Job Description:

Job Title

Pilot Plant Technician (St. Paul, 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

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. Will be responsible for setting up, operating, and maintaining various pilot plant equipment and processes while ensuring 3M quality standards are met and maintained.  This position may involve performing complex tests, tasks, and/or experiments. Also, this person will provide support to conduct experimental and production runs while maintaining a safe working environment.  This job involves working a night shift, 10pm to 6am. This position may also have to flex their shift hours for training and production coverage. Here, you will make an impact by:

• Preparing and operating experimental, prototype, or production equipment. Primary area of responsibility will be extruders, with additional support of injection molding presses and converting lines.
• Providing general maintenance, setup, and changeover of equipment.
• Supporting development of technologies and processes.
• Locating defects or problems during the manufacturing process and making adjustments as needed.
• Implementing continuous improvement ideas.
• Performing quality testing. Interpreting and providing feedback on quality results. Adjusting machinery to meet specifications based on test results. Maintaining proper documentation and producing necessary reports.
• Maintaining a safe working environment.

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) combined year of experience working in a manufacturing, pilot plant, and/or laboratory environment within a private, public, government or military environment.

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

• Associate's degree or Technical Diploma from an accredited institution
• Experience with injection molding, web handling, and/or extrusion in a manufacturing or pilot plant environment.
• Willing to work weekend and overtime work as needed.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and good problem-solving skills.
• Ability to complete work independently.

Location:  

• St. Paul, MN. This position requires the ability to work during 10pm to 6am (Sunday - Thursday)

Travel:  May include up to 5% domestic

Relocation:  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 07/16/2026 To 08/15/2026 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.

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