Lead Business Partner - Experiential Operations

Target • Minneapolis, MN

1d • $95,000 - $171,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Business Partner leads Store Operations strategy for Back to College, connecting enterprise priorities with store and guest needs from early strategy through seasonal execution and recap. The role represents the store perspective in cross-functional decisions and enterprise work, helping shape strategies across merchandising, inventory, space and presentation, supply chain, workload, and store execution. It translates complex business strategies into practical store experiences while balancing sales opportunity, operational capacity, workload, timing, and guest experience.

The position uses business performance, store feedback, and field insights to identify opportunities and influence decisions, including differentiated strategies for stores with meaningfully different demand or operating conditions. It leads cross-functional planning routines, establishes milestones and accountability, builds relationships across headquarters and field teams, and maintains engagement with stores and field leaders. The role anticipates execution risks, frames tradeoffs, communicates recommendations and implications to partners and senior leaders, leads post-season learning, and champions tools, technology, automation, and ways of working that simplify planning and improve store agility.

This is a hybrid/flex role requiring work both onsite at the assigned Target HQ Minnesota location and virtually according to role, team, and task needs. Work duties may not be performed outside the country of the primary work location unless otherwise prescribed by Target. Job duties may change due to business needs.

Requirements

• Four-year degree or equivalent experience.
• At least 6 years of relevant experience in retail, operations, merchandising, strategy, planning, or related disciplines in a large, matrixed organization.
• Strong understanding of store operations and ability to translate enterprise strategies into practical, executable experiences for frontline teams.
• Proven ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives and influence partners and senior leaders without direct authority.
• Strong strategic and critical thinking skills, including connecting business objectives, data, guest needs, and operational realities; using quantitative and qualitative insights to frame problems, evaluate tradeoffs, and make recommendations.
• Strong project and process management skills, including experience managing multiple interconnected workstreams, milestones, and dependencies.
• Ability to build trusted relationships across functions and organizational levels.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and storytelling skills.
• Ability to challenge existing strategies, surface risks, and constructively advocate for stores and guests.
• Agility and comfort operating amid ambiguity, changing conditions, and tight timelines.
• Strong judgment and problem-solving skills, including assessing issues and determining when to solve, influence, or escalate.

Nice To Haves

• Previous store or field experience.
• Experience working across Store Operations, Merchandising, Inventory Management, Space & Presentation, or Supply Chain.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience using data and visualization to influence business decisions.
• Experience leveraging AI, automation, or emerging technology to improve business routines or operational execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead Store Operations strategy for Back to College, from early strategy through seasonal execution and recap.
• Represent the store perspective in cross-functional and enterprise decisions, shaping strategies across merchandising, inventory, space and presentation, supply chain, workload, and store execution.
• Translate complex business strategies into executable store experiences that balance sales opportunities with operational capacity, workload, timing, and guest experience.
• Use business performance, store feedback, and field insights to identify opportunities and influence decisions, including the need for differentiated strategies.
• Lead cross-functional planning routines and establish milestones, dependencies, decisions, and accountability.
• Build relationships across headquarters and field teams, aligning partners through influence rather than authority.
• Maintain connections with stores and field leaders through visits, feedback routines, and ongoing engagement.
• Anticipate execution risks and unintended consequences, frame tradeoffs, and develop solutions that protect enterprise strategy and the store experience.
• Synthesize complex inputs and communicate recommendations, decisions, and implications to partners and senior leaders.
• Lead post-season learning and translate insights into recommendations for future store execution, merchandising, inventory, space, and operational strategies.
• Identify and champion tools, technology, automation, and ways of working that simplify planning, improve decision-making, or increase store agility.

Benefits

• Eligible team members and dependents may receive comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, and life insurance.
• 401(k).
• Employee discount.
• Short-term disability.
• Long-term disability.
• Paid sick leave.
• Paid national holidays.
• Paid vacation.
• Financial, education, and well-being benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior