Pilot Plant Technician

Job Description:

Job Title

Pilot Plant Technician

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
The person hired for the position of Pilot Plant Technician will work in the Tape Process Development Center (TPDC) within the Chemical Manufacturing Operations organization.  TPDC focuses on prototype quantities of new materials, new process development or improvement that supports new and/or improved products or processes for many 3M divisions.

This position is primarily Monday-Friday with a weekly shift rotation.  There is an exception of periodic overtime (including weekends) to meet customer demands. 

As a Pilot Plant Technician, 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:

• Maintaining a safe work environment for self, coworkers, and visitors including the ability to wear personal protective equipment.
• Preparing and operating development equipment which can vary with process and/or product experimental or standard needs.  Includes setup, general maintenance, clean-up, and changeover of equipment.
• Actively engaging with process engineers and customers to conduct product and process experiments.
• Performing QC measurements and analytical techniques that support both process and product development.  Communicate results with other technical personnel and make recommendations as appropriate.
• Translate customer requirements to the process line capabilities so that experimental objectives are achieved. 
• Assisting and training new personnel on machine operations and processes.
• Maintaining accurate process and experimental records and quality test results. 
• Assuring availability of raw materials by utilizing accurate production reporting and inventory practices.
• Having the ability to lift pails, move drums, and drive PIVs.
• Fostering a team environment and taking the lead when necessary.

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/GED or higher from (completed and verified prior to start)
• Two (2) years combined pilot plant, maintenance of specialized equipment, laboratory and/or manufacturing experience in a private, public, government or military environment

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

• Possess expertise equivalent to that which would be obtained in an associates/technical degree or higher
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience with hot melt compounding/extrusion, solution coating, microreplication, and converting in a laboratory/pilot plant/manufacturing environment
• Ability to complete work with little supervision and work well in a team environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Comfortable/flexible with working in an innovative environment.  Able to work with change, adapt to new procedures and/or methods.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills
• Self-starter with hands-on approach to problem solving
• Experience with extruders, weblines and chemical compounding
• Intermediate computer knowledge (Microsoft Office)
• Willingness to work in an environment where a wide range of chemicals are handled (This is a chemicals environment job)
• Work location: Cottage Grove, MN
• Travel: Not required
• 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).

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. 

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 $67,593 - $82,614, 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 09/15/2025 To 10/15/2025 Or until filledAll 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.

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.

3M Global Terms of Use and Privacy Statement

Carefully read these Terms of Use before using this website. Your access to and use of this website and application for a job at 3M are conditioned on your acceptance and compliance with these terms.

Please access the linked document by clicking here, select the country where you are applying for employment, and review. Before submitting your application, you will be asked to confirm your agreement with the terms.