Machinist 3/4

What You Will Do

Located in northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is the nation's premier plutonium center of excellence. At LANL, we lead in ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile while advancing research across a spectrum of scientific disciplines, including national security, space exploration, geophysics, renewable energy, supercomputing, medicine, and nanotechnology. Our advanced nuclear facility emphasizes precision machining and adherence to standards in a high-tech manufacturing environment.

The Pit Technologies (PT) Division, part of the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Weapons Production (ALDWP), is instrumental in delivering top-quality plutonium pit-related products and services. This division focuses on maintaining and enhancing the performance of nuclear components while following rigorous compliance and safety protocols. As a member of the PT-2 Machining Group within the PT Division, you will engage in complex machining and processing tasks, apply your engineering expertise, and mentor early-career employees in their professional development.

Machinist 3 ($64,700-$101,400)
The successful candidate will perform the job activities listed below, but are not limited to:
  • Follow safety guidelines and other work instructions.
  • Use of hand tools and supporting shop equipment, perform precision measurements, and setup and operation of CNC and other manual equipment with little to no supervision.
  • Create CAD/CAM files and/or G&M code.
  • Manufacture complex parts from drawings, sketches, and verbal instructions.
  • Operation of crane and forklifts.
  • Foster a mutually respectful and inclusive work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.


Machinist 4 ($78,700- $125,100)
In addition to those outlined above, the Special Materials Machinist 4 responsibilities will include:
  • Review designs and advise on part manufacturability, cost, and schedule.
  • Documentation of work performed. Reporting of results to supervisor or customers orally or in writing.
  • Training and mentoring of others.



What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

  • Ability to follow guidelines for working safely in an industrial manufacturing environment.
  • Knowledge of applied shop mathematics.
  • Understanding of machining processes, tools, and operations to obtain various tolerances.
  • Knowledge of applied material properties.
  • Knowledge and ability to read and interpret engineering drawings.
  • Ability to setup and operate manual equipment, CNC equipment, hand tools and supporting shop equipment with little to no supervision.
  • Ability to create CAD/CAM files (such as Camworks, MasterCam, etc.) and/or G&M code.
  • Ability performing precision measurements.
  • Willingness to work with radioactive materials and other hazardous materials.
  • Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively as part of a team.
  • Ability to obtain a Q clearance, which normally requires US citizenship.


Additional Minimum Job Requirements for Machinist 4:
In addition to the requirements outlined above, the higher-level position will require:
  • Experience with 5-axis CNC machining.
  • Ability to manufacture complex parts made from difficult materials with exacting tolerances.
  • Ability to develop new procedures and protocols to meet mission needs.
  • Ability to review designs and advise on part manufacturability, cost and schedule.
  • Ability to train and mentor others.


Education/Experience at lower-level Machinist 3: Position requires an Associate's Degree (AAS) in Machining Technologies or equivalent precision metalworking program and 4 year's related experience; OR, 6 year's prototype experience; OR, Journeyperson qualification program and 4 years of experience.

Education/Experience at higher level Machinist 4: Position requires an Associate's Degree (AAS) in Machining Technologies or equivalent precision metalworking program and 6 years of experience; OR, 8 years prototype experience; OR, Journeyperson qualification program and 6 years of experience.

DOE Order 426.2: Requires a High School Diploma.

Desired Qualifications:

  • Experience in machining hazardous materials and handling classified matter.
  • Handling classified matter and/or use of classified computing.
  • Active DOE "Q" clearance (or similar).

Essential Job Functions (can perform with or without reasonable accommodation):

  • Good hand eye coordination and fine motor control.
  • Ability to lift/carry 30-40 lbs.
  • Ability to acquire and maintain rigorous training as required.

Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.

Position commitment: Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this position is 2 years.

Note to Applicants:

For full consideration, please include a cover letter with your resume addressing how your experience relates to each of the required and desired skills as applicable.

Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Where You Will Work

Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:

§ PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network

§ Dental and vision insurance

§ Free basic life and disability insurance

§ Paid childbirth and parental leave

§ Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)

§ Learning opportunities and tuition assistance

§ Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays)

§ Onsite gyms and wellness programs

§ Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50 mile radius)
Additional Details

Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.

Clearance: Q (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government, and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires US Citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.

*Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.

426.2: This position is subject to DOE Order 426.2, Personnel Selection, Training, and Qualification Requirements for DOE Nuclear Facilities, which establishes entry-level requirements to ensure candidates selected for specific positions can successfully perform the requirements of the job.

New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.

Regular position: Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status.

Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.
Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505)-664-6947 opt. 3.