Application Engineer - Defense Segment

3M; Minnesota; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

3M seeks an Application Engineer for the Defense Segment in the Aerospace & Defense Business. You will collaborate with global teams to translate customer needs into technical specifications, supporting qualification and adoption of 3M solutions in defense programs.

This role emphasizes building influential relationships with defense primes, suppliers, and government labs while guiding product development to meet mission requirements and modernization priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a science or engineering discipline (completed and verified prior to start).
• Five (5) years of application engineering, product development, new product commercialization, or role translating customer needs into technical product performance criteria in a private, public, government or military environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering with Electronics focus is a plus.
• Masters’s or Ph.D. in a science or engineering discipline is preferred.
• Ten (10) years of related experience translating customer needs into technical product performance criteria in similar environments.
• Experience as a Materials & Processes (M&P) Engineer or Systems Engineer in flight hardware development.
• Defense asset materials selection, qualification, and verification knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Builds strong technical relationships with defense primes, subsystem suppliers, platform integrators, government laboratories, and DoD organizations.
• Partners with customers to understand mission and platform requirements and identify opportunities for 3M technologies across survivability, thermal management, EMI management, structural bonding, and electronic materials.
• Leads technical engagement activities that drive product specification, qualification, and adoption within customer programs.
• Serves as the voice of the customer by translating application needs into product requirements and development opportunities.
• Coordinates testing, generates technical recommendations, and guides implementation of 3M solutions in customer qualification efforts.
• Develops and manages a pipeline of growth opportunities within strategic Defense accounts.
• Collaborates with Sales, Marketing, Product Platforms, Manufacturing, and Corporate Research to accelerate commercialization.
• Identifies unmet needs and advocates for new technologies to enable defense market success.

Skills

Project management

Defense industry knowledge

Systems engineering

Education

Bachelor’s degree in science or engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering with electronics focus

Masters or PhD in a science or engineering discipline

Ten years in related engineering roles translating requirements

Job description

Application Engineer – Defense Segment – Aerospace & Defense Business

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 wide variety of people, global locations, technologies and products, 3M is a place where you can collaborate with other curious, creative 3Mers.

Job Description

Application Engineer – Defense Segment – Aerospace & Defense Business

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 wide 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

As An Application Engineer – Aerospace & Defense, You Will Have The Opportunity To Tap Into Your Curiosity And Collaborate With Some Of The Most Innovative People Around The World. Here, You Will Make An Impact By

• Building strong technical relationships with defense primes, subsystem suppliers, platform integrators, government laboratories, and Department of Defense organizations
• Partnering with customers to understand mission and platform requirements and identify opportunities for 3M technologies across survivability, thermal management, EMI management, structural bonding, and electronics material applications
• Leading technical engagement activities that drive product specification, qualification, and adoption within customer programs
• Serving as the voice of the customer by translating application needs into product requirements and development opportunities
• Understanding customer technology adoption and commercialization process and aligning 3M internal processes to support successful implementation
• Providing technical consultation, training, and application support through customer visits, design reviews, testing activities, field evaluations, and product demonstrations.
• Developing and managing a pipeline of growth opportunities within strategic Defense accounts, including identifying emerging mission needs, modernization priorities, and technology trends
• Supporting customer qualification efforts by coordinating testing, generating technical recommendations, and guiding implementation of 3M solutions
• Collaborating closely with Sales, Marketing, Product Platforms, Manufacturing, and Corporate Research teams to accelerate commercialization and address customer challenges
• Influencing future product development by identifying unmet needs and advocating for new technologies that enable customer success in the defense market

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 in a science or engineering discipline (completed and verified prior to start)
• Five (5) years of application engineering, product development, new product commercialization, or role translating customer needs into technical product performance criteria in a private, public, government or military environment

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

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering with Electronics focus
• Masters’s or Ph.D. degree in a science or engineering discipline
• Ten (10) years of application engineering, product development, new product commercialization, or other similar role translating customer needs into technical product performance criteria in a private, public, government or military environment
• Experience as a Materials & Processes (M&P) Engineer, Materials Engineer, Systems Engineer, Design Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, or a similar role supporting flight hardware development
• Demonstrated knowledge of defense asset materials selection, qualification, and verification processes
• Comprehensive knowledge of defense and aerospace industry materials, technologies, processes, and specifications
• Direct experience working in the military, at a national lab, with Defense primes, or with enabling technology companies and demonstrated understanding of Defense technology ecosystem
• Direct experience working in the Defense avionics segment with demonstrated understanding of avionics-enabling technologies and the broader aerospace electronics ecosystem
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex problems and identify innovative solutions
• Project management experience

Work location:

This position has the possibility for remote work for candidates located more than 50-miles from 3M Global Headquarters in St. Paul, MN. Employees located within a commutable distance to 3M Global Headquarters must work on-site at least 4 days per week.

Travel: May include up to 25% domestic/international

Relocation Assistance: May be authorized

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

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.

Good Faith Posting Date Range 09/29/2026 To 10/29/2026 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.

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/

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