Application Engineer in Personal Safety Division/ New Zealand

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Job Description:

Drives growth through customer collaboration, new application development, and new product commercialization. Leverages 3M to drive Customer Inspired Innovation (CII) programs through market specialization that complement product expertise. Proactively contributes to the development of value propositions for effective commercialization. Coordinates and leads field trials with customers or evaluates local competition and marketing practices. Replicates and develops product/market applications with focus on new application development and efficient replication leveraging e-tools. Demonstrates fluency in industry standards, practices, and regulations and becomes involved with industry bodies that set the standards; harnesses insights from market and customer process expertise.

The New Zealand Application Engineer is responsible for providing customer-facing technical and application engineering support across the complete Personal Safety Division (PSD) portfolio in New Zealand. The role serves as the primary local technical resource for customers, distributors, channel partners, Sales and Marketing, supporting product application, technical evaluations, workplace assessments, training, troubleshooting, new product introductions and strategic business opportunities.

The role covers a broad portfolio including Respiratory Protection, Hearing Protection, Eye Protection, Head & Face Protection, Fall Protection, Welding Safety, Protective Communications and Protective Apparel.

The Application Engineer acts as the technical bridge between customers and internal stakeholders including Sales, Marketing, Portfolio Management, R&D, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing and the Asia Application Engineering organization. The role is expected to translate customer needs and workplace hazards into appropriate technical solutions while capturing Voice of Customer and identifying opportunities for portfolio growth and innovation.

Key Responsibilities

1. Customer & Application Engineering

• Conduct customer visits, workplace assessments, and application evaluations.

• Understand workplace hazards, customer requirements, and application challenges.

• Provide product selection, application, and technical recommendations.

• Support product demonstrations, field trials, and performance evaluations.

• Troubleshoot complex technical issues and support product implementation.

2. Business & Growth Support

• Partner with Sales and Marketing on strategic customer opportunities.

• Provide technical support for major account conversions and specifications.

• Support distributor and channel partner development.

• Identify new applications and opportunities for PSD solutions.

3. Voice of Customer & Market Development

• Capture customer insights, unmet needs, and application feedback.

• Share market intelligence with regional and global teams.

• Identify opportunities for product improvement, innovation, and application replication.

4. New Product Introduction & Product Lifecycle

• Support customer trials, field evaluations, and product validation.

• Provide technical feedback during NPI and commercialization.

• Support product transitions, product changes and launch readiness.

5. Technical Training

• Deliver customer, distributor, and internal sales training.

• Conduct technical seminars and application workshops.

• Build technical capability among customers and channel partners.

6. Product Stewardship

• Support technical complaint investigations and root-cause analysis.

• Coordinate with Quality, Manufacturing, and other technical functions.

• Support corrective actions and customer communication.

7. Regulatory & Standards Support

• Support product certification and compliance activities.

• Provide technical input on applicable standards and requirements.

• Work with Regulatory Affairs and regional teams on technical enquiries.

Key Competencies

• Strong application engineering and technical problem-solving capability.

• Customer-centric approach with strong communication and presentation skills.

• Ability to understand workplace hazards and recommend appropriate technical solutions.

• Broad understanding of PPE and Personal Safety applications.

• Ability to influence and collaborate across Sales, Marketing, R&D, Quality and Regulatory teams.

• Strong project management and organizational skills.

• Ability to work independently across a geographically diverse customer base.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science or a related technical discipline.

• Relevant experience in Application Engineering, Technical Service, Industrial Safety, PPE or a related technical field.

• Experience in customer-facing technical roles and working with distributors/channel partners.

• Exposure to product evaluations, NPI, technical training and complaint resolution.

• Knowledge of relevant PPE standards and regulatory requirements is desirable.

Location: Christchurch or North Shore (Remote type)

Worker type: Permanent.

Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com.au or on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @3M.

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.

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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