Sr Merchandise Specialist – Merchandise Support

Job Description

Sr. Merchandise Specialist – Play, Construction & Preschool | Target

The Tone:
This is a full-time core role at Target, located in our Minnesota headquarters with a hybrid work arrangement. Target is dedicated to helping all families discover the joy of everyday life by bringing products to guests through values and culture. This role is vital for providing essential executional support to the merchandise buying and planning teams, ensuring a successful product mix both in-store and online across a wide range of SKUs. As an expert on the guest, market, and competition, this specialist will contribute to localizing product offerings and managing brand positioning.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Hybrid/Flex for Your Day
• Location: Hybrid, Minnesota, USA
• Pay: $20–$37 hourly
• Team: Supports merchandise buying and planning teams for Play, Construction & Preschool categories
• Mission: Provide crucial operational and data management support to ensure smooth product flow and vendor relationships within specific merchandise categories.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Support: Provide key executional support to both merchandise buying and planning teams for in-store and online channels.
• Data Management: Be integral to new vendor setup and maintain item and vendor data across a large number of SKUs.
• Communication: Proactively communicate on behalf of the department in meetings and via email, acting as a liaison for Import Operations, Transportation, Store Ops, and vendors.
• Coordination: Help coordinate samples to facilitate product evaluation and display.
• Problem Solving: Work with supply chain partners to solve problems and ensure successful product flow through the network.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Four-year degree or equivalent work experience in a merchandise support, buying, or planning environment at a senior specialist level.
• Experience: Demonstrated ability in new vendor setup, item/vendor data maintenance, cross-functional communication, and supply chain problem-solving within a retail context.
• Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent organizational abilities with a capacity to prioritize tasks, detail-oriented multitasking, a high sense of urgency, and strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.