Principal Creative Director, Store Design

Target • Minneapolis, MN

9d

About The Position

Target’s distinctive brand love is infused throughout its many physical locations by the Properties teams. We have a direct and positive impact on the real estate, design, construction and maintenance of our stores, distribution centers and headquarters. Are you ready to help strategically grow Target’s brand through leading-edge design, development, construction and preservation? Can you effectively balance the efficiencies of a large-design build company with the unique challenges and innovative solutions required by individual sites? Then take your place on one of our Properties teams, and help us make the most of Target’s physical assets, both in the U.S. and overseas. Target’s physical stores are a critical expression of our brand promise and a key focus in our next chapter. Guided by our commitment to style, design, and value, the Store Design team is evolving how we design and deliver stores, bringing together architecture, interiors, and fixtures to create more integrated and design-led environments across our portfolio. We are entering a period of significant investment and transformation, reimagining the in-store experience across new stores and hundreds of remodels annually. This is an opportunity to help define what Target feels like for the next decade. As a Principal Creative Director, Store Design, you will: Lead the creative vision for Target’s interior store environments, translating the broader vision for our store environment into compelling experiences through interiors, fixtures, and spatial design. Develop future store concepts, department transformations, and scalable design systems that translate bold creative ideas into buildable solutions across new stores, remodels, and enterprise initiatives. Serve as the creative authority for Target’s interior store design, establishing design direction and preserving creative intent from concept through implementation while partnering closely with Architecture, Store Planning and cross-functional teams. Provide creative leadership through influence, offering design direction, critique, mentorship, and thought leadership that elevates design quality and develops the creative capabilities of designers across Store Design. Partner across Visual Merchandising, Store Planning, Merchandising, Brand Experience cohesive, guest-centered environments that balance creative ambition with business and operational realities. Lead highly complex, design initiatives influencing executive leaders and cross-functional partners through compelling creative vision, strategic thinking, and strong design rationale. Shape the future of Target’s store experience by connecting guest insights, business strategy, and emerging retail trends into innovative design frameworks that influence the evolution of the physical environment. Bring external perspectives and industry-leading practices from retail, hospitality, architecture, and experiential design to continuously inspire innovation and elevate Target’s physical guest experience. This role is ideal for a highly accomplished designer who thrives at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and execution. You'll shape the future of Target's physical experience by translating bold ideas into scalable environments, balancing creative ambition with the realities of speed, cost, and operational complexity while influencing change through expertise, vision, and collaboration. We’ll support you along the way with robust onboarding, as well as personal and career development, to help you grow as a strong Principal Creative Director. The exciting part of retail? It’s always changing! Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.

Requirements

• Four-year degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, or a related field or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of relevant experience in retail, interior, environmental, or industrial design
• Strong portfolio demonstrating the ability to create compelling physical environments from concept through execution
• Demonstrated design judgement and the ability to translate conceptual ideas into scalable, buildable environments
• Experience working within or alongside complex, cross-functional organizations; experience both in-house and in external design environments is preferred
• Deep understanding of materials, finishes, fixture systems, and how environments are detailed and built
• Proven ability to lead through influence, aligning designers and cross-functional partners around a shared creative vision
• Strong communication, presentation, and influence skills, with experience presenting to and partnering with executive leadership
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, balance competing priorities, and maintain a clear creative vision in a fast-paced environment

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative vision for Target’s interior store environments, translating the broader vision for our store environment into compelling experiences through interiors, fixtures, and spatial design.
• Develop future store concepts, department transformations, and scalable design systems that translate bold creative ideas into buildable solutions across new stores, remodels, and enterprise initiatives.
• Serve as the creative authority for Target’s interior store design, establishing design direction and preserving creative intent from concept through implementation while partnering closely with Architecture, Store Planning and cross-functional teams.
• Provide creative leadership through influence, offering design direction, critique, mentorship, and thought leadership that elevates design quality and develops the creative capabilities of designers across Store Design.
• Partner across Visual Merchandising, Store Planning, Merchandising, Brand Experience cohesive, guest-centered environments that balance creative ambition with business and operational realities.
• Lead highly complex, design initiatives influencing executive leaders and cross-functional partners through compelling creative vision, strategic thinking, and strong design rationale.
• Shape the future of Target’s store experience by connecting guest insights, business strategy, and emerging retail trends into innovative design frameworks that influence the evolution of the physical environment.
• Bring external perspectives and industry-leading practices from retail, hospitality, architecture, and experiential design to continuously inspire innovation and elevate Target’s physical guest experience.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance
• 401(k)
• Employee discount
• Short term disability
• Long term disability
• Paid sick leave
• Paid national holidays
• Paid vacation
• Personal and career development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: Associate degree