Principal Data Scientist - Supply Chain Network Planning and Design

Target • Minneapolis, MN

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal Data Scientist – Network Planning and Design is a senior technical leader shaping Target’s advanced analytics and operations research capabilities for long-term supply chain strategy. The role architects optimization models, simulations, digital twins, and forecasting solutions that inform significant network and capital investment decisions. It owns the organization’s decision capability roadmap and leads agile execution, translating strategic priorities into scalable analytical solutions.

The role combines deep technical expertise, strategic thinking, and cross-functional influence. It works with Supply Chain, Finance, Technology, Operations, Strategy, Engineering, and Product teams to develop and operationalize analytical solutions and decision-support tools. The position uses a Hybrid/Flex for Your Day arrangement, with work performed both onsite at the assigned Target HQ Minnesota location and virtually according to role, team, and task needs. Work duties cannot be performed outside the country of the primary work location unless otherwise prescribed by Target.

Requirements

• PhD or MS in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics, Data Science, or related quantitative industry experience.
• Extensive experience in supply chain, logistics, transportation, or large-scale network design.
• 8+ years of experience applying operations research, mathematical optimization, simulation, or advanced analytics to complex business problems at scale.
• Deep expertise in optimization and quantitative modeling.
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, and optimization solvers such as Gurobi, CPLEX, or Pyomo.
• Experience architecting scalable analytical models and decision-support capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to define technical roadmaps, prioritize analytical investments, and lead agile delivery.
• Strong systems thinking and technical judgment, with ability to influence senior leaders and global teams.
• Experience mentoring technical talent and driving cross-functional alignment.

Responsibilities

• Architect and advance optimization, simulation, forecasting, and digital twin capabilities for network footprint, capacity, inventory, product flow, and transportation decisions.
• Apply advanced operations research and data science methods to complex, ambiguous problems at enterprise scale.
• Establish technical standards for model architecture, validation, scalability, and reproducibility.
• Mentor data scientists and elevate technical rigor across the team.
• Own and evolve the decision capability roadmap, aligning analytical investments with long-term network strategy and business priorities.
• Translate strategic needs into prioritized capabilities, technical requirements, and delivery milestones.
• Lead team scrum routines, including sprint planning, backlog refinement, stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives.
• Drive delivery against the roadmap, managing dependencies, risks, and trade-offs to ensure measurable business value.
• Partner across Supply Chain, Finance, Technology, Operations, and Strategy to translate business challenges into analytical solutions.
• Communicate modeling insights, uncertainty, and strategic trade-offs to influence senior leaders.
• Advance the use of optimization solvers, cloud computing, machine learning, and AI to improve modeling performance and decision quality.
• Partner with Engineering and Product teams to operationalize models into scalable decision-support tools.

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: Principal