Design Director Trend & Concept (Fun101)

Target•Minneapolis, MN

18d•$135,000 - $243,000

About The Position

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 with the Design team means a big opportunity to start from scratch and create something truly original. Are you a design expert who can support your business by staying one step ahead of industry trends, new materials and techniques? Can you demonstrate the utmost attention to detail and create products that are unprecedented in the marketplace for their design and quality for the price? Then you’ll have success on our Design team who owns the design and development of all Target-owned brands, from apparel to home goods, and beauty to essentials. In close partnership with our merchant and sourcing counterparts, you’ll drive brand cohesion and continuity, ensuring that our products meet the merchant line plans, assortment strategies, price points and overall creative direction. As Product Design Director, you will develop big ideas and creative concepts that achieve Target's overall product strategy as well as our quality and financial objectives. You will have a chance to create profitable and exclusive products to join our industry-leading lineup of owned-brand merchandise, and you will help manage designer partnerships for one of the world's leading retailers. Under Product Design & Development leadership, and in partnership with peers, you will be responsible for the brand and product vision by leading the development of creative concepting and product strategy. Through your strong point of view on style and quality, you’ll take the lead as you provide vision for brand concept and lead your team through the execution of product design. In partnership with your Divisional Merchandise Manager, you will align business priorities and assortment architecture and build the resources needed to deliver on assortment needs. In addition, you’ll drive financial results by providing design solutions for business opportunities that are differentiated from the market place and unique to Target, including business shifts, key initiatives, new product concepts and seasonal focuses. Likewise, you’ll manage the integrity of Target brands by delivering appropriate "point of view" and "point of difference" while preserving consistency across Divisions within each brand. You’ll also ensure product assortment is appropriate for the designated Target guest segments and deliver on our overall product strategy. This includes leading the aesthetic execution of product, including: color, fabric/finish standards, print and pattern, expression of fit and trim/findings, and any other materials. You will also be responsible for leading your division through seasonal trend research and product design and development processes while leveraging cross-company synergy within Target to evolve and champion the design role. Finally, you’ll lead, develop and manage team members by setting clear objectives, providing ongoing performance feedback, and evaluating potential. Scope This role leads a multidisciplinary team focused on trend forecasting, concept development, and creative exploration for the Fun 101 portfolio across Play, Sport, Pop, Gadget, and Celebrations. The team operates as both a strategic foresight engine and a hands-on concept lab, translating signals into tangible ideas that inform category strategy, partnership direction, and product development. A key dimension of this role is external engagement, interacting with licensing partners, entertainment studios, national brands, and external creatives to help shape concept direction and unlock new opportunities for Target. This role also leads a Limited Time Only team with a strong track record of delivering high-impact partnerships across categories. This team brings deep expertise in translating concept into execution, working seamlessly across Hardlines, Home, Beauty, and non-apparel categories, and engaging external partners with credibility and influence. The Director sets the creative vision and concept direction for Limited Time Only initiatives, equipping the team with bold and differentiated ideas and narratives, while the team drives execution in close collaboration with A&A and Marketing Partnerships to bring concepts to life across product, brand, and guest experience. This role also partners closely with Trend leaders across Product Design to contribute to and shape seasonal and enterprise trend direction, ensuring alignment while bringing a distinct Fun 101 perspective into broader trend narratives.

Requirements

Four-year degree in Design, Fine Arts or related degree, or equivalent experience
15+ years of experience in product design and development in a retail or wholesale environment, with a successful track record
15+ years of experience in a specified category
Domestic and oversea market travel experience
Outstanding communication, presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills
Demonstrated leadership ability of product development teams
Demonstrated ability to identify trends and creative ability with strong commercial sense
In-depth knowledge of design and product development processes, including textiles and garment manufacture and demonstrated expertise in color, fabric, pattern, fit and garment execution
Experience understanding the consumer

Responsibilities

Lead forward-looking trend direction grounded in cultural insight, guest behavior, and category opportunity across Fun 101
Translate insights into actionable concept platforms that influence product, partnerships, and guest experiences
Identify and define future licensing and partnership opportunities, framing where Target should play and why
Collaborate with Merchandising and Licensing teams to shape and influence external partnerships, including engagement with studios, brands, and agencies
Develop breakthrough concept worlds, narratives, and prototypes that push beyond current category norms and inspire internal and external partners
Serve as the creative origin point for Limited Time Only concepts, building ideas and experiences that teams execute and scale
Lead and inspire the Limited Time Only team, setting creative direction and ensuring a strong pipeline of partnership-driven concepts
Partner with A&A and Marketing Partnerships to ensure concepts are fully realized across product, storytelling, and guest experience
Bring focused exploration to Gadget and tech-adjacent play, identifying opportunities at the intersection of play, innovation, and emerging technology
Unlock new thinking in Celebrations, driving occasion-based concepts that elevate seasonal and cultural moments
Oversee a concept lab environment that enables rapid prototyping, storytelling, and visualization of future ideas
Partner with Guest Insights and Enterprise teams to ensure concepts are grounded in meaningful guest signals
Influence cross-functional teams by making ideas tangible, compelling, and actionable
Build and lead a high-performing team while fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity, and growth
Explore and implement new tools, processes, and ways of working that increase speed, clarity, and creative impact
Partner with Trend leaders across Product Design to co-create seasonal and enterprise trend direction while representing Fun 101 perspectives

Benefits

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

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