Sr. Food & Beverage Trend Researcher

The pay range is $95,000.00 - $171,000.00

Pay is based on several factors which vary based on position. These include labor markets and in some instances may include education, work experience and certifications. In addition to your pay, Target cares about and invests in you as a team member, so that you can take care of yourself and your family. Target offers eligible team members and their dependents comprehensive health benefits and programs, which may include medical, vision, dental, life insurance and more, to help you and your family take care of your whole selves. Other benefits for eligible team members include 401(k), employee discount, short term disability, long term disability, paid sick leave, paid national holidays, and paid vacation. Find competitive benefits from financial and education to well-being and beyond at https://corporate.target.com/careers/benefits.

About Us:

Working at Target means helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. We bring that vision to life through our values and culture. Learn more about Target here.

As a Senior Food & Beverage Trend Researcher, you will:
Lead the identification, synthesis, and activation of emerging food & beverage trends to inform product development, merchandising strategy, and enterprise decision-making. You will translate cultural, consumer, and category trends into clear insights and strategic opportunities that drive growth and differentiation.

Position Overview:

Trend Intelligence & Insight Development

• Identify and track emerging food & beverage trends across culture, consumer behavior, categories, and competitive landscapes.
• Conduct deep-dive category analyses and deliver actionable insights for merchants, Product Development, brand, and enterprise partners.
• Integrate qualitative and quantitative inputs from secondary research, data sources, and insights partnerships.
• Monitor benchmarks, innovation, and new market entrants, sharing relevant implications with teams.

Strategic Vision & Foresight

• Synthesize complex information—trend signals, guest insights, cultural shifts, and data—into clear frameworks and future-forward recommendations.
• Lead strategic workstreams that identify whitespace opportunities and guide long-term category and brand direction.
• Build and evolve trend methodologies, tools, and processes to support strategic planning and innovation.

Collaboration & Influence

• Serve as a strategic partner to merchandising, Product Development, insights, marketing, and brand teams.
• Communicate insights clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including senior leaders.
• Manage multiple projects and timelines while providing clear direction and problem-solving support.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Mentor junior researchers and contribute to developing team capabilities in trend analysis and storytelling.
• Support building an innovative, future-thinking culture across the organization.

Additional Information

• Travel to key markets, trend conferences, and trade shows (approximately 10–20%).
• Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.

About you:    

• Bachelor or Master of Science degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, or directly related field. 

• Minimum 3 years of recipe development experience including broad range of food prep. Prefer experience with globally inspired flavors and formats.  

• Experience with trend/innovation/creative/design within a food, retail, or editorial environment.  

• Naturally curious with a passion for food and innovation; strong consumer orientation  

• Skilled storyteller with demonstrated ability to influence. 

• Demonstrated ability to synthesize a wide spectrum of data into actionable insights. 

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with internal and external partners. 

• Fluent in MS Word & excel and computer design system skills, including InDesign and /or PowerPoint. 

• Food social media savvy with experience navigating Instagram, Pinterest, Tiktok, and other food apps and bloggers.  

Benefits Eligibility

Please paste this url into your preferred browser to learn about benefits eligibility for this role: https://tgt.biz/BenefitsForYou_E

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

In compliance with state and federal laws, Target will make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please reach out to [email protected]. Non-accommodation-related requests, such as application follow-ups or technical issues, will not be addressed through this channel.  

Application deadline is : 03/29/2026