Lead Process Manager - Supply Chain Operations (Sortation Centers)

Target • Minneapolis, MN

4d • $95,000 - $171,000

About The Position

As a Lead Process Manager in Supply Chain Operations supporting Sortation Centers, you will lead performance and process improvement by identifying material operational losses, determining the conditions that cause them, and designing, testing, and scaling improvements that deliver measurable, sustained results. You will combine operational knowledge with quantitative analysis, direct observation, structured root-cause problem solving, process improvement, and experimentation to translate performance gaps into validated changes to work methods, flow, staffing, standard work, and operating routines.

A central focus is finding opportunities to reduce operating costs, eliminate waste, and improve productivity while balancing Safety, Quality, Delivery, Productivity, and Capacity. You will use continuous improvement tools and observe operations—including time studies, process observations, waste identification, root cause analysis, Value Stream Mapping, Standardized Work, Engineered Labor Standards and productivity performance insights, and field leader insights—to assess current performance, identify process gaps and non-value-added activity, quantify opportunities, and develop sustainable solutions.

In partnership with building leaders and HQ business partners, you will use performance data, operational observation, process segmentation, and loss analysis to prioritize performance losses across process paths, sites, shifts, and operating conditions. You will develop and test causal hypotheses, distinguish contributing conditions from validated root causes, and design controlled experiments and pilots with defined hypotheses, baselines, success and failure criteria, data requirements, and sustainment measures. You will establish baselines, break performance gaps into measurable loss categories, initiate countermeasures, and validate whether improvements deliver sustainable business outcomes.

You will mentor, influence, teach, and train leaders and business partners to deploy and sustain Standard Work and balanced process execution across top-line metrics. You will collaborate with HQ partners and field leaders on constraints including safety trends, productivity, capacity, store presentation, cost pressures, and future technology and process needs. You will translate operational insights into scalable solutions and use field learnings to influence broader process design and Continuous Improvement strategies.

The role requires commuting distance to select Target Sortation Centers in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Denver, or Minneapolis. The position may be remote or hybrid depending on Target's needs. A remote arrangement is full-time from home or an alternate non-Target location, without a desk at a Target location, and may require travel to HQ up to four times per year. A hybrid arrangement allows work remotely or onsite depending on role, team, and daily tasks. Work must be performed within the country of the primary work location unless otherwise prescribed by Target. The role requires approximately 40–50% travel and/or working from an office within a Sortation Center up to four days per week.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• At least 3 years of experience in Parcel, Last Mile, and/or Sortation Center operations; direct field operations experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience using process observation, elemental time analysis, work sampling, cycle-time data, and related techniques to understand current-state performance and quantify process loss.
• Ability to decompose performance gaps into measurable drivers and isolate where they occur.
• Ability to develop and validate causal hypotheses using quantitative analysis and direct observation.
• Proficiency in structured problem-solving and Continuous Improvement tools, including 8-step problem solving, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, Standardized Work, Visual Management, root cause analysis, and waste identification.
• Experience designing and executing process experiments or pilots with measurable success criteria.
• Ability to analyze process performance and variation using descriptive statistics, segmentation, Pareto analysis, distributions, trend analysis, correlation where appropriate, and before-and-after comparisons.
• Experience with performance metrics and process improvement, balancing Safety, Quality, Delivery, Productivity, Capacity, and Cost.
• Project management skills, including scoping, problem statements, goal definition, benefit identification, implementation planning, and timeline management.
• Ability to collaborate and build strong relationships across teams and in cross-functional settings.
• Ability to influence others and advocate for change.
• Strong interpersonal communication, time management, presentation, and organizational skills; ability to handle changing priorities and use good judgment in stressful situations.
• Ability to access all areas of the Distribution Center and Sort Center, including mezzanine platforms.
• Comfort with detailed work and communicating updates to leaders at various levels.
• Must live within commuting distance of select Target Sortation Centers in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Denver, or Minneapolis.
• Ability to travel approximately 40–50% of the time and/or work in an office within a Sortation Center up to four days a week.

Nice To Haves

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or demonstrated equivalent capability.
• Experience with DMAIC, A3, or 8-step structured problem solving.
• Experience analyzing high-volume transactional or operational data.
• Exposure to work measurement, labor standards, or engineered labor-management systems.
• Experience scaling a proven process change across multiple facilities.
• Analytical rigor, systems thinking, and an experimental mindset.

Responsibilities

• Identify material operational losses and establish the conditions causing them.
• Design, test, and scale process improvements that produce measurable and sustained business results.
• Use continuous improvement tools and direct observation—including time studies, process observations, waste identification, root cause analysis, Value Stream Mapping, Standardized Work, and ELS/productivity insights—to assess performance and identify process gaps.
• Find opportunities to reduce operating costs, eliminate waste, and improve productivity while balancing Safety, Quality, Delivery, Productivity, and Capacity.
• Partner with building leaders and HQ business partners to prioritize performance losses across process paths, sites, shifts, and operating conditions.
• Develop and validate causal hypotheses using data, direct observation, process evidence, and structured problem-solving methods.
• Design and execute controlled process experiments and pilots with defined hypotheses, baseline conditions, success and failure criteria, data requirements, and sustainment measures.
• Establish current-state baselines, decompose performance gaps into measurable loss categories, initiate countermeasures, and measure results.
• Mentor, influence, teach, and train leaders and business partners to deploy and sustain Standard Work and balanced process execution.
• Collaborate with HQ partners and field leaders to address operational constraints and translate insights into scalable solutions.
• Use field learnings to influence broader process design and Continuous Improvement strategies.

Benefits

• Eligible team members and their dependents may receive comprehensive medical, vision, dental, and life insurance benefits.
• 401(k).
• Employee discount.
• Short-term disability.
• Long-term disability.
• Paid sick leave.
• Paid national holidays.
• Paid vacation.

What This Job Offers

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