Senior AI/Machine Learning Specialist

3M is hiring a Senior AI/Machine Learning Specialist. It pays $188k-$230k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on 3M.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Builds AI ●●●●: the job is building AI systems.
Tools and skills the posting cites include Python, Rust and Docker.
Level classifies it as a senior role.
Level lists 774 other open roles at 3M.

AI in this role

Turn experimental AI research implementations into scalable, production-grade Rust systems for a new AI architecture.

PythonRustDocker

machine-learningsoftware-architectureconcurrencydistributed-systems

Job Description:

Senior AI/Machine Learning Specialist

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 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 a Senior AI Software Developer, you will join an internal incubator building a new-to-the-world AI architecture and a new technical category. You will be a hands-on senior individual contributor, technical lead, and software architect who turns Python research implementations into scalable, production-grade systems. Working closely with distinguished researchers and senior engineers/architects, you will shape the Rust architecture, make concurrency and parallelization decisions, and personally build critical components. This role is designed for an architect who codes, tests, profiles, and delivers. Leading the transition of experimental Python research code into reliable, maintainable, and high-performance Rust components.

Architecting and implementing scalable runtime components for real-time inference, near-real-time reasoning, large offline simulations, cloud services, on-premises deployments, and embedded or edge environments.
Evaluating and driving decisions for concurrency, parallel execution, memory management, inter-process communication, and distributed processing.
Working directly with researchers on mathematical representations, activation dynamics, mapping, retrieval, learning mechanisms, and causal structures within clearly defined system components.
Establishing behavioral-equivalence, determinism, reproducibility, regression, simulation, performance, and reliability testing between research and production implementations.
Profiling CPU, memory, latency, throughput, and scaling behavior; identifying bottlenecks and implementing measurable improvements.
Defining stable interfaces in a modular, interface-driven architecture that protects proprietary intellectual property while enabling teams to build, test, and optimize clearly defined subsystems.
Building observability, CI/CD, containerization, deployment, and operational capabilities for Cloud and on-premises environments.
Mentoring early-career developers and modeling low-ego, hands-on technical leadership across research and engineering teams.
Contributing to inventions, patents, and managed publication or conference activities consistent with program requirements.

Your Skills and Expertise

To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M is looking for candidates who must have the following qualifications:

Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, computer engineering, applied mathematics, physics, cognitive science, computational neuroscience, or a related field (completed and verified prior to start)

High School Diploma/GED (completed and verified prior to start) AND five years of experience building, scaling, or productionizing complex software, research systems, simulation platforms, compilers, high-performance computing applications, or algorithm-intensive technology.

AND

Ten (10) years of professional software-development experience building production systems.
Five (5) years of experience productionizing research, scientific, simulation, compiler, high-performance computing, or algorithm-intensive software.

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

Demonstrated production experience with Rust, or substantial C++ experience at scale with demonstrated ability and commitment to develop in Rust.
Strong Python skills and experience translating Python algorithms or prototypes into production software.
Exposure to symbolic AI, neural-symbolic systems, cognitive architectures, causal reasoning, analogical reasoning, reinforcement learning, constraint solving, or simulation systems.
Experience designing concurrent, parallel, performance-sensitive, or distributed systems, including machine learning and reinforcement learning environments.
Experience creating automated tests and benchmarks for correctness, behavioral fidelity, determinism, reproducibility, reliability, and performance.
Ability to understand unfamiliar algorithms, reason mathematically, collaborate effectively with researchers, and make sound tradeoffs between algorithm changes and reference fidelity.
A collaborative, low-ego working style and sound judgment when handling confidential or access-controlled intellectual property.
Experience working with Agile Scrum methodologies.

Location: Onsite in 3M Center Maplewood, MN

Travel: May include up to 5% travel

Relocation Benefits: May be offered

Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).

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.

Chat with Max

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 $188,251 - $230,084, 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: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/.

Good Faith Posting Date Range 09/04/2026 To 10/04/2026 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: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/

3M does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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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How we rate this

Senior AI/Machine Learning Specialist at 3M rates 90 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Senior AI/Machine Learning Specialist is an open job at 3M.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The listed salary is $188k-$230k a year.
The role is based in US, Minnesota, Maplewood.
The job was posted on September 4, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
Applications are handled by 3M. Apply on 3M

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Machine learningSoftware ArchitectureConcurrencyDistributed SystemsPythonRustDocker

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where machine learning was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where software architecture was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where concurrency was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where distributed systems was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used Python in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Machine learning, Software Architecture, Concurrency, Distributed Systems, and Python. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.

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