3M
USAC Design Principal
Apply for the USAC Design Principal role at 3M in Minneapolis, MN. Join a global team of innovative 3Mers and shape brand design strategy across multiple touchpoints.
Job Description This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career. The USAC Design Principal is a design leader over one of our iconic 3M brands, setting mid‑term to long‑term brand design strategy, governing visual identity and brand standards, and ensuring creative excellence across the full customer journey.
The Impact You’ll Make in this Role As Design Principal, you will lead brand design systems that create emotional connection, translate consumer insights into differentiated brand experiences, govern brand standards globally, and partner with business leaders to align design strategy with growth objectives. You will drive design strategy integration, systematize best practices, and deliver high‑quality, culturally relevant experiences worldwide.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the development and stewardship of brand design systems that create emotional connection and meet functional needs.
Translate consumer insights into differentiated brand experiences across packaging, product, digital, retail, and communications.
Govern brand standards globally to ensure consistency, relevance, and effectiveness across markets and categories.
Partner with business leaders to align design strategy to growth objectives, new product innovation, and commercialization.
Define and lead long‑term brand design strategy, including visual brand identity, brand architecture, design principles, and multi‑touchpoint experience frameworks.
Establish and oversee brand governance, standards, and toolkits; ensure adherence across internal teams and external partners.
Serve as brand steward—owning and evolving the brand system to support new product innovations, portfolio extensions, and entry into new categories.
Drive design strategy integration into business planning, category roadmaps, and go‑to‑market activities.
Provide global support and partnership with regional/country teams; adapt brand programs to local market needs and cultural nuances.
Build scalable design systems and toolkits that enable effective localization while maintaining brand integrity.
Explore future trends in industry, technology, socio‑economic and demographic shifts to inform strategy for growth.
Own the design budget for assigned brand(s) or portfolios; forecast annually and manage monthly tracking to the Design Operating Plan.
Open and manage purchase orders, calibrate spend vs. OP, and ensure fiscal discipline and transparency.
Balance internal and external resourcing; scope and negotiate agency SOWs; manage vendor performance.
Cultivate trusted, long‑term partnerships with external agencies—translating business objectives and consumer insight into inspiring briefs; setting clear creative guardrails; and leading incisive reviews that elevate the work while honoring brand intent.
Champion consumer centricity; translate ethnographic research, segmentation, and behavioral insights into actionable design strategies.
Partner with insights teams to frame hypotheses, define learning plans, and validate concepts through qualitative/quantitative methods.
Establish metrics/KPIs for brand experience performance and tie design outcomes to business results.
Elevate creative craft and design intent across all touchpoints—packaging, product, digital, retail, and marketing communications.
Guide and partner with CX on creative execution for campaigns, photoshoots, commercials, photography, and styling—ensuring brand coherence and quality.
Maintain a high level of design expertise; push boundaries through thought leadership, trend scanning, and prototyping.
Champion the end‑to‑end experience—from strategy and concept through commercialization and post‑launch optimization.
Partner with Marketing, R&D, Brand Communications, and Sales to align design goals to business goals across complex portfolios.
Mentor and coach designers; lead critiques that elevate quality and consistency.
Model a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and consumer empathy; inspire teams with a big heart for brand strategy and craft.
Your Skills & Expertise To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires the following qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree (completed and verified prior to start) AND Seven (7) years professional experience in brand design across multiple touchpoints (e.g., packaging, product, digital, retail, communications) in a private, public, government or military environment.
High school diploma/GED (completed and verified prior to start) AND Ten (10) years consumer design experience in a private, public, government or military environment.
Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:
Bachelor’s degree or higher in Design, Visual Communication, Brand Strategy, Experience Design, or related field.
10–15+ years of experience in brand/experience design with demonstrated leadership of global programs and complex portfolios.
Proven success establishing and governing visual identity systems and multi‑touchpoint brand experiences.
Strong financial acumen: budget ownership, PO management, vendor SOWs, and monthly OP reconciliation.
Expertise in consumer research translation (ethnography, segmentation) into design strategy and commercialization.
Demonstrated ability to lead agencies and cross‑functional teams; excellent communication, storytelling, and influence skills.
Experience in CPG, durable goods, or related industries; familiarity with design operations systems (e.g., SAP/Ariba for POs is a plus).
Portfolio showcasing strategic brand systems and high‑quality execution across packaging, digital, and communications.
Work Location This role follows an on‑site working model, requiring the employee to work at least four days a week at the 3M Center in Maplewood, MN.
Travel May include up to 10% domestic/international travel.
Relocation May be authorized.
Legal & Compliance Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).
Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws. U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub‑contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export‑controlled and other technology and services with certain "non‑U.S. persons". To comply with these laws, 3M must help assess candidates' U.S. person status. The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position.
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.
Seniority Level Mid‑Senior level
Employment Type Full‑time
Job Function Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology
Industries Industrial Machinery Manufacturing
EEO Statement 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.
