R&D Engineer – Consumer Goods (Adhesive)

About the role

3M is seeking an experienced R&D Engineer to join its Bengaluru R&D centre. You will lead the development of consumer mounting systems, technical tapes, and home‑improvement solutions for iconic brands such as Command™ and Scotch™.

Key responsibilities

• Design and optimise pressure‑sensitive adhesives, sealants and elastomeric coatings in the laboratory.
• Evaluate and source backing films, liners and specialised foams from global suppliers.
• Act as the primary technical liaison for external manufacturing partners, overseeing technology transfer, pilot runs and scale‑up trials.
• Translate benchtop formulations into high‑speed manufacturing processes, including slot‑die coating, lamination and web converting.
• Navigate patent landscapes, identify white‑space opportunities and prepare documentation for freedom‑to‑operate assessments.
• Author raw‑material specifications, finished‑goods requirements, SOPs and tech‑transfer packages.
• Lead root‑cause analysis of manufacturing deviations and develop mechanical test methods (peel, shear, tack, fluid absorption, stretch‑release).

Required profile

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science or a related field.
• 3–8 years of consumer‑goods product development experience, specifically with adhesives, sealants or non‑wovens.
• Proven hands‑on formulation expertise with acrylic, rubber or silicone‑based pressure‑sensitive adhesives.
• Experience managing technical relationships, quality audits and scale‑up activities with contract manufacturers.

Required skills

• Adhesive formulation (acrylic, rubber, silicone)
• Polymer chemistry
• Slot‑die coating
• Lamination and web converting
• Mechanical testing (peel, shear, tack, fluid absorption, stretch‑release)
• Patent landscape analysis
• Technical documentation and specification authoring