Product Development Engineering Specialist

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

Job summary

3M Center in Maplewood, MN is seeking a Product Development Engineering Specialist who will drive global NPI efforts, coordinate cross-functional teams, and manage change documentation (PPU, PPE, MOC). The role emphasizes safety, cost reduction, and process improvements in consumer electronics tapes adhesives.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD in a relevant field, with 4+ years in data, product information, or material properties, plus Master’s degree or higher as a strong plus.

Qualifications

• PhD in science or engineering completed prior to start.
• Four years of experience in private, public, government, or military environments in data gathering, CAD, product information, or material property information.
• Master's or higher in Mechanical/Chemical/Polymer/Materials Science is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support global and regional NPI efforts in scaling up and commercializing new tapes adhesives in consumer electronics industry.
• Lead or support cross-functional teams to drive cost, quality, service and safety improvement projects and metrics, and participate in problem-solving activities.
• Manage documentation of change management for key projects, including PPU, PPE, MOC; participate in quality investigations and CAPAs.
• Determine cost savings and supply chain improvements and help prioritize within product sub teams.
• Support the quality team in reducing customer complaints and addressing issues as they arise.
• Support manufacturing plants in improving safety and eliminating lost-time incidents.
• Help develop long-term strategies for supporting operational activities and priorities.
• Be willing to be on-call for severe service or quality issues.

Skills

Statistical tools

Six Sigma

Education

PhD in science or engineering

Master's degree or higher in Mechanical/Chemical/Polymer/Materials Science

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

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 Product Development Engineering Specialist, 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

• Supporting global and regional NPI efforts in scaling up and commercializing new tapes adhesives in consumer electronics industry.
• Leading or supporting cross-functional teams to drive cost, quality, service and safety improvement projects and metrics as well as problem-solving projects.
• Managing documentation of change management for key projects and tasks, including Product and Process Understanding (PPU), Product and Process Experiments (PPE), Management of Change Requests (MOC), participating in quality investigations, CAPAs, and any other operational changes or tasks that need to be executed.
• Determining cost savings and supply chain improvement opportunities and helps prioritize within the product sub teams.
• Supporting the quality team in reducing customer complaints, improving the cost of poor quality, and help investigate and mitigate unexpected issues as they arise.
• Supporting the manufacturing plants in their effort to resolve safety issues and preventively work to make the production areas safer and eliminate lost time incidents.
• Helping develop long-term strategies for support of various operational activities and priorities.
• Willingness to be on-call in the event of severe service or quality issues.

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

• PhD degree in science or engineering discipline (completed and verified prior to start)
• Four (4) years of experience in a private, public, government, or military environment in one of more of the following areas: gathering material process data, computer added design, product information, or material property information

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

• Master's degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start) in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science, Polymer Engineering, Materials Science, from an accredited institution.
• Experience in one or more of the following: coating and drying of films, mixing operations (including high shear processes), process optimization, unit cost modeling, other manufacturing processes
• Minimum three (3) years of experience utilizing statistical tools in problem solving
• Utilization of the Six Sigma methodology
• Minimum of three (3) years on New Product Development and/or Commercialization Teams
• Minimum of three (3) years on Quality Improvement and/or Cost Reduction projects

Work location: 3M Center in Maplewood, MN.

Travel: May include up to 10% domestic or international

Relocation Assistance: Is not 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 $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 09/24/2026 To 10/24/2026 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/

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Please note: your application may not be considered if you do not provide your education and work history, either by: 1) uploading a resume, or 2) entering the information into the application fields directly.

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