Sr. Product Engineer- Paper products

Target•Minneapolis, MN

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr. Product Engineer, Paper Products, will independently develop and execute the technical development process, ensuring product adherence to quality standards for Target-owned brands. This involves creating and interpreting concepts, guiding products through their development lifecycle, and providing technical product guidance to design, sourcing, quality, and merchant teams. The role owns and leads the technical design and development process through diligent workload management, timely team communication, and articulation/execution of business initiatives, product quality requirements, and performance expectations. This position also leads Technical Design/Engineering within a cross-functional team focused on bringing owned brand products to appropriate levels of style, quality, and value. In partnership with internal and external stakeholders, the Sr. Product Engineer is responsible for executing brand vision, resolving manufacturing issues, and developing products, while meeting all deadlines. Additionally, in collaboration with the director, they will develop and lead strategic research and development projects, including understanding benchmarks to ensure Target products meet or exceed competitor performance, executing plans for improvements, developing innovative product solutions, and leading guest research initiatives to influence strategic product direction. Candidates may possess direct paper experience or relevant expertise from adjacent industries such as nonwovens, absorbent products, fiber-based materials, packaging, or converting.

Requirements

Four-year degree in Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Product Development, or related field, or equivalent experience
8+ years of relevant experience
Advanced expertise in a specific category or business
Knowledge of testing, safety and legal requirements for consumer products
Knowledge of raw materials and manufacturing process
Strong knowledge of various 2-D and/or 3-D CAD software packages
Advanced knowledge of product manufacturing process
Ability to build relationships to successfully work in a team environment
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

Nice To Haves

Strong experience in paper products, tissue, towels, nonwovens, absorbent products, converting, packaging, fiber-based materials, or a related manufacturing field.
Strong business judgment and ability to connect technical decisions to consumer and financial outcomes.
Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive decisions without formal authority.
Strong prioritization, project management, and problem-solving skills.
Experience working directly with suppliers and manufacturing partners.
Clear, concise communication and a collaborative, low-ego leadership style.
Ability to operate independently and create clarity in ambiguous situations.
Tissue, towel, paper converting, embossing, fiber, or related manufacturing experience.
Consumer products, retailer-owned brands, or private-label product development.
Experience using consumer research, benchmarking, or product testing to guide product decisions.
Quality investigations, supplier qualification, value engineering, or cost optimization.
Bachelor’s or advanced degree in paper science, engineering, materials science, packaging, or a related technical field.

Responsibilities

Lead product development, innovation, quality improvement, cost optimization, and supplier initiatives.
Apply strong knowledge of materials, manufacturing, product performance, specifications, testing, and supplier capabilities.
Translate consumer insights, product performance, and business needs into clear product and technical requirements.
Identify technical risks, challenge assumptions, and use data and judgment to solve complex product and manufacturing problems.
Bring forward new product, technology, supplier, and performance opportunities.
Lead work across Product Development, Sourcing, Merchandising, Quality, Packaging, Supply Chain, Finance, Insights, and suppliers.
Drive ideas from concept through decision and execution, not simply complete assigned technical work.
Build alignment and influence decisions without direct authority.
Navigate competing perspectives and organizational complexity while keeping work moving.
Communicate complex technical topics clearly to both technical and business audiences.
Understand the business behind product decisions, including consumer needs, competitive positioning, cost, margin, and supplier economics.
Use consumer feedback, research, competitive benchmarking, and product data to inform product decisions and identify opportunities.
Balance performance, cost, speed, sustainability, manufacturability, and supply risk.
Partner with business teams to help shape category, innovation, and supplier strategies.
Independently manage a high-volume portfolio of projects, quality issues, and supplier initiatives.
Determine what requires immediate attention, what creates the greatest value or risk, and what can wait.
Maintain clear visibility to priorities, milestones, risks, and decisions.
Proactively surface resource constraints, escalate risks, and ask for support when priorities cannot reasonably be met.