Labor Planning and Optimization Analyst

About Target:

As a Fortune 50 company with more than 400,000 team members worldwide, Target is an iconic brand and one of America’s leading retailers. Our purpose is to help all families discover the joy of everyday life. We invest in the places we collectively live, work, and play - fostering a culture of care, growth, and innovation.

Within Target’s Operations and Supply Chain organization, we’re focused on building an agile, efficient, and people-first network that powers our ability to deliver an exceptional guest experience every day.

About the Role

As a Labor Planning & Optimization Analyst, you will contribute to the design, analysis, and continuous improvement of labor planning and forecasting models that enable efficient staffing across Target’s fulfillment and distribution sites. You will collaborate with site leaders and cross-functional partners to provide insights, interpret data trends, and help drive operational and hiring decisions that enhance productivity and service levels.

This role offers exposure to both analytical modeling and strategic decision-making, providing an excellent platform to develop advanced technical and business skills within Target’s fast-paced supply chain environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the development and maintenance of labor optimization and forecasting models to drive workforce planning decisions.
• Perform data extraction, transformation, and analysis using Python and SQL to identify patterns and opportunities.
• Partner with senior analysts, site leaders, HR, and finance teams to align staffing forecasts with operational goals.
• Build and update dashboards and reports that summarize site performance and labor utilization.
• Translate analytical findings into actionable insights and clearly communicate results to non-technical stakeholders.
• Support testing and implementation of new optimization tools or model enhancements.
• Assist in scenario analysis to support hiring strategies, workload distribution, and process improvement initiatives.
• Work in flexible shift timings to drive regular interactions with field teams and sites in the US, including meetings with field teams that may extend till 1 AM IST.
• Coordinated communication and engagement with senior leadership (SOD/GVP) from the MPLS team across site and HQ.

Core Technical Skills:

• Programming & Data Tools: Python (Pandas, NumPy), SQL, R (optional), and BI tools such as Tableau or Power BI.
• Analytical Techniques: Forecasting, regression analysis, simulation, and optimization concepts.
• Data Management: Data cleaning, transformation, and database querying.
• Visualization & Reporting: Ability to build clear and effective dashboards and performance metrics.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree, Data Analytics, Operations Research, Statistics, or a related field.
• 1–4 years of experience in analytics, workforce planning, or operations research.
• Supply chain and Warehouse knowledge
• Hands-on experience with Python and SQL for data analysis and reporting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex datasets.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work across functions and with on-site partners.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in labor modeling, logistics, or supply chain analytics.
• Familiarity with optimization or forecasting tools and techniques.
• Exposure to retail or distribution environments is a plus.

Core Behaviors

• Collaborative: Works effectively with cross-functional teams and supports senior analysts in executing strategic initiatives.
• Analytical Thinker: Approaches business challenges with data-driven rigor and curiosity.
• Adaptable: Thrives in a dynamic environment and adjusts quickly to shifting priorities.
• Communicative: Presents analytical insights in a clear, concise, and actionable manner.