Job Description:
Data Science Specialist
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 Data Science Specialist embedded in 3M's Abrasive Systems Division (ASD) R&D lab, you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative people around the world. You will partner with materials scientists, formulators, and process engineers on the experimental work that drives our product pipeline - working hands-on with designed experiments, response-surface and Bayesian optimization modeling, variable selection, accelerated aging, and measurement-system analysis applied to real abrasive formulations, coatings, and robotic processes. You will be the only data scientist in the division, with a peer network of data scientists in adjacent 3M labs and close partnership with the ASD Director of Systems and AI. Here, you will make an impact by:
- Applying ML and statistical modeling to materials R&D - partnering with scientists on DOE design, analysis, and interpretation; building models that drive real product and process decisions; and contributing to the ML side of vision-systems and LLM-enabled R&D tools.
- Coaching and instructing the R&D team on statistical thinking, design of experiment, measurement-system practice, and practical ML in the flow of abrasives development work.
- Partnering on division strategy – shaping division level data science direction and helping set the technical roadmap as your scope and credibility grow.
- Strengthening measurement system practice across the lab to improve experimental quality and decision confidence.
- Collaborating across 3M’s material and data science communities to bring in relevant methods, tools, and cloud/AI capabilities
Your Skills and Expertise
To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start) in a quantitative or engineering discipline (statistics, applied math, computer science, data science, physics, or engineering)
- Five (5) year(s) of applied data science experience in R&D, materials, process, or manufacturing environments in a private, public, government or military environment
Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:
- Master's or PhD degree in a quantitative or engineering discipline from an accredited institution, or equivalent depth
- Background in materials science, chemical engineering, or related physical science
- Experience with surrogate modeling, multi-fidelity methods, Bayesian optimization, or active learning
- Demonstrated track record of partnering with researchers on experiments and models that changed decisions
- Python fluency with the relevant modeling and statistical libraries
- Strong foundation in classical statistics and Design of Experiments (DoE)
- Exposure to industrial automation, lab data systems, vision systems, or instrumented test environments
- Familiarity with LLM tooling in R&D contexts
Work location:
- Work location:
This role follows an on-site working model, requiring the employee to work at least four days a week at the 3M Center in Maplewood, MN.
- Travel: May include up to 5% domestic or 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).
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.
Applicable to US Applicants Only:The expected compensation range for this position is $164,612 - $201,193, 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/.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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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a quantitative or engineering discipline
- Five years of applied data science experience
- Master's or PhD in a quantitative or engineering discipline
- Experience with surrogate modeling and Bayesian optimization
- Python fluency with relevant modeling libraries
- Strong foundation in classical statistics and Design of Experiments
What We Do
3M operates as a diversified technology company, manufacturing more than 55,000 products, including adhesives, laminates, and many more. 3M touches virtually every part of your life. Our people and technology make the impossible, possible. Every day we apply our science to enhance people’s lives. This is 3M Science. Applied to Life.™
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