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 re