Precision Coating Specialist

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Job Description

Position Summary

This position is responsible for coating process development, prototyping, evaluation, scale-up, production transfer support, and new equipment introduction within the Corporate R&D organization. This role supports a broad range of 3M product development activities through coating technology expertise.

The position involves proposing optimal coating technologies based on material properties and process conditions for products such as adhesives, films, tapes, and functional materials. The role also contributes to practical technology development from laboratory scale to pilot scale and toward manufacturing implementation.

This position requires close collaboration with R&D, manufacturing, quality, process engineering, and business teams to address technical challenges related to coating quality, process stability, and productivity. The role also contributes to strengthening 3M’s coating technology platform through specification development, installation, start-up, and process condition establishment for new coating equipment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop coating processes for adhesive, film, tape, and functional material products used in a broad range of markets, including automotive, industrial, electronics, and consumer-related applications.
• Evaluate coating conditions by considering material properties, coating liquid characteristics, substrate properties, drying conditions, film thickness control, and other relevant process parameters.
• Conduct coating trials, evaluations, and process optimization at laboratory and pilot scales, and support scale-up activities toward manufacturing implementation.
• Analyze experimental data and evaluation results to identify key factors affecting coating quality, film thickness uniformity, appearance defects, drying performance, yield, and process stability.
• Perform root cause analysis of coating-related technical issues, develop improvement proposals, and verify solutions to support product development and manufacturing process improvement.
• Support the introduction of new coating equipment and related process equipment, including equipment specification review, start-up evaluation, and establishment of process conditions.
• Collaborate with business laboratories, manufacturing, quality, process engineering, Corporate R&D, and global technical teams.
• Work with operators/technicians on pilot lab coaters to give operation and/or safety direction for equipment operation.
• Prepare technical reports and clearly communicate trial results, analysis findings, technical issues, and improvement proposals to internal stakeholders and, when appropriate, customers.

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Fundamental knowledge in one or more of the following areas: organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, fluid mechanics, transport phenomena, or process engineering.
• Hands-on experience in coating, drying, lamination, film processing, or related process development.
• Knowledge or experience with at least one coating method, such as slot die, knife, gravure, roll, curtain, or spray coating.
• Basic knowledge of adhesives, resins, films, dispersions, solvent-based or water-based materials, or functional materials.
• Experience in prototyping, evaluation, process condition development, or scale-up at laboratory, pilot, or manufacturing scale.
• Experience analyzing and improving coating quality, film thickness uniformity, drying conditions, appearance defects, or process stability.
• Experience related to new equipment introduction, equipment specification review, start-up, or process condition establishment.
• Experience in experimental planning, data analysis, and technical report writing.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and explain technical topics clearly.
• Willingness to learn new materials, process technologies, and equipment technologies and apply them to practical R&D activities.
• Native-level Japanese and business-level English proficiency.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of materials science, polymer science, adhesives, films, or functional materials.
• Experience designing or handling adhesives, resins, solvent-based or water-based materials, dispersions, or coating liquids.
• Practical experience with coating methods such as slot die, knife, gravure, roll, curtain, or spray coating.
• Experience in trial execution, process condition development, or scale-up from laboratory scale to pilot or manufacturing scale.
• Experience in root cause analysis and improvement of coating defects, film thickness variation, drying issues, appearance defects, or process instability.
• Experience in specification review, installation, start-up, or implementation of new coating equipment or related process equipment.
• Product development or technical support experience in automotive, industrial, electronics, or consumer-related products.
• Experience handling material evaluation data, coating condition data, physical property test data, or quality evaluation data.
• Experience communicating technical topics with global teams, business teams, manufacturing teams, or customers.

Desired Candidate Profile

• Ability to take a comprehensive view of materials, processes, equipment, and product performance, with coating technology as a core area of expertise.
• Proactive approach to identifying technical challenges and developing practical solutions.
• Interest in technology development that considers not only laboratory-scale feasibility but also pilot-scale trials, scale-up, and manufacturing implementation.
• Ability to logically analyze experimental data and evaluation results, identify root causes of technical issues, and propose and implement effective improvements.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including R&D, manufacturing, quality, process engineering, and business teams.
• Eagerness to learn new materials, process technologies, and equipment technologies and apply them to real-world products and process development.
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, compliance, and responsible execution of technical work.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly and effectively to domestic and global stakeholders.

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