Description:
Sr. Accelerators Program Manager

About Us:

Target is an iconic brand, a Fortune 50 company and one of America's leading retailers. On pace with one of the world's best-loved and most recognized retail brands, Target Strategy & Innovation is focused on the future. We are at the center of developing and enabling how Target evolves to meet the changing needs of our guests while winning a competitive global retail marketplace. Here, you'll partner with internal contacts and external firms in a wide variety of roles-whether you're a technical engineer in San Francisco or a corporate strategist at Target headquarters in Minneapolis. Do you love the idea of helping to shape Target's long-term strategy development? Are you a champion for rigor and process to ensure successful strategic planning? Can you bring your energy and big ideas to the table in order to build momentum in new business innovation? Then bring your talent to the game and join us in bringing to life a portfolio of initiatives designed to move Target forward.

A role with Innovation means helping Target accelerate and prove new concepts that differentiate the guest experience and generate new revenue streams. You'll help pioneer ideas designed to disrupt certain market spaces working within a cross-functional team or engage with start-ups with an aim on testing and accelerating their products. You'll ensure success by rapidly applying your expertise and fostering an entrepreneurial culture while leveraging the benefit of a large organization's knowledge and resources.

The Sr. Accelerator Program Manager is responsible for program execution, specifically planning and creating curriculum based on the program's overall strategy and outlined business outcomes. The Sr. Accelerator Program Manager will be the primary contact and face of each program to startups and Target stakeholders, acting as the 'educator' ensuring all internal Target sessions, external speakers and industry content is best-in-class and compliant with the Target Accelerators brand.

Responsibilities:

Applications:

• Define application criteria and questions in partnership with Target stakeholders and program goals, maintaining Target Accelerators standards where applicable
• Ensure fair, equitable and transparent program review practices, routines and cohort selection, including all written communication to applicants
• Master submission platform process and technology capabilities
• Responsible for tracking KPIs throughout application process and reporting associated to applicants
• Partner closely with Marketing and Pipeline leads to drive application goals

Programs:

• Plan and execute key program curricula and events, including but not limited to: Target content, external speakers, industry experts/paid-for content, activities/ice-breakers, social events, office hours
• Facilitate all programming with cohorts, coordinating a smooth flow across all session content
• Partner closely with Target stakeholders to ensure program curriculum is aligned to overall strategy and will build towards desired outcomes for upskilling and educating startups
• Builds relationships with key Subject Matter Experts and partners to align with building content and executing workshops
• Own and manage all documentation regarding program curriculum planning and sessions
• Continuously collect feedback from the cohort via quantitative and qualitative surveys and identifies opportunities for optimization and process improvement and leads implementation
• Facilitate any cohort introductions internally and externally, managing expectations and next steps clearly for both parties
• Master any and all Learning Management platform process and technology capabilities
• Partner closely with Portfolio lead to hand-off program participants at the end of program; continuously collaborate to improve overall process across Alumni

Mentor Network:

• Manage relationships with internal and external mentors and program participants
• Identify open needs within mentor network and partner with the team to identify strong candidates to fill the opens
• Continuously researching, and staying up to date with external trends, founders, and other industry experts that can be part of the programs

Other:

• Represent Target Accelerators in the local community, both actively and passively
• Contribute to the execution of Target's innovation programs, including travel, during extended night and weekend hours (for future hybrid/in-person programming)

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

Required Experience:

• Experience working within startup/entrepreneurial communities (including working with and/or on a startup)
• Experience working in lean/agile, constantly changing environments
• Experience in education, coaching, training and other teaching capacities
• Master of facilitating diverse and inclusive experiences and environments, ability to work with a range of people, and comfortable leaning into difficult conversations
• Highly organized, campaign/event planning and logistics experience a plus
• Proven attention to detail through prior work
• Comfortable with experimenting, making data-informed decisions and testing and learning with minimal amounts of direction
• Bachelor's degree

Ideal Behaviors and Skills:

• Undeniable entrepreneurial behavior and attitude
• Ability to completely own and drive your responsibilities forward
• Ability to maintain a calm presence under extremely fast and high-pressure social scenarios
• A magnificent passion for innovation
• The ability to efficiently lead without authority, confidently presenting in rooms full of stakeholders, across all levels

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Target will provide reasonable accommodations (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with the application process upon your request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process, please visit your nearest Target store or Distribution Center or reach out to Guest Services at 1-800-440-0680 for additional information.

Qualifications: