Specialist – Product Development – Electronics
3M
Job Description
The Specialist – Product Development will provide both people leadership and technical leadership for the development, qualification, and commercialization of advanced materials and technology solutions for electronics applications.
This role is responsible for leading and developing a team of engineers and scientists while also serving as a key technical contributor to complex product development programs. The Specialist will be expected to actively contribute to the design, formulation, testing, troubleshooting, scale-up, and commercialization of materials used in electronic components and assemblies, including adhesives, tapes, coatings, conductive materials, thermal management materials, and other advanced materials.
The successful candidate will combine strong people management capabilities with deep technical expertise and hands-on involvement in R&D activities. The role will lead projects and technical teams from concept through commercialization while collaborating closely with global and local R&D, Applications Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Marketing, and Commercial teams.
Key Responsibilities
People Leadership and Team Management
- Lead, coach, develop, and manage a team of Product Development Engineers, Scientists, and other technical professionals.
- Set clear objectives, priorities, development plans, and performance expectations for team members.
- Build strong technical capabilities within the team through coaching, mentoring, knowledge sharing, and capability development.
- Allocate technical resources effectively across multiple product development and business priorities.
- Foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performance R&D culture focused on scientific excellence, customer needs, and business impact.
- Provide regular feedback, performance management, career development, and technical guidance to team members.
- Support talent development, succession planning, and capability building within the R&D organization.
- Ensure appropriate laboratory safety practices, technical standards, quality systems, and compliance requirements are followed by the team.
- Personally lead and contribute to complex product development, technology development, and technical problem-solving activities.
- Develop new materials and significantly enhance existing products for electronics applications including bonding, shielding, grounding, semiconductors, displays, interconnects, and thermal management.
- Provide hands-on technical leadership in areas such as polymer systems, adhesives, coatings, films, conductive materials, dielectric materials, thermal interface materials, and other advanced materials.
- Independently contribute to critical laboratory experiments, material formulation, product characterization, testing, data analysis, and technical troubleshooting.
- Define technical approaches, experimental strategies, development plans, and success criteria for complex R&D programs.
- Lead and personally contribute to Design of Experiments (DOE), data analysis, root-cause investigations, failure analysis, and technical problem-solving.
- Establish and improve testing methodologies, experimental protocols, standard operating procedures, and technical evaluation frameworks.
- Guide and participate in product characterization and reliability testing, including mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrical performance evaluations.
- Provide technical expertise during complex customer issues, product failures, application challenges, and troubleshooting activities.
- Lead product and technology development programs from concept through laboratory validation, scale-up, qualification, and commercialization.
- Translate customer requirements, application needs, and Voice of Customer into technical specifications and product development opportunities.
- Partner with Applications Engineering, Commercial, and Marketing teams to identify and develop differentiated customer solutions.
- Work closely with Manufacturing, Process Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and other functions to ensure successful scale-up and technology transfer.
- Lead technical activities during pilot production runs, manufacturing validation, process optimization, and product qualification.
- Ensure product designs and development activities meet relevant performance, safety, regulatory, quality, and reliability requirements.
- Drive timely technical decision-making and remove barriers that impact product development timelines and commercialization.
- Develop technical strategies and product development roadmaps aligned with business growth priorities and future technology needs.
- Identify emerging technologies, competitive products, materials, and market trends relevant to the electronics industry.
- Drive innovation by identifying new product, technology, and application opportunities.
- Encourage and support invention generation within the team.
- Personally contribute to invention disclosures, patent development, technical publications, and Intellectual Property strategies.
- Partner with global technical teams to leverage existing technologies and develop new capabilities.
- Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, global R&D teams, Applications Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Marketing, and Commercial teams.
- Personally participate in key customer meetings and technical discussions to understand application challenges and identify product opportunities.
- Represent the organization and its technology portfolio through technical presentations, customer interactions, training programs, industry conferences, and other forums.
- Translate complex technical concepts into clear recommendations and business-relevant insights for senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Lead the development of laboratory capabilities required to support current and future business plans.
- Identify laboratory infrastructure, equipment, and analytical capability requirements.
- Support laboratory capital expenditure planning and provide technical specifications for new equipment.
- Partner with Engineering, Procurement, and external suppliers for equipment evaluation, selection, and implementation.
- Ensure effective utilization, maintenance, safety, and continuous improvement of laboratory infrastructure.
As a Specialist – Product Development, you will have the opportunity to lead a team of talented technical professionals while remaining closely connected to the science, technology, and product development work that drives business growth.
In This Role, You Will Make An Impact By
- Leading and developing a high-performing R&D team capable of solving complex technical and customer challenges.
- Personally contributing to critical technical work and serving as a key subject matter expert in advanced materials and electronics applications.
- Accelerating the development of innovative products from concept through commercialization.
- Translating customer needs and market opportunities into differentiated materials, technologies, and product solutions.
- Improving product performance, reliability, manufacturability, and quality through strong scientific and engineering practices.
- Building laboratory capabilities and technical infrastructure to support future business growth.
- Strengthening collaboration between India and global R&D, Applications Engineering, Manufacturing, and Commercial organizations.
- Driving innovation and creating valuable Intellectual Property that differentiates the business.
- Developing future technical talent through coaching, mentoring, and hands-on leadership.
- Representing the technology portfolio and technical capabilities with customers and external stakeholders.
Education
- Master's degree or higher from a reputed institution or university in Polymer Science, Polymer Technology, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline.
- A Ph.D. in a relevant technical discipline will be an added advantage.
- 10–15 years of progressive experience in R&D, product development, materials development, or technology development.
- Demonstrated experience in managing and developing technical teams, including performance management, coaching, mentoring, and capability development.
- Proven experience leading complex product development or technology development programs from concept through commercialization.
- Strong hands-on technical experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Polymer systems
- Adhesives and tapes
- Coatings and films
- Conductive or dielectric materials
- Thermal management materials
- Electronic materials
- Semiconductor or electronics assembly materials
- Advanced functional materials
- Experience with laboratory-scale development, pilot production, scale-up, manufacturing validation, and technology transfer.
- Experience working with customers and cross-functional teams to develop application-based technical solutions.
- Strong expertise in material formulation, product development, characterization, and performance evaluation.
- Extensive experience in mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrical testing of materials and products.
- Experience with testing and evaluation techniques such as:
- Tensile, peel, shear, and adhesion testing
- Mechanical shock and vibration testing
- Thermal and thermo-mechanical testing
- Electrical insulation and dielectric testing
- Contact resistance and conductivity measurements
- Reliability and environmental testing
- Failure-mode analysis and root-cause investigations
- Strong experience in experimental design, including Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical analysis, and data-driven decision-making.
- Experience developing and implementing testing methods, technical protocols, and standard operating procedures.
- Comfortable working with laboratory equipment, material characterization tools, and analytical instruments.
- Strong understanding of product qualification, validation, quality systems, and reliability requirements.
- Good understanding of Intellectual Property processes, including invention disclosures and patent development.
- Demonstrated ability to balance people management, project leadership, and individual technical contribution.
- Strong experience managing, coaching, and developing technical professionals.
- Ability to provide technical direction while remaining actively involved in critical technical work.
- Demonstrated ability to influence global, cross-functional, and senior stakeholders.
- Strong project and portfolio management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Excellent decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.
- Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed, global organization.
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to travel domestically and occasionally internationally, approximately 10-20%, based on business and project requirements.
- Commitment to company policies, including Code of Conduct, Compliance, Safety, and Quality requirements.
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.
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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