Senior AI/Machine Learning Specialist

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., 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.

• 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.

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/.