Job Description:

Pilot Plant Technician* (Cottage Grove, MN)

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 role of Pilot Plant Technician will join the team at the Chemical Process Development Center (CPDC) within the Global Chemical Operations organization. The CPDC serves as the bridge between Specialty Materials Development Laboratory and full-scale manufacturing facilities during new product scale-up (NMI/NPI).

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:

• Setting-up, operating, and maintaining pilot-scale chemical processing equipment on a 5-day schedule.
• Collaborating on cross functional teams to manufacture experimental quantities of chemicals and materials while maintaining a safe working environment.
• Utilizing strong mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrating personal flexibility to respond to rapidly changing requests and assignments.
• Transporting and handling chemicals in a variety of packaging configurations.

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 (completed and verified prior to start).
• One (1) year of experience operating chemical or food processing equipment in a pilot and/or manufacturing facility in a private, public or military environment.
• One (1) year of experience in a pilot or manufacturing setting in a private, public and military environment.

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

• Two-year technical degree or higher from an accredited university.
• Minimum of three (3) years of chemical processing experience in manufacturing or pilot plants.
• Flexibility to work shifts outside of the normal schedule (days, afternoons, midnights and weekends) for special projects as needed.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to work in an environment where a wide range of chemicals are handled.

Work location:  Cottage Grove, MN

Travel: May include up to 5% domestic/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).

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.

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 10/19/2026 To 11/18/2026 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.

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 click on the following links and select the country where you are applying for employment to review the applicable Terms of Use (link here) and Privacy Policy (link here). Before submitting your application, you will be asked to confirm your agreement with the terms.