Advanced Specialist Product Engineering - Thermionic Cathodes for Vacuum Electron Tubes*
3M· Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering· Oct 15, 2026 · 13d ago
US, Kentucky, Lexington
In office
Full-time
$120K–$160K est.
Job description
Job Description:
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 an Advanced Specialist Product Engineer – Thermionic Cathodes for Vacuum Electron Tubes , you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative people around the world.
In this role, you will lead product engineering activities for the Thermionic Cathodes portfolio, supporting existing products, product improvements, design changes, Change Management projects, and new product launches.
Here, you will make an impact by:
Leading product engineering activities for the Thermionic Cathodes portfolio, including new cathode design, product support, product advancement projects, and supervision of the design engineering team.
Partnering closely with Manufacturing, Process Engineering, Application Engineering, Quality, Business Supply Chain, Marketing, and Global Portfolio Strategy teams to support business priorities and successful product execution.
Leading Change Management projects, including maintaining accurate records of technical activities, experiments, decisions, risks, recommendations, and outcomes.
Supporting Application Engineering with product specification input for existing Thermionic Cathodes products, customer needs, and potential product adaptations.
Overseeing prototype and pre-production builds, including test plans, technical requirements, documentation, and readiness for manufacturing scale-up.
Collaborating with Process Engineering and Manufacturing Technology to define equipment needs for prototype, pre-production, and production-scale activities.
Supporting manufacturing-led improvement projects focused on yield improvement, productivity gains, cost reduction, quality improvement, and product specification compliance.
Providing technical leadership for projects related to product modification, process advancement, quality improvement, cost reduction, and new product introduction.
Maintaining strong technical understanding of Thermionic Cathodes products, manufacturing processes, customer applications, and market needs.
Supporting innovation through product improvements that create commercial advantage, reduce risk, improve quality, or increase customer satisfaction.
Ensuring appropriate implementation of Trade Secret Protection Plans and export control product classifications.
Promoting a safe and healthy work environment through EHS procedure implementation, employee training, ergonomic reviews, and safety compliance.
Your Skills and Expertise
To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications:
Master’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline (completed and verified prior to start)
Five (5) years of experience in product engineering, product development, materials engineering, manufacturing support, or process development in a private, public, government or military environment.
Three (3) years of experience supporting new product introduction (NPI), prototype builds, pre-production builds, or manufacturing scale-up.
Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:
Experience with ceramics, thermionic cathodes, advanced materials, or related product technologies.
Experience with Change Management Process activities and technical documentation.
Familiarity with process improvement, yield improvement, productivity improvement, and cost reduction in a manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership in cross-functional teams.
Experience working in a plant, laboratory, or manufacturing support environment.
Ability to translate customer and business needs into robust technical solutions.
Strong collaboration skills and ability to influence across technical and business functions.
Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems.
Strong understanding of product specifications, technical documentation, change management, and cross-functional project execution.
Ability to work effectively with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, business, and customer-facing teams.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Commitment to safety, quality, compliance, and continuous improvement.
Work location: Lexington, KY
Travel: May include up to 20% domestic or international
Relocation: Not authorized
Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).
Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws.
U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub-contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export-controlled and other technology and services with certain non-U.S. persons (persons who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., refugees, Temporary Residents (granted Amnesty or Special Agricultural Worker provisions), or persons granted asylum.
To comply with these laws, 3M must help assess candidates U.S. person status.
The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position.
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.
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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: 3m.com.
Good Faith Posting Date Range 10/15/2026 To 11/14/2026 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: 3m.com
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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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