Master Laboratory Technician

3M; Minnesota; On-site; USD 75,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

3M is seeking a Product Developer to collaborate with a global team and advance abrasive products. The role emphasizes hands-on laboratory work, data collection, and testing to drive product development.

You will operate within a safety-focused environment at the Maplewood, MN site, with potential travel and relocation support as needed. Required are a strong lab background, effective communication, and the ability to work across disciplines to deliver tested, documented results that support

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED equivalent (verified prior to start).
• Five (5) years of laboratory experience in an academic, private, public, government, or military environment.
• Associates' degree (completed and verified prior to start) with additional relevant experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Collaborating with a cross-functional team to develop high impact innovative abrasives; engage with product developers, engineers, and technicians to complete testing and communicate results.
• Experiment with various test methods to determine optimum procedures.
• Maintain a safe, organized lab and follow all safety and department policies.
• Obtain and provide lab samples for testing; interpret and communicate project status and test results to customers.
• Plan, schedule, and conduct complex tests with minimal supervision.
• Record and communicate technical work; contribute to lab documentation and IP records.
• Identify opportunities to improve lab safety and efficiency; implement improvements.
• Ensure availability of raw materials by ordering supplies and maintaining items for testing.
• Follow and develop standard operating procedures and process documentation.

Skills

Laboratory experience

Written communication

Verbal communication

Self-starter

Team collaboration

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associates' degree

Tools

Design of experiments

Statistical analysis

Testing equipment troubleshooting

Job description

Product Developer

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

Product Developer

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

• Collaborating with a cross-functional team to develop high impact innovative abrasives. Engaging with product developers, engineers, and other technicians to complete product and prototype testing and providing data and observations.
• Experiments with various test methods to determine the optimum test procedures or approaches.
• Maintaining a safe and organized work environment. Following all safety and compliance requirements, and department policies
• Obtains and produces lab samples needed for testing. Interprets, evaluates, and communicates project status and test results to customers through appropriate documentation.
• Prioritizes, schedules, and conducts complex tests and experiments with minimal supervision.
• Record keeping and communication of technical work and results and contributing to documentation of intellectual property. Prepares and maintains laboratory records.
• Improving the operational safety and efficiency of the labs by identifying and implementing improvement opportunities
• Assures availability of raw materials by maintaining and ordering supplies used in testing.
• Following and developing standard operating procedures and process documentation

Your Skills And Expertise

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

• High school diploma or GED equivalent (verified prior to start)
• Five (5) years of laboratory experience in an academic, private, public, government, or military environment.

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

• Associates' degree in (completed and verified prior to start)
• Seven (7) years of laboratory experience in an academic, private, public, government, or military environment.
• Prior industry experience, with demonstration of new technology and/or product development.
• Hands-on, self-starter approach, with experience troubleshooting equipment and processes.
• Familiarity with design of experiments and statistical analysis
• Experience with development of test methods.
• Ability and desire to excel in a highly interdisciplinary, team-oriented work environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

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 5% domestic travel

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 $75,064 - $91,745, 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 09/16/2026 To 10/16/2026 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.