Director of Packaging & Innovation, Target

Twelve NYC•Brooklyn, NY

20h

About The Position

Twelve Twelve designs and builds the world’s most inspiring merchandise and packaging for the world’s most coveted brands. Applying our uniquely tested end-to-end methodology, we seamlessly integrate our expert teams and global supply chain to turn wild dreams into high-return realities. Our difference lies in our approach to partnership and our commitment to social responsibility—proudly B-Corp certified and working exclusively with vetted and approved partners. Job Summary: We’re looking for a Director, Target Product & Packaging Innovation to lead the intersection of creativity, development, and execution for a key strategic retail account (Target). This role is the red thread across innovation, design, development, and costing—ensuring ideas are not only compelling, but buildable, scalable, and commercially viable. This is not a passive oversight role. You will actively shape concepts, pressure-test feasibility, and drive alignment across internal teams and overseas partners to bring differentiated product and packaging solutions to life—while elevating how those ideas are presented and sold to the client.

Requirements

8–12+ years in packaging, product development, and/or trend forecasting within retail, agency environments
Strong creative instincts with the ability to actively contribute to concept development
Proven ability to present and sell ideas to retail buyers or senior stakeholders
Deep understanding of packaging construction, product categories, development, and production processes
Experience working with overseas manufacturing partners
Strong commercial acumen—comfortable navigating costing, margins, selling and trade-offs
Ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-expectation client environment

Responsibilities

Drive forward-thinking innovative concepts that align with Target’s brand, customer, and seasonal strategies across categories and departments
Translate trends, materials, and manufacturing capabilities into actionable innovation pipelines
Push beyond incremental improvements—bring ideas that are distinct, ownable, and retail-relevant
Lead and create the vision, category strategy, and critical path planning aligned with Twelve’s and Targets goals and growth targets
Act as a creative visionary, not just a reviewer—partner closely with design and development teams to evolve ideas from concept through production
Ensure creative integrity holds through development, cost value engineering, and production constraints
Balance aesthetic ambition with real-world execution
Lead and deliver client presentations with a strong point of view and narrative across client executive teams
Elevate how concepts are designed, packaged, and presented to spark excitement and buy-in from Target buyers
Translate creative ideas into compelling storytelling that connect design, function, and commercial value to the Target DNA
Proactively bring ideas to the client and create whitespace opportunity
Create products with high sell thru value
Oversee structural packaging development concepts with a strong understanding of materials, dielines, and manufacturing processes
Guide teams toward smart product construction that delivers on both design intent and cost targets
Challenge assumptions and push for smarter, more efficient builds and forward thinking concepts
Lead with Sales Management team members to ensure concepts meet margin and pricing targets from the outset
Lead value engineering efforts without compromising the core creative idea
Understand trade-offs and make decisions that balance design, quality, and cost
Create products that sell within whitespace niche categories

Benefits

Medical
Dental
Vision
Disability
Life
Mental Health Mondays: once a month our offices close globally (that's 12 additional days per year)
Generous Paid Time Off – Including your birthday, personal days, time-off around holidays.
Paid Parental Leave
Summer Fridays
Discretionary bonuses