Posting Dates Good Faith Posting Date Range 11/24/2025 — 12/24/2025 or until filled.
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Job Description This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career. The USAC Design Principal is a design leader over one of our iconic 3M brands, setting mid‑term to long‑term brand design strategy, governing visual identity and brand standards, and ensuring creative excellence across the full customer journey.
The Impact You’ll Make in this Role As Design Principal, you will lead brand design systems that create emotional connection, translate consumer insights into differentiated brand experiences, govern brand standards globally, and partner with business leaders to align design strategy with growth objectives. You will drive design strategy integration, systematize best practices, and deliver high‑quality, culturally relevant experiences worldwide.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the development and stewardship of brand design systems that create emotional connection and meet functional needs.
Translate consumer insights into differentiated brand experiences across packaging, product, digital, retail, and communications.
Govern brand standards globally to ensure consistency, relevance, and effectiveness across markets and categories.
Partner with business leaders to align design strategy to growth objectives, new product innovation, and commercialization.
Define and lead long‑term brand design strategy, including visual brand identity, brand architecture, design principles, and multi‑touchpoint experience frameworks.
Establish and oversee brand governance, standards, and toolkits; ensure adherence across internal teams and external partners.
Serve as brand steward—owning and evolving the brand system to support new product innovations, portfolio extensions, and entry into new categories.
Drive design strategy integration into business planning, category roadmaps, and go‑to‑market activities.
Provide global support and partnership with regional/country teams; adapt brand programs to local market needs and cultural nuances.
Build scalable design systems and toolkits that enable effective localization while maintaining brand integrity.
Explore future trends in industry, technology, socio‑economic and demographic shifts to inform strategy for growth.
Own the design budget for assigned brand(s) or portfolios; forecast annually and manage monthly tracking to the Design Operating Plan.
Open and manage purchase orders, calibrate spend vs. OP, and ensure fiscal discipline and transparency.
Balance internal and external resourcing; scope and negotiate agency SOWs; manage vendor performance.
Cultivate trusted, long‑term partnerships with external agencies—translating business objectives and consumer insight into inspiring briefs; setting clear creative guardrails; and leading incisive reviews that elevate the work while honoring brand intent.
Champion consumer centricity; translate ethnographic research, segmentation, and behavioral insights into actionable design strategies.
Partner with insights teams to frame hypotheses, define learning plans, and validate concepts through qualitative/quantitative methods.
Establish metrics/KPIs for brand experience performance and tie design outcomes to business results.
Elevate creative craft and design intent across all touchpoints—packaging, product, digital, retail, and marketing communications.
Guide and partner with CX on creative execution for campaigns, photoshoots, commercials, photography, and styling—ensuring brand coherence and quality.
Maintain a high level of design expertise; push boundaries through thought leadership, trend scanning, and prototyping.
Champion the end‑to‑end experience—from strategy and concept through commercialization and post‑launch optimization.
Partner with Marketing, R&D, Brand Communications, and Sales to align design goals to business goals across complex portfolios.
Mentor and coach designers; lead critiques that elevate quality and consistency.
Model a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and consumer empathy; inspire teams with a big heart for brand strategy and craft.
Your Skills & Expertise To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires the following qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree (completed and verified prior to start) AND Seven (7) years professional experience in brand design across multiple touchpoints (e.g., packaging, product, digital, retail, communications) in a private, public, government or military environment.
High school diploma/GED (completed and verified prior to start) AND Ten (10) years consumer design experience in a private, public, government or military environment.
Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:
Bachelor’s degree or higher in Design, Visual Communication, Brand Strategy, Experience Design, or related field.
10–15+ years of experience in brand/experience design with demonstrated leadership of global programs and complex portfolios.
Proven success establishing and governing visual identity systems and multi‑touchpoint brand experiences.
Strong financial acumen: budget ownership, PO management, vendor SOWs, and monthly OP reconciliation.
Expertise in consumer research translation (ethnography, segmentation) into design strategy and commercialization.
Demonstrated ability to lead agencies and cross‑functional teams; excellent communication, storytelling, and influence skills.
Experience in CPG, durable goods, or related industries; familiarity with design operations systems (e.g., SAP/Ariba for POs is a plus).
Portfolio showcasing strategic brand systems and high‑quality execution across packaging, digital, and communications.
Work Location This role follows an on‑site working model, requiring the employee to work at least four days a week at the 3M Center in Maplewood, MN.
Travel May include up to 10% domestic/international travel.
Relocation May be authorized.
Legal & Compliance Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).
Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws. U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub‑contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export‑controlled and other technology and services with certain "non‑U.S. persons". To comply with these laws, 3M must help assess candidates' U.S. person status. The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position.
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.
Seniority Level Mid‑Senior level
Employment Type Full‑time
Job Function Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology
Industries Industrial Machinery Manufacturing
EEO Statement 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.
Posting Dates Good Faith Posting Date Range 11/24/2025 — 12/24/2025 or until filled.
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