Advanced Engineer Specialist

3M; Minnesota; On-site; USD 165,000 - 201,000; Full time

Job summary

The 3M Specialty Materials Development Lab (SMDL) in Maplewood, MN, is seeking an Advanced Engineer Specialist to drive project leadership across chemical operations and new material development. You will partner with global teams to advance processes, scale up materials, and contribute to 3M’s manufacturing capabilities.

Ideal candidates bring a strong track record in project management, cross-functional teamwork, and the ability to influence stakeholders while delivering complex experiments

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution.
• Five (5) years of roles as a project manager or other roles that include project management in various sectors.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate expertise in project leadership and manage duties for SMDL.
• Collaborate with high-performing teams to identify key projects to improve lab or plant operations.
• Lead projects related to lab business processes and manufacturing capabilities.
• Collaborate on remediation technology projects and lead field trials.
• Interface with stakeholders to define problems and develop solutions.
• Contribute to IP development and apply scientific/engineering knowledge to solve problems.
• Develop project scopes, plans, and design of experiments.

Skills

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Teamwork

Self-motivation

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Job description

Job Description

Collaborate with Innovative 3Mers Around the World

Choosing where to start and grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the company that you choose to work at, and its leaders, will support and guide you. With a variety of people, global locations, technologies and products, 3M is a place where you can collaborate with other curious, creative 3Mers.

This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career.

The Impact You’ll Make in this Role

The 3M Specialty Materials Development Lab (SMDL) drives breakthroughs in materials by partnering with Corporate Research Laboratories (CRL) and division labs to develop and scale up new to the world materials that enable new products and strengthen core businesses. SMDL scientists and engineers collaborate across global research teams to explore emerging materials, process technologies, and digital solutions that support 3M’s long‑term growth. The organization combines deep technical expertise with a culture of curiosity, creativity, and scientific excellence.

The Person Hired For The Position Of Advanced Engineer Specialist, SMDL Will Have The To Tap Into Your Curiosity And Collaborate With Some Of The Most Innovative People Around The World. Here, You Will Make An Impact By

• Demonstrating your recognized expertise in project leadership and expertise in chemical operations, new material development, chemical process development, or chemical processing to carry out project management duties for SMDL.
• Collaborate with high performing teams to identify key projects to improve lab or plant operations
• Lead projects related to lab business process
• Collaborate with teams developing new remediation technology and lead efforts to advance the projects through field trials
• Lead projects improving manufacturing capability or implementing new manufacturing technologies
• Interface with stakeholders to define problems and develop solutions.
• Initiate and contribute to the analysis and development of intellectual property
• Applying scientific and engineering knowledge to solve complex problems.
• Applying technical and leadership skills to generate project scopes, plans, and design of experiments.
• Strengthening 3M’s proprietary position through development of intellectual property.
• Utilizing good communication skills to inspire, influence, motivate and teach other team members.
• Traveling when needed to support your projects or other business needs.

Your Skills And Expertise

To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start) from an accredited institution
• Five (5) years of roles as a project manager or other roles that include project management as part of their duties in a private, public, government or military environment

Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:

• Eight (8) years of experience working in or with Chemical Operations in operations roles, scaling up new materials, chemical process development, or capital project implementation
• Ability to create project plans and drive successful implementation
• Ability to engage and influence the organization
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple high priority projects efficiently and work with cross functional teams and across multiple functions and disciplines
• Results-oriented, self-motivated individual with proven ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize to meet stakeholder needs
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and teamwork skills and ability to work well with cross-functional global teams
• Must have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to excel in cross-functional environments
• Success in working on global teams, close collaboration with customers and capability to both lead and be a member of high-performance teams.
• Ability to self-initiate, develop, direct, and complete projects with significant impact to 3M.

Work location:

This role follows an on-site working model, requiring the employee to work at least four days a week at the 3M Center in Maplewood, MN.

Travel:

May include up to 25% domestic/international

Relocation:

May be authorized

Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).

U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub-contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export-controlled and other technology and services with certain "non-U.S. persons" (persons who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., refugees, "Temporary Residents" (granted Amnesty or Special Agricultural Worker provisions), or persons granted asylum.

To comply with these laws, 3M must help assess candidates' U.S. person status.

The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position.

Supporting Your Well-being

3M offers many programs to help you live your best life – both physically and financially. To ensure competitive pay and benefits, 3M regularly benchmarks with other companies that are comparable in size and scope.

Chat with Max

For assistance with searching through our current job openings or for more information about all things 3M, visit Max, our virtual recruiting assistant on 3M.com/careers.

Applicable to US Applicants Only:The expected compensation range for this position is $164,612 - $201,193, which includes base pay plus variable incentive pay, if eligible. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. In addition, this position may be eligible for a range of benefits (e.g., Medical, Dental & Vision, Health Savings Accounts, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Voluntary Benefits, Paid Absences and Retirement Benefits, etc.). Additional information is available at: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/.

Good Faith Posting Date Range 09/02/2026 To 10/02/2026 Or until filled

All US-based 3M full time employees will need to sign an employee agreement as a condition of employment with 3M. This agreement lays out key terms on using 3M Confidential Information and Trade Secrets. It also has provisions discussing conflicts of interest and how inventions are assigned. Employees that are Job Grade 7 or equivalent and above may also have obligations to not compete against 3M or solicit its employees or customers, both during their employment, and for a period after they leave 3M.

Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @3M.

Responsibilities of this position include that corporate policies, procedures and security standards are complied with while performing assigned duties.

Safety is a core value at 3M. All employees are expected to contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement.

Pay & Benefits Overview: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/

3M does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.