Director, Alliances and Business Development, Commercial and Graphics Solutions Vertical

3M; Minnesota; On-site; USD 250,000 - 306,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision

Health Savings Accounts

Disability Benefits

Retirement Benefits

Job summary

3M is seeking a Director, Alliances and Business Development to lead the strategy and execution of alliance partnerships for the Commercial and Graphics Solutions Vertical. The role requires leading cross-functional teams and engaging executives to drive growth.

The candidate will build and manage strategic partnerships, close deals, influence go-to-market priorities, and ensure governance of pipeline and performance across the organization. On-site work in Maplewood, MN is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start).
• Twelve (12) years of relevant experience in strategic alliances, business development, ecosystem partnerships, large-deal development, go-to-market strategy, or new growth platform commercialization in various environments.
• Twelve (12) years of demonstrated ability to provide vertical strategic leadership and translate priorities into actionable growth plans.

Responsibilities

• Create and govern the Alliances and Business Development strategy for the Commercial and Graphics Solutions Vertical.
• Execute vertical alliance plans against defined quarterly targets.
• Build executive-level relationships with strategic partners and customers.
• Close partnerships, convert to booked pipeline and revenue.
• Lead cross-functional alignment among Sales, Strategy, Marketing, R&D, and Finance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Ecosystem partnerships

Go-to-market strategy

Deal development

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

Job Description

Director, Alliances and Business Development

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 a Director, Alliances and Business Development, 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

• Create and develop the Alliances and Business Development strategy for the Commercial and Graphics Solutions Vertical
• Execute the vertical alliance and business development plan against defined quarterly targets.
• Run a disciplined partner engagement cadence with executive sponsors, customers, and ecosystem leaders.
• Close partnership agreements and convert them into booked pipeline, signed deals, and recognized revenue.
• Build executive-level relationships with strategic partners, customers, and ecosystem leaders.
• Identify and prioritize major growth opportunities beyond the current product mix.
• Shape business cases for new market application investments.
• Influence product, innovation, and go-to-market priorities using customer and market insight.
• Align Sales, Strategy, Marketing, Application Engineering, R&D, and partner divisions around key opportunities.
• Provide executive governance for pipeline, partnership performance, and strategic growth initiatives.

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)
• Twelve (12) years of relevant experience in strategic alliances, business development, ecosystem partnerships, large-deal development, go-to-market strategy, or new growth platform commercialization in a private, public, government, or military environment.
• Twelve (12) years of demonstrated ability to provide vertical strategic leadership and translate business priorities into actionable growth plans.
• Twelve (12) years of strong executive influence and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to align senior leaders, strategic partners, and cross-functional teams.
• Twelve (12) years of experience building ecosystems and partner networks that expand market access, strengthen capabilities, and create new growth opportunities.

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

• Master’s degree in business administration, Marketing, Strategy, Engineering, Science, or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Customer-back and market-back mindset, using customer needs, market dynamics, and competitive insights to shape strategy and execution.
• Strong commercial judgment with the ability to evaluate opportunities, risks, deal structures, and business impact.
• Proven experience developing and executing business development strategies that create measurable revenue growth.
• Strategic alliance leadership experience, including identifying, developing, and managing high-value external partnerships.
• Ability to orchestrate large, complex deals across customers, partners, internal stakeholders, and executive decisionmakers.
• Strong go-to-market strategy experience, including translating market opportunities into scalable commercial plans.
• Experience commercializing new growth platforms, applications, or business models from concept through execution.
• Ability to translate market and customer insights into actionable product, portfolio, innovation, and investment priorities.
• Proven cross-functional leadership experience, with the ability to drive alignment across Sales, Marketing, Strategy, R&D, Application Engineering, Finance, Legal, and Operations.
• Excellent senior-level communication and storytelling skills, including the ability to present complex ideas clearly and persuasively to executive audiences.
• Ability to make sound decisions in ambiguous or evolving business environments.
• Experience prioritizing portfolios, investments, and growth opportunities based on strategic, commercial, and financial value.
• Strong business case development and investment framing skills, including the ability to assess value creation, resource needs, risks, and expected returns.
• Experience providing strategic pipeline governance, including tracking opportunity progression, partnership performance, and revenue impact.
• Demonstrated change leadership, including the ability to influence direction, mobilize teams, and drive adoption of new growth initiatives.

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).

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 $250,253 - $305,864, 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.).

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.

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.

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.