Research Specialist (Tool Design)

Research Specialist (Tool Design)
 

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 Research Specialist (Tool Design) 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:

• Leading the research and development of innovative injection mold designs and tooling approaches that enable new product concepts, advanced materials, and emerging manufacturing methods.
• Implementing best practices and new technologies in mold design, rapid prototyping, and tooling fabrication to accelerate design validation, reduce development cycles, evaluate mold performance, part quality, and manufacturability during early product development phases.
• Determining optimal mold construction methods, gating and cooling strategies, and material selections through simulation, data analysis, and empirical testing.
• Supporting cross-functional R&D initiatives by providing technical expertise in polymer behavior, mold flow analysis, and design for manufacturability (DFM).
• Supporting new product introduction by guiding teams through prototype-to-production transitions, and tooling qualification activities.

Your Skills and Expertise 
 

To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications:

• Associates degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start) from an accredited institution.
• 15 year(s) of molding/design for manufacturing (DFM) industry experience in a private, public, government or military environment

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

• Degree focused in plastics, tooling, or engineering from an accredited institution
• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field from an accredited institution
• Proficiency in tool making, tool design, and machining
• Experience in mechanical design for products, including design of complex components, assemblies, and mechanisms
• Proficient in applying mechanical design principles to ensure structural integrity, dimensional accuracy, and manufacturability of product components
• Expertise in CAD part/product design
• Experience in plastic molding simulation (e.g. Moldflow or Moldex3D)
• Collaborative and technically curious innovator who advances plastic molding research through exploration of new materials, processes, and technologies
• Competence in Microsoft Office Tools (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Work location:

• Work location: Woodbury, MN

This role follows an on-site working model, requiring the employee to work at least four days a week at the 3M Center in Woodbury

• Travel: May include up to 10% domestic/international
• Relocation: May be authorized

Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).