Pay is based on several factors which vary based on position. These include labor markets and in some instances may include education, work experience and certifications. In addition to your pay, Target cares about and invests in you as a team member, so that you can take care of yourself and your family. Target offers eligible team members and their dependents comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance and more, to help you and your family take care of your whole selves. Other benefits for eligible team members include 401(k), employee discount, short term disability, long term disability, paid sick leave, paid national holidays, and paid vacation. Find competitive benefits from financial and education to well-being and beyond at https://corporate.target.com/careers/benefits.

About Us

Working at Target means helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. We bring that vision to life through our values and culture.  Learn more about Target here.

Team Overview

The Owned Brand Responsible Materials team helps Target address environmental, social and animal welfare impacts associated with Target Owned Brand products. Our portfolio spans hard goods, product ingredients/formulations, chemicals, animal-derived materials and animal welfare.

We develop strategies, policies and commitments and partner with teams across all of Target’s Owned Brand categories, including Sourcing, Merchandising, Product Design, Packaging, Quality Assurance, Legal and Enterprise Sustainability to put them into practice. We also engage suppliers, NGOs, industry groups, academics and standards organizations to advance solutions that are credible, practical and scalable.

Position Overview

A role as a Sr. Engineer, Responsible Materials – Animal Welfare means helping Target advance the welfare of animals within our Owned Brand supply chains. Do you bring deep knowledge of animal welfare science and commercial agriculture? Can you translate complex and evolving information into practical strategies that work for animals, suppliers, products and the business? Can you collaborate across diverse stakeholders to identify challenges and implement solutions at scale? Then you’ll find success on Target’s Owned Brand Responsible Materials team.

As the Sr. Engineer, Responsible Materials – Animal Welfare, you will serve as Target's authoritative technical owner for animal welfare across the Owned Brand business, establishing and maintaining standards, policies and sourcing criteria and identifying material risks. Your initial focus will be farm animal welfare within food and agricultural supply chains, including laying hens, broiler chickens, swine, dairy and beef cattle, turkeys and other relevant species. Topics may include housing, breeds and growth rates, enrichment, health, handling, transportation, slaughter, certification, byproducts and animal welfare claims.

You will use animal welfare science, knowledge of commercial production systems and an understanding of supply-chain realities to set technical direction and define credible pathways for progress. You will be accountable for maintaining species- and commodity-level roadmaps, identifying gaps against Target standards and commitments, and establishing the evidence and assurance expectations needed to support claims and reporting. In partnership with business owners, you will drive action plans to close material gaps while considering product quality, affordability, supply availability and operational feasibility.

You will lead as a strategic driver, build strong partnerships, influence through expertise and champion our team and Company values.

This will be accomplished through:

STRATEGY & TECHNICAL OWNERSHIP

Using your expertise and industry relationships, you will own the technical direction for Target's animal welfare program and develop strategies, roadmaps and implementation guidance across relevant Owned Brand categories. You will assess scientific research, supplier capabilities, production systems, stakeholder expectations and regulatory developments to identify and prioritize material risks, opportunities and practical pathways for progress.

You will establish and maintain the technical requirements that underpin animal welfare policies and commitments, including definitions, performance indicators, sourcing criteria, assurance expectations and methods for measuring progress. You will establish credible approaches for validating supplier data and evidence, define actions to address material gaps and track progress against species- and commodity-level roadmaps.

You will evaluate animal welfare using both resource-based measures, such as housing and production-system requirements, and outcome-based measures related to animal health, behavior, injury, mortality and quality of life. You will monitor emerging issues, legislation, competitor actions and industry practices and determine when changes to Target's standards, roadmaps or risk priorities are warranted.

GOVERNANCE & ISSUE RESPONSE

You will establish technical governance for animal welfare, including decision criteria for standards, exceptions, assurance, escalation and documentation. You will determine whether data and evidence provide sufficient technical confidence to support commitments, claims and external reporting and identify where additional verification or corrective action is required.

During emerging issues, supplier incidents, external allegations or other escalations, you will serve as the lead animal welfare SME. You will rapidly assess the issue and evidence, identify applicable standards and commitments, characterize material risks and gaps, and provide a clear technical position and recommended actions to business teams, Legal, Communications, Enterprise Sustainability and senior leaders. You will support follow-through on corrective actions and longer-term risk mitigation.

PARTNERSHIP & INFLUENCE

Leveraging your leadership and strategic thinking, you will build collaborative relationships with internal and external partners to integrate animal welfare standards and roadmaps into business execution. You will partner with merchants, sourcing and product teams, quality and food safety partners, legal counsel, communications teams and senior leaders to translate technical requirements into practical action.

You will establish strong relationships with suppliers, producers and processors to understand current practices, identify barriers and support continuous improvement. You will communicate clear expectations and help partners develop credible pathways to address identified gaps.

You will engage certification programs, auditors and assurance providers to understand their capabilities and ensure Target's technical requirements can be credibly implemented and verified. You will partner with suppliers and internal teams to resolve gaps identified through audits, data reviews or other assurance activities.

You will represent Target in relevant industry collaborations, working groups and conferences and engage constructively with scientists, veterinarians, NGOs, producers, commodity organizations and peer companies. You will also support external communications and reporting by ensuring animal welfare statements, claims and progress updates accurately reflect Target's standards, evidence and progress.

This role is performed on-site 4 days per week from our Downtown MN campus.

About You

• B.S. or advanced degree in Animal Science, Animal Welfare Science, Veterinary Medicine, Ethology, Agricultural Science or a related field
• 8+ years of related experience in animal welfare, agricultural production, responsible sourcing, food systems, veterinary science, certification or assurance
• Deep knowledge of animal welfare science and commercial livestock and poultry production systems
• Knowledge of major welfare issues affecting laying hens, broiler chickens, swine, cattle, turkeys and other commercially relevant species
• Familiarity with animal welfare standards, certification programs, audit protocols and assurance models
• Experience establishing technical standards, policies, sourcing requirements or risk frameworks based on scientific evidence
• Understanding of resource-based and outcome-based animal welfare measures
• Knowledge of housing, genetics, nutrition, enrichment, handling, transportation and slaughter practices
• Familiarity with relevant legislation, market expectations and stakeholder concerns
• Ability to assess the credibility and limitations of animal welfare claims, certifications, supplier data and assurance evidence
• Ability to balance animal welfare objectives with supply availability, affordability, product quality and operational feasibility
• Exceptional partnership, communication and influencing skills across internal and external stakeholders
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, strategic thinking and project-management skills
• Ability to synthesize and communicate complex or emerging information succinctly
• Strong business understanding and commercial acumen
• Sound judgment, intellectual curiosity and confidence leading technical assessment and recommendations during complex or rapidly evolving issues

Benefits Eligibility

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

In compliance with state and federal laws, Target will make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please reach out to [email protected]. Non-accommodation-related requests, such as application follow-ups or technical issues, will not be addressed through this channel.