Technical Program Manager

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental & Vision

Health Savings Accounts

Flexible Spending Accounts

Disability Benefits

Life Insurance

Voluntary Benefits

Paid Absences

Retirement Benefits

Job summary

3M is seeking a Technical Program Manager to drive NPI and sustaining programs from development through mass production. You will lead a cross-functional team of engineers and collaborate with contract manufacturers to ensure readiness and quality across ferrule production processes.

The role emphasizes technical leadership, systematic root-cause investigations, and alignment with DFx principles to enable scalable, reliable production at 3M locations in Minnesota and beyond.

Qualifications

• Candidates must have a degree and strong experience in hardware/optics manufacturing or related fields.
• Proven track record leading or supporting NPI programs from development through mass production.
• Experience with root cause analysis and corrective actions in a manufacturing setting.

Responsibilities

• Technical lead for manufacturing operations at vendor sites and CM partners.
• Drive contract manufacturer preparation for pre-production builds.
• Serve as escalation point for ferrule production processes with root cause analysis.
• Provide leadership to cross-functional teams across product engineering, supplier quality, and DFx.
• Own technical readiness and ensure processes, tooling, and quality systems meet hyperscale needs.
• Lead decision-making on process design, yield improvements, and manufacturability.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

NPI program management

Root cause analysis

Vendor/manufacturer collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Tools

Windchill

SAP QM

Minitab

MES

Job description

Job Title: Technical Program Manager

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

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 the Technical Program Manager for EBO, you will drive the technical and operational success of new product introduction (NPI) and sustaining programs from development through hyperscale volume production. You will lead and align a cross‑functional team of engineers‑including Product Engineering, Supplier Quality Engineering, Test Engineering, and DFx‑to ensure contract manufacturers are fully prepared to meet production readiness and scale requirements.

You will serve as the primary technical escalation point for issues related to ferrule production processes, driving root cause analysis and resolution to keep programs on schedule and quality targets intact. Your ability to manage complexity, anticipate risk, and coordinate across engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain functions will directly enable seamless transitions from NPI into mass production‑ensuring 3M continues to deliver reliable, high‑quality products at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical lead for manufacturing operations at Vendor(s)
• Drive contract manufacturer preparation for pre‑production builds
• Serve as the primary technical authority and escalation point for all issues related to ferrule production processes, driving deep root cause analysis and hands‑on problem‑solving to ensure effective, permanent closure.
• Provide technical leadership and direction to a cross‑functional team of engineers (Product Engineering, Supplier Quality Engineering, Test Engineering, DFx, and others) throughout new product introduction (NPI) and sustaining production phases.
• Own the technical readiness assessment of contract manufacturers, ensuring processes, tooling, and quality systems are fully capable of supporting hyperscale volume production.
• Drive technical decision‑making on process design, yield improvement, and manufacturability, partnering closely with DFx and process engineering to optimize production outcomes.
• Lead technical deep‑dives and root cause investigations for critical production issues, ensuring corrective and preventive actions are technically sound and sustainable at scale.
• Guide engineering teams in resolving complex, cross‑disciplinary technical challenges spanning product design, process engineering, and manufacturing execution.
• Evaluate new process technologies, equipment, and methods to improve ferrule production quality, throughput, and cost‑efficiency.
• Collaborate with contract manufacturers' technical teams to troubleshoot production issues on‑site or remotely, ensuring rapid and effective resolution.
• Ensure technical solutions align with 3M quality standards, reliability requirements, and applicable regulatory guidelines.
• Communicate technical risks, findings, and recommendations clearly to engineering leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders to support informed decision‑making.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to engineers on the team, fostering strong problem‑solving capability and technical rigor.

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)
• Seven (7) years of combined experience in product engineering, process engineering, manufacturing engineering, or technical program management within a hardware/optics manufacturing environment.
• Five (5) years of demonstrated experience leading or directly supporting new product introduction (NPI) programs from development through mass production.
• Five (5) years of hands‑on experience with root cause analysis and corrective action processes (e.g., 8D, DMAIC, fishbone/Ishikawa analysis) in a manufacturing or production environment.
• Three (3) years of experience working directly with contract manufacturers (CMs) or external manufacturing partners on process qualification, technical issue resolution, or production ramp activities.

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

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical field.
• Experience with fiber optic components, connectors, or ferrule manufacturing processes specifically.
• Background in high‑volume, hyperscale, or precision manufacturing environments (e.g., semiconductor, optics, electronics, or medical device manufacturing).
• Familiarity with Design for Excellence (DFx) principles, including Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT).
• Experience with statistical process control (SPC), process capability analysis (Cpk/Ppk), and yield improvement methodologies.
• Working knowledge of quality systems and standards such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or similar.
• Experience with PLM, MES, or quality management software systems (e.g., Windchill, SAP QM, Minitab).
• Proven ability to mentor and develop junior engineers or technical team members.
• Strong communication skills with experience presenting technical findings to senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Experience working in a global, matrixed organization with cross‑time‑zone collaboration.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional, technical teams (engineering, quality, manufacturing) to resolve complex production issues.
• Hands‑on experience with root cause analysis and corrective action processes (e.g., 8D, DMAIC, fishbone/Ishikawa analysis) in a manufacturing or production environment.
• Experience working directly with contract manufacturers (CMs) or external manufacturing partners on process qualification, technical issue resolution, or production ramp activities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional, technical teams (engineering, quality, manufacturing) to resolve complex production issues.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (as required) to support contract manufacturer sites, up to approximately 25% of the time.

Work location

• Work location: This role has an on‑site working model, with the employee working at least four days a week in the office at 3M Center located in Maplewood, MN or at the 3M Center in Austin, Tx.
• Travel: May include up to 25% both domestic and 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).

Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws.

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.

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.). Additional information is available at: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/.

Good Faith Posting Date Range 09/11/2026 To 10/11/2026 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/

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.