Director, Global Hearing Protection and Protective Communication R&D

3M•Indianapolis, IN

14d•$250,253 - $305,864•Onsite

About The Position

This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military environments to a 3M career. The Impact You’ll Make in this Role The Director of Global Laboratories for HP&PC is a senior technical leader responsible for setting the strategic direction and overseeing execution of all R&D product development and laboratory activities. This role leads multidisciplinary teams across two main COE global lab locations in Indianapolis, IN and Varnamo Sweden as well as across multiple product categories. The Director is also responsible for maintaining third party accredited Hearing Protection and certification labs in both Indianapolis and Varnamo used for product development, initial certification and maintenance of existing products. The Director will be accountable for portfolio outcomes across both mature and emerging product categories, including passive and electronic (active) hearing protection and communication products. The role has broad influence across global programs and requires extensive collaboration with portfolio management, applications engineering, quality, regulatory, legal and global manufacturing sites.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Science or Engineering (completed and verified prior to start)
Three (3) years of product development leadership experience in a private, public, government or military environment
Three (3) years of supervisory/management experience
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.
Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position.

Nice To Haves

Background in Acoustics and Acoustical Measurement Techniques
Background in Hearing Conservation methods and metrics
Understanding of global hearing protection regulatory standards and requirements
Understanding of Mechanical Design methodologies including injection molding and tool design
Background in Materials Science including Dynamic properties of materials
Background in electronic product design and development
Background in electronic product embedded firmware development and qualification
Significant Commercialization leadership of government regulated products
Global product development and laboratory management experience
Experience in Scrum/Agile implementation and practices
Significant Front End (Insights) Innovation experience
Significant International 3M experience and understanding of the 3M matrix
Process improvement experience such as six sigma, Kaizen, scrum processes
Ability to analyze data and arrive at decisions based on the analysis

Responsibilities

Set and execute the technical vision and strategy that is aligned with global business objectives and growth initiatives.
Translate business priorities into actionable, resourced, and measurable R&D plans, balancing innovation with compliance, product maintenance and cost optimization.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of product development and test engineers across multiple skillsets in project management, acoustics, mechanical design, electronics hardware, embedded firmware, product engineering, advanced development and the associated functional laboratories required.
Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Direct portfolio execution of NPI programs, global regulatory certification projects, product engineering, and cost/productivity initiatives.
Ensure technical rigor, risk management, and quality outcomes throughout the development lifecycle.
Partner with Marketing, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Global Labs, and Business Leadership to drive customer-centric innovation and ensure readiness for global commercialization.
Maintain alignment and compliance with global regulatory and standards bodies for personal protective equipment.
Own laboratory budgets, resource planning, capital investment, and R&D vendor management.
Support the annual strategic planning process in partnership with the Lab Operating Committee (LOC), ensuring portfolio priorities and commercialization plans align with division strategy.
Continuously improve accredited test lab efficiency, capability, and throughput using Lean and digital tools (e.g., PowerApps, digital test requests, lab scheduling systems, AI).
Continuously improve special builds capability reacting to Customer requests and requirements.
Maintain fluency in core and adjacent technologies.
Guide development of proprietary solutions and patent filings in partnership with 3M Legal.
Serve as a technical mentor and thought leader across businesses, anticipating industry trends and identifying key innovation opportunities.
Serve as a key member of the Lab Operating Committee (LOC), contributing to strategic, operational, and portfolio decisions for the division.
Comply with corporate policies, procedures and security standards while performing assigned duties.
Contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement.