Senior Engineer, Responsible Materials – Animal Welfare

Target • Minneapolis, MN

4d • $95,000 - $171,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Owned Brand Responsible Materials team helps Target address environmental, social and animal welfare impacts associated with Target Owned Brand products. Our portfolio spans hard goods, product ingredients/formulations, chemicals, animal-derived materials and animal welfare. We develop strategies, policies and commitments and partner with teams across all of Target’s Owned Brand categories, including Sourcing, Merchandising, Product Design, Packaging, Quality Assurance, Legal and Enterprise Sustainability to put them into practice. We also engage suppliers, NGOs, industry groups, academics and standards organizations to advance solutions that are credible, practical and scalable.

A role as a Sr. Engineer, Responsible Materials – Animal Welfare means helping Target advance the welfare of animals within our Owned Brand supply chains. Do you bring deep knowledge of animal welfare science and commercial agriculture? Can you translate complex and evolving information into practical strategies that work for animals, suppliers, products and the business? Can you collaborate across diverse stakeholders to identify challenges and implement solutions at scale? Then you’ll find success on Target’s Owned Brand Responsible Materials team.

As the Sr. Engineer, Responsible Materials – Animal Welfare, you will serve as Target's authoritative technical owner for animal welfare across the Owned Brand business, establishing and maintaining standards, policies and sourcing criteria and identifying material risks. Your initial focus will be farm animal welfare within food and agricultural supply chains, including laying hens, broiler chickens, swine, dairy and beef cattle, turkeys and other relevant species. Topics may include housing, breeds and growth rates, enrichment, health, handling, transportation, slaughter, certification, byproducts and animal welfare claims.

You will use animal welfare science, knowledge of commercial production systems and an understanding of supply-chain realities to set technical direction and define credible pathways for progress. You will be accountable for maintaining species- and commodity-level roadmaps, identifying gaps against Target standards and commitments, and establishing the evidence and assurance expectations needed to support claims and reporting. In partnership with business owners, you will drive action plans to close material gaps while considering product quality, affordability, supply availability and operational feasibility.

You will lead as a strategic driver, build strong partnerships, influence through expertise and champion our team and Company values.

This will be accomplished through:
STRATEGY & TECHNICAL OWNERSHIP
Using your expertise and industry relationships, you will own the technical direction for Target's animal welfare program and develop strategies, roadmaps and implementation guidance across relevant Owned Brand categories. You will assess scientific research, supplier capabilities, production systems, stakeholder expectations and regulatory developments to identify and prioritize material risks, opportunities and practical pathways for progress.
You will establish and maintain the technical requirements that underpin animal welfare policies and commitments, including definitions, performance indicators, sourcing criteria, assurance expectations and methods for measuring progress. You will establish credible approaches for validating supplier data and evidence, define actions to address material gaps and track progress against species- and commodity-level roadmaps.
You will evaluate animal welfare using both resource-based measures, such as housing and production-system requirements, and outcome-based measures related to animal health, behavior, injury, mortality and quality of life. You will monitor emerging issues, legislation, competitor actions and industry practices and determine when changes to Target's standards, roadmaps or risk priorities are warranted.
GOVERNANCE & ISSUE RESPONSE
You will establish technical governance for animal welfare, including decision criteria for standards, exceptions, assurance, escalation and documentation. You will determine whether data and evidence provide sufficient technical confidence to support commitments, claims and external reporting and identify where additional verification or corrective action is required.
During emerging issues, supplier incidents, external allegations or other escalations, you will serve as the lead animal welfare SME. You will rapidly assess the issue and evidence, identify applicable standards and commitments, characterize material risks and gaps, and provide a clear technical position and recommended actions to business teams, Legal, Communications, Enterprise Sustainability and senior leaders. You will support follow-through on corrective actions and longer-term risk mitigation.
PARTNERSHIP & INFLUENCE
Leveraging your leadership and strategic thinking, you will build collaborative relationships with internal and external partners to integrate animal welfare standards and roadmaps into business execution. You will partner with merchants, sourcing and product teams, quality and food safety partners, legal counsel, communications teams and senior leaders to translate technical requirements into practical action.
You will establish strong relationships with suppliers, producers and processors to understand current practices, identify barriers and support continuous improvement. You will communicate clear expectations and help partners develop credible pathways to address identified gaps.
You will engage certification programs, auditors and assurance providers to understand their capabilities and ensure Target's technical requirements can be credibly implemented and verified. You will partner with suppliers and internal teams to resolve gaps identified through audits, data reviews or other assurance activities.
You will represent Target in relevant industry collaborations, working groups and conferences and engage constructively with scientists, veterinarians, NGOs, producers, commodity organizations and peer companies. You will also support external communications and reporting by ensuring animal welfare statements, claims and progress updates accurately reflect Target's standards, evidence and progress.

