Pilot Lab Lead Technician

Job Description:

Pilot Line Lead 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 environments to a 3M career.

The Impact You’ll Make in this Role
As a Lead Technician on 3M’s Expanded Beam Optics (EBO) Pilot Line, you will have the opportunity to leverage your curiosity and collaborate with a wide variety of innovative professionals worldwide. You will play a pivotal role in driving growth and making a significant impact through customer collaboration, new application development, and product commercialization. Here, you will make an impact by:

Key Responsibilities:

As a Pilot Line Lead 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:

• Fostering a team environment while leading a team of operators. This will include planning and prioritizing daily work schedules, allocating work assignments, and regulating pilot line processes to meet weekly output requirements. This will also include maintaining accurate process and experimental records and quality test results. 
• Preparing and operating development and/or pilot equipment which can vary with process and/or product experimental or standard needs.  Includes setup, general maintenance, clean-up, and changeover of equipment.
• Performing QC measurements and analytical techniques that support both process and product development.  Communicate results with other technical personnel and make recommendations as appropriate.
• Assisting and training new personnel on machine operations and processes.
• Actively engaging with engineers to plan and conduct product and process experiments.
• Encouraging continuous improvement in safety, productivity, quality, and spending.
• Utilizing strong mechanical aptitude and hands-on problem-solving skills.

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)
• Three (3) 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:

• Supervisor or leadership experience
• Self‑directed, detail‑oriented, and strong decision‑making capability in a fast‑paced environment
• Comfortable/flexible with working in an innovative environment.  Able to work with change, adapt to new procedures and/or methods.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Location: On-site, Austin, TX

Travel: May include up to 5%

Relocation Assistance: Not authorized

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

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.

Guiding a team of operators including planning and prioritizing daily work schedules and allocating work assignments. Preparing and operating development and/or pilot lab equipment, which can vary in process/product experimental and non-standard needs including setup, general maintenance, and changeover of equipment. Actively engaging with engineers to plan and conduct pilot lab work, including experiments, QC measurements, or other analytical techniques supporting both process and product development.

Applicable to US Applicants Only:The expected compensation range for this position is $74,486 - $91,039, 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 04/28/2026 To 05/28/2026 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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