Lead Engineer Cyber AI - AI Expert

Target; Brooklyn Park (MN); Hybrid; USD 132,000 - 238,000; Full time

Job summary

Target is seeking a Lead Engineer on the Cybersecurity AI Activation and Engineering team in Minnesota. You will own and shape the AI architecture, collaborate across teams, and drive AI-powered capabilities with a focus on security and reliability.

You will work in a hybrid environment, partnering with cybersecurity teams to implement scalable, maintainable AI solutions while guiding data standards and processes. The role emphasizes architectural leadership and cross-functional influence.

Qualifications

• Rapid prototyping and iterative delivery with internal customers
• Experience integrating AI/ML into production solutions
• Experience developing custom AI agents
• Experience with LangChain, LangGraph, Google ADK, and Huggingface models
• Knowledge of cybersecurity and scalable distributed systems

Responsibilities

• Define and own AI system architecture to support products
• Collaborate across teams to promote re-use of patterns
• Lead complex construction, automation, and implementation activities
• Establish standards for AI systems, monitoring, testing, and sustainability
• Provide guidance on data standards and policies

Skills

AI/ML integration

LangChain

LangGraph

Huggingface models

Cybersecurity knowledge

Distributed systems

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Python

Google ADK

Open source tooling

Job description

The pay range is $132,000.00 - $238,000.00

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.

As a lead engineer on the Cybersecurity AI Activation and Engineering team, you serve as the technical anchor for engineering initiatives. You create, own and are responsible for the application architecture and designs that best serves the product in its functional and non-functional needs. You have deep and broad engineering skills and are capable of standing up an architecture in its whole on your own, but you choose to influence a wider team by acting as a "force multiplier". Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.

This role will require working closely with cybersecurity teams to understand their existing applications and systems, operational processes, and contributing to new AI-powered capabilities up to Target standards. You will need to use your technology acumen to apply and maintain knowledge of current and emerging AI technologies within the specialized cybersecurity domain. Evaluate new technologies and participate in decision-making and technical guidance to include viability within Target’s technical environment, maintainability, and cost of ownership. Initiate and execute research and proof-of-concept activities for new technologies.

You will work cross functionally across teams to provide thought leadership to promote re-use and develop consistent, scalable patterns. Participate in planning services that have broad impact. Contribute to foundational capabilities to enable AI or machine learning activities.

You will be looked upon to provide suggestions for handling routine and moderately complex technical problems, escalating issues when appropriate. Gather information, data, and input from a wide variety of sources; identify additional resources when appropriate, engage with stakeholders, and conduct in-depth analysis of information. Develop plans and schedules, estimate resource requirements, and define milestones and deliverables. Monitor workflow and risks; play a leadership role in mitigating risks and removing obstacles. Lead and participate in complex construction, automation, and implementation activities, ensuring successful implementation with architectural and operational requirements met.

Establish new standards and best practices for AI systems to monitor, test, automate, and maintain with special considerations for LLMOps, solution reliability, and sustainability. The AI space is evolving rapidly and we need strong technologists with a passion to stay current with industry and Target’s growing technical capabilities, infrastructure, frameworks, and environment. This role will also provide working patterns, templates, guidance, and influence data standards, policies, and procedures.

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

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

About You

• Demonstrated history of rapid prototyping, development and iterative delivery with tight coordination with internal customers
• Experience integrating AI and ML capabilities into production solutions
• Experience developing custom AI agents
• Experience working with LangChain, LangGraph, Google ADK, and Huggingface models
• Demonstrated knowledge and interest in cybersecurity
• 4 year degree or equivalent experience
• 7+ years of software development experience with at least one full cycle implementation
• Demonstrates strong domain-specific knowledge regarding Target’s technology capabilities, and key competitors’ products and differentiating features
• Demonstrates broad and deep expertise in multiple computer languages and frameworks (e.g., open source). Designs, develops, and approves end-to-end functionality of a product line, platform, or infrastructure
• Communicates and coordinates with project team, partners, and stakeholders
• Demonstrates expertise in analysis and optimization of systems capacity, performance, and operational health
• Understands and develops solutions to foster data lifecycle management
• Maintains deep technical knowledge within areas of expertise
• Stays current with new and evolving technologies via formal training and self-directed education
• Experience in building highly scalable distributed systems

This position will operate as a Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement based on Target’s needs. A Hybrid/Flex for Your Day work arrangement means the team member’s core role will need to be performed both onsite at the Target HQ MN location the role is assigned to and virtually, depending upon what your role, team and tasks require for that day. Work duties cannot be performed outside of the country of the primary work location, unless otherwise prescribed by Target. Click here if you are curious to learn more about Minnesota

Benefits Eligibility

Please paste this url into your preferred browser to learn about benefits eligibility for this role: https://tgt.biz/BenefitsForYou_E

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 [e-mail]. Non-accommodation-related requests, such as application follow-ups or technical issues, will not be addressed through this channel.