Requirements

• B.S. or advanced degree in Animal Science, Animal Welfare Science, Veterinary Medicine, Ethology, Agricultural Science or a related field
• 8+ years of related experience in animal welfare, agricultural production, responsible sourcing, food systems, veterinary science, certification or assurance
• Deep knowledge of animal welfare science and commercial livestock and poultry production systems
• Knowledge of major welfare issues affecting laying hens, broiler chickens, swine, cattle, turkeys and other commercially relevant species
• Familiarity with animal welfare standards, certification programs, audit protocols and assurance models
• Experience establishing technical standards, policies, sourcing requirements or risk frameworks based on scientific evidence
• Understanding of resource-based and outcome-based animal welfare measures
• Knowledge of housing, genetics, nutrition, enrichment, handling, transportation and slaughter practices
• Familiarity with relevant legislation, market expectations and stakeholder concerns
• Ability to assess the credibility and limitations of animal welfare claims, certifications, supplier data and assurance evidence
• Ability to balance animal welfare objectives with supply availability, affordability, product quality and operational feasibility
• Exceptional partnership, communication and influencing skills across internal and external stakeholders
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, strategic thinking and project-management skills
• Ability to synthesize and communicate complex or emerging information succinctly
• Strong business understanding and commercial acumen
• Sound judgment, intellectual curiosity and confidence leading technical assessment and recommendations during complex or rapidly evolving issues

Responsibilities

• Serve as Target's authoritative technical owner for animal welfare across the Owned Brand business.
• Establish and maintain standards, policies, and sourcing criteria for animal welfare.
• Identify material risks related to animal welfare in supply chains.
• Focus initially on farm animal welfare within food and agricultural supply chains, including laying hens, broiler chickens, swine, dairy and beef cattle, turkeys, and other relevant species.
• Address topics such as housing, breeds and growth rates, enrichment, health, handling, transportation, slaughter, certification, byproducts, and animal welfare claims.
• Use animal welfare science, knowledge of commercial production systems, and supply-chain realities to set technical direction and define credible pathways for progress.
• Maintain species- and commodity-level roadmaps.
• Identify gaps against Target standards and commitments.
• Establish evidence and assurance expectations needed to support claims and reporting.
• Drive action plans to close material gaps in partnership with business owners, considering product quality, affordability, supply availability, and operational feasibility.
• Own the technical direction for Target's animal welfare program and develop strategies, roadmaps, and implementation guidance.
• Assess scientific research, supplier capabilities, production systems, stakeholder expectations, and regulatory developments to identify and prioritize material risks, opportunities, and practical pathways for progress.
• Establish and maintain technical requirements for animal welfare policies and commitments, including definitions, performance indicators, sourcing criteria, assurance expectations, and methods for measuring progress.
• Establish credible approaches for validating supplier data and evidence.
• Define actions to address material gaps and track progress against species- and commodity-level roadmaps.
• Evaluate animal welfare using both resource-based and outcome-based measures.
• Monitor emerging issues, legislation, competitor actions, and industry practices and determine when changes to Target's standards are warranted.
• Establish technical governance for animal welfare, including decision criteria for standards, exceptions, assurance, escalation, and documentation.
• Determine if data and evidence provide sufficient technical confidence to support commitments, claims, and external reporting.
• Identify where additional verification or corrective action is required.
• Serve as the lead animal welfare SME during emerging issues, supplier incidents, external allegations, or other escalations.
• Rapidly assess issues and evidence, identify applicable standards and commitments, characterize material risks and gaps, and provide a clear technical position and recommended actions.
• Support follow-through on corrective actions and longer-term risk mitigation.
• Build collaborative relationships with internal and external partners to integrate animal welfare standards and roadmaps into business execution.
• Partner with merchants, sourcing and product teams, quality and food safety partners, legal counsel, communications teams, and senior leaders.
• Establish strong relationships with suppliers, producers, and processors to understand current practices, identify barriers, and support continuous improvement.
• Communicate clear expectations and help partners develop credible pathways to address identified gaps.
• Engage certification programs, auditors, and assurance providers to understand their capabilities and ensure Target's technical requirements can be credibly implemented and verified.
• Partner with suppliers and internal teams to resolve gaps identified through audits, data reviews, or other assurance activities.
• Represent Target in relevant industry collaborations, working groups, and conferences.
• Engage constructively with scientists, veterinarians, NGOs, producers, commodity organizations, and peer companies.
• Support external communications and reporting by ensuring animal welfare statements, claims, and progress updates accurately reflect Target's standards, evidence, and progress.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits and programs (medical, vision, dental, life insurance)
• 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