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From the employer's careers site First seen 2 Nov 2026

Adhesive Dispensing and Processing Application Engineer

3M Maplewood, Minnesota On-site mid full-time

Salary

$98,964 - $120,957 per year

Apply on 3M

Description

As an Advanced Application Engineer for 3M's Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division global Adhesives and Electronics Bonding businesses, you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative and diverse people around the world.

You will make an impact by:

  • Developing and optimizing adhesive dispensing processes for New Product Introduction programs from concept development through production launch.
  • Designing and executing application trials, feasibility studies, and proof-of-concept evaluations to assess adhesive materials, dispensing methods, equipment configurations, and process performance.
  • Establishing and documenting engineering process parameters for adhesive dispense applications, including flow rate, bead geometry, shot size, placement accuracy, cure conditions, environmental controls, and manufacturing process windows.
  • Applying engineering knowledge of rheology, viscosity, thixotropy, cure behavior, and material flow characteristics to improve dispense performance, process robustness, product quality, and manufacturability.
  • Collaborating with product development, manufacturing, quality, automation, and customer-facing teams to translate application requirements into scalable adhesive dispensing solutions and technical recommendations.

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 in science or engineering (completed and verified prior to start) from an accredited institution.
  • One (1) year experience in process development, application engineering, precision dispensing, fluid handling systems, automation, robotics, electronics manufacturing, or manufacturing process optimization in a private, public, government or military environment.

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

  • Experience working with adhesives, sealants, coatings, encapsulants, or similar fluid materials in application development, manufacturing, or product development environments.
  • Technical understanding of how rheology, viscosity, thixotropy, cure behavior, and material flow characteristics influence dispensing performance and final application quality.
  • Experience developing, validating, or optimizing process parameters, process windows, equipment settings, or manufacturing recommendations.
  • Experience with dispensing equipment and systems, including valves, pumps, nozzles, controllers, robotic dispense platforms, automated dispensing systems, or related manufacturing equipment.
  • Familiarity with cure mechanisms including UV cure, thermal cure, moisture cure, two-part mixing, or room-temperature cure adhesive systems.

This role follows an on-site working model, requiring the employee to work at least four days a week in Maplewood, MN. Travel may include up to 20% domestic/international. Relocation Assistance may be authorized.

The expected compensation range for this position is $98,964 - $120,957, 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.

Skills

Required

  • adhesive dispensing
  • process development
  • application engineering
  • precision dispensing
  • fluid handling systems
  • automation
  • robotics
  • electronics manufacturing
  • manufacturing process optimization

Nice to have

  • rheology
  • viscosity
  • thixotropy
  • cure behavior
  • material flow characteristics
  • dispensing equipment and systems
  • UV cure
  • thermal cure
  • moisture cure
  • two-part mixing
  • room-temperature cure adhesive systems
Apply on 3M