Lead Specialist - Food Specification & Data Management

About us:

Target is an iconic brand, a Fortune 50 company and one of America’s leading retailers.

At the heart of one of the world’s best-loved and most recognizable brands is an impeccable Product Development & Design organization. We thrive on the magic of discovering that just-right thing, and we infuse everything we do with our passion for delighting our guests.  We concept, develop, make and deliver the great tasting new favorites that Target guests expect and deserve. We are uber-savvy trend and quality experts who stay ahead of the curve, proactively identifying our market’s needs and exceeding them, every time. Join one of our dynamic and inventive teams to influence the taste, quality and value that decisively position Target above the competition. Your work will have a direct and positive effect, whether on convenient meals, snacking favorites, giftable, or pantry staples. Here, you will be close to the action of dreaming up and bringing to life the Target-owned brands that surprise and gratify guests, wherever and whenever they love to shop.

A role with Food Product Development means being on a team of project managers, engineers and food scientists who create products that truly embody the intent of Target-owned brands. Can you help ensure that our product specifications are complete and capture the critical attributes needed to uphold our quality standards?  Do you love to manage and organize data to enable information sharing and drive efficiency?  Can you help facilitate packaging and specification development with vendors to ensure executional excellence in product commercialization, then you will have success on our talented and innovative team.
 

As a Lead Specialist - Food Specification & Data Management, you will support Owned Brand Food & Beverage teams with the creation and management of product specifications.  You will manage data collection and workflow with vendors and team to ensure timely and thorough completion of product specifications.  You will assist with execution and launch of products through managing item-tracking grids, specifications, packaging file management, and finished product review processes.  You will participate in cross-functional team meetings to help manage and track progress across these important work streams.

Core responsibilities include:

Finished Product Specification Creation: Works with a cross-functional team to ensure specifications are complete, consistent and are released in a timely fashion. Provides timely and relevant communication of progress and status to stakeholders.

• Maintains item level data and tracking processes to support implementation
• Onboards vendors into Target Specification System
• Initiates Specification creation and revision projects
• Assesses specification content for completeness, adherence to standards and critical to quality criteria.  Works with Product Development, and external partners to ensure content rigor and accuracy.
• Conducts soft proofing and data validation to ensure accuracy of packaging files and specification content

Finished Product Specifications Process Management: Support capabilities in specification creation and management to enable excellence in quality management

• Plans and executes projects according to timelines.  Provides timely and relevant progress and status updates to stakeholders.
• Builds expertise in process and technology used to support specifications program. Understand and troubleshoot process/system issues and drive resolution.
• Understand business processes and supports troubleshooting and continuous improvement of operations

Content Management : 

• Maintains records within product specification systems and ensures accurate and current status of data
• Supports the sustainment of FPS & FPR data in partnership with Product Owner. Ensures reporting and data addresses stakeholder needs and remains compliant with evolving policies.   
• Supports data maintenance & quality routines
• Reviews specifications for conformance to gold standards and approved references. Identifies specification inconsistencies and drives spec accuracy.

Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description.  Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, or a related field
• 2+ years direct food product development or quality management experience.
• Knowledge of quality management and specification development practices
• Experience working in collaboration with contract manufacturing and vendors to ensure quality and consistency of products as designed a plus
• Strong interpersonal skills: able to work effectively with teams and key business partners/technical resources/subject matter experts to obtain accurate information to support data validation and creation efforts.
• Respects guidelines, requirements, and protocols for ensuring the security and confidentiality of all proprietary product information.
• Task and detail oriented with ability to manage multiple tasks; flexibility, independence and a high degree of initiative
• System/Technology Aptitude with proficiency in data management systems and Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint)
• Experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and specification management software.