Application Engineer - Defense Segment

3M•Maplewood, MN

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career. As an Application Engineer – Aerospace & Defense, 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 building strong technical relationships with defense primes, subsystem suppliers, platform integrators, government laboratories, and Department of Defense organizations. You will partner with customers to understand mission and platform requirements and identify opportunities for 3M technologies across survivability, thermal management, EMI management, structural bonding, and electronics material applications. You will lead technical engagement activities that drive product specification, qualification, and adoption within customer programs. You will serve as the voice of the customer by translating application needs into product requirements and development opportunities. You will understand the customer technology adoption and commercialization process and align 3M internal processes to support successful implementation. You will provide technical consultation, training, and application support through customer visits, design reviews, testing activities, field evaluations, and product demonstrations. You will develop and manage a pipeline of growth opportunities within strategic Defense accounts, including identifying emerging mission needs, modernization priorities, and technology trends. You will support customer qualification efforts by coordinating testing, generating technical recommendations, and guiding implementation of 3M solutions. You will collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, Product Platforms, Manufacturing, and Corporate Research teams to accelerate commercialization and address customer challenges. You will influence future product development by identifying unmet needs and advocating for new technologies that enable customer success in the defense market.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in a science or engineering discipline (completed and verified prior to start)
Five (5) years of application engineering, product development, new product commercialization, or role translating customer needs into technical product performance criteria in a private, public, government or military environment
Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering with Electronics focus
Masters’s or Ph.D. degree in a science or engineering discipline
Ten (10) years of application engineering, product development, new product commercialization, or other similar role translating customer needs into technical product performance criteria in a private, public, government or military environment
Experience as a Materials & Processes (M&P) Engineer, Materials Engineer, Systems Engineer, Design Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, or a similar role supporting flight hardware development
Demonstrated knowledge of defense asset materials selection, qualification, and verification processes
Comprehensive knowledge of defense and aerospace industry materials, technologies, processes, and specifications
Direct experience working in the military, at a national lab, with Defense primes, or with enabling technology companies and demonstrated understanding of Defense technology ecosystem
Direct experience working in the Defense avionics segment with demonstrated understanding of avionics-enabling technologies and the broader aerospace electronics ecosystem
Demonstrated ability to navigate complex problems and identify innovative solutions
Project management experience

Responsibilities

Building strong technical relationships with defense primes, subsystem suppliers, platform integrators, government laboratories, and Department of Defense organizations
Partnering with customers to understand mission and platform requirements and identify opportunities for 3M technologies across survivability, thermal management, EMI management, structural bonding, and electronics material applications
Leading technical engagement activities that drive product specification, qualification, and adoption within customer programs
Serving as the voice of the customer by translating application needs into product requirements and development opportunities
Understanding customer technology adoption and commercialization process and aligning 3M internal processes to support successful implementation
Providing technical consultation, training, and application support through customer visits, design reviews, testing activities, field evaluations, and product demonstrations
Developing and managing a pipeline of growth opportunities within strategic Defense accounts, including identifying emerging mission needs, modernization priorities, and technology trends
Supporting customer qualification efforts by coordinating testing, generating technical recommendations, and guiding implementation of 3M solutions
Collaborating closely with Sales, Marketing, Product Platforms, Manufacturing, and Corporate Research teams to accelerate commercialization and address customer challenges
Influencing future product development by identifying unmet needs and advocating for new technologies that enable customer success in the defense market
Complying with corporate policies, procedures and security standards while performing assigned duties.
Contributing to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement.