Principal Strategist

Socket.dev; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 243,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k)

Employee discount

Paid holidays

Paid vacation

Job summary

Target is seeking a Principal Strategist in Strategy Development to lead project teams of business strategists, applying your strengths in project management, strategy development, and executive engagement to shape Target’s long‑term direction.

Core responsibilities include leading strategy engagements, building market and competitor insights, influencing senior leaders, and driving cross‑functional collaboration while advancing Target’s values of Inclusivity, Connection and Drive.

Qualifications

• 4-year degree; MBA preferred.
• 5+ years strategic project leadership post-graduate.
• 7+ years in strategic project management or Fortune 100 corporate strategy.
• Experience at top management consulting firm (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) or in a Fortune 100-level corporate strategy group.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to engage VP/SVP-level leaders.
• Ability to lead teams, manage stakeholders, and influence without formal authority.

Responsibilities

• Lead project teams on strategy engagements to identify growth opportunities.
• Analyze industry trends, competitors, and consumer needs to shape strategies.
• Partner with senior executives to influence strategic decisions.
• Build cross-functional relationships and drive collaboration.
• Coach and develop project team members; contribute to leadership team's goals.
• Champion Belonging and inclusion initiatives within the team.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Executive engagement

Communication

Problem solving

Team coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA

Job description

The pay range is $135,000.00 - $243,000.00

Pay is based on several factors which vary based on position.These include labor markets and in some instancesmay 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.

A role within Strategy Development means working directly with senior leaders across the organization to develop business and functional strategies—especially those in support of growth and competitive differentiation. Your work becomes Target’s annual Strategic Priorities, which are shared across the company and inform the efforts of thousands of team members worldwide every day.

Leading the retail revolution as Target’s champions of bold strategic thinking, the Strategy Development team seeks to fuel the present and the future by exploring new opportunities (e.g., markets, formats, channels, and guest segments) and driving strategic focus and accountability. We accomplish this through our values of building inclusive teams, connecting across the enterprise to foster relationships, and driving the organization towards bold strategic choices.

As a Principal Strategist, in Strategy Development, you will lead project teams of business strategists, applying your strengths in project and stakeholder management, strategy development, and executive engagement to shape Target’s long-term strategic direction.

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

Core Responsibilities:

• Day to day leadership of project teams on strategy consulting‑like engagements that identify and seek to harness enterprise or business unit growth opportunities.

• Build an understanding of retail trends, competitors, and consumers to strategies meet future needs in the fast‑evolving multi‑channel retail landscape.

• Become a strategic thought partner to senior executives, influencing decisions in line with business unit and enterprise strategy.

• Build relationships to collaborate cross‑functionally and effectively influence without authority to drive business decisions and advance long‑term strategic efforts.

• Provide day‑to‑day guidance, coaching, and development opportunities to project team members.

• Serve as a member of the Strategy Development leadership team, proactively identifying and championing opportunities to improve team experiences, capabilities, resources, and development.

• Champion continuous team improvement including advancing Belonging efforts, fostering connections and relationships across the enterprise, and demonstrating individual drive and initiative.

About you:

• 4-year degree; post graduate degree (MBA) preferred.

• Minimum of 5 years of work experience after graduate school in strategic project leadership roles or equivalent of 7+ years of strategic project management experience including assessing business strategies, leading advanced analysis and problem solving, and developing multi‑year business strategies.

• 4+ years of prior experience, inclusive of dedicated engagement/project leadership experience, with a top management consulting firm (McKinsey, Bain, BCG, etc.) or in a Fortune 100‑level corporate strategy group.

• An understanding of industry practices and the competitive retail landscape across channels and segments.

• Demonstrated ability to lead strategic project work, simultaneously managing working team, partner, and senior executive relationships.

• Track record of developing critical stakeholder relationships (VP/SVP-level) across the enterprise to help influence and guide strategic recommendations.

• Ability to support a team culture of bold strategic thinking and Target’s values of Inclusivity, Connection and Drive; including team member coaching and leader influencing.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a strong ability to tell compelling business and result stories, including facilitating engagement with VP/SVP-level leaders.

• Ability to take risks, challenge the status quo, and work under ambiguous circumstances.

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 (Tues, Wed, & Thurs) 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_F

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.