrangement means the team members core role will be a blend of virtual and onsite at a Target location- Minneapolis, MN, based on Target’s needs.

Primary responsibilities (60%):

• Support teams with workspace set up in Spark system

• Order development sample needs in Spark system

• Support virtual and POG teams by collecting images and presentation dimensions for POG schematics

• Troubleshooting communication with teams and business partners on development samples, to ensure work is routed and received, on time

• Escalating communication on timeliness to Project Managers and Design teams when needed, so teams can assess any risks

• Provide sample management tracking reports to teams, for development samples, and following up with vendor communication on outstanding samples

• Balance calendar timing of above deliverables to meet deadlines, assist with team support and special projects

Secondary responsibilities (40%):

• Opening samples, sorting, distributing

• Sending/prepping outbound mail for the teams as needed

• Maintain sample storage and retention from development through approval samples

• Misc reporting needs from the Spark system

• Support teams with user testing needs, compiling, organizing, sending out samples and surveys

Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description.  Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.

Qualifications:

• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks

• Critical thinking to understand varied hand offs for business categories and trouble shoot information and how your role impacts other roles

• Manage and maintain relationships with team and business partners, while also holding them accountable to deliverables

• Ability to work independently with limited direction, in a collaborative team environment

• Task and detail oriented

• Excellent organizational and verbal / written communication skills

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Respects the guidelines, requirements and protocols for enduring the security and confidentiality of all product information considered proprietary

• Must be able to lift 50 pounds

• Proficient in MS Office software (Power Point, Word, Excel, Outlook)

• Required: high school diploma or equivalent

• Desirable: 1-2 years working in product development, or sample management. 

• Desirable: 2-4 year degree or equivalent

This position has a Hybrid work arrangement. A Hybrid work arrangement means the team members core role will be a blend of virtual and onsite at a Target location at the  Minneapolis, MN location.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Target will provide reasonable accommodations (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with the application process upon your request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process, please visit your nearest Target store or Distribution Center or reach out to Guest Services at 1-800-440-0680 for additional information.