SFCC Special Materials Machinist Pipeline Program

Overview

Become part of a nationally critical mission. The Special Materials Machinist (SMM) Pipeline Program is a competitive and comprehensive pathway designed to prepare students for entry‑level machining roles at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL) premier plutonium facility – TA‑55. In collaboration with Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), this program equips students with the skills to operate in one of the most advanced, secure, and high‑tech manufacturing environments in the country.

Located in northern New Mexico, LANL is the nation’s premier plutonium center of excellence, leading the charge in:

• Ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile
• Pioneering research in national security, space, geophysics, renewable energy, medicine, supercomputing, and nanotechnology

Within LANL, the Pit Technologies (PT) Division, under the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Weapons Production (ALDWP), plays a critical role in delivering top‑quality plutonium pit‑related products and services that are central to U.S. national security. As part of the PT‑2 Machining Group, SMMs are on the front lines of high‑precision, high‑consequence manufacturing of plutonium pits – the core components of modern thermonuclear weapons.

Machinists work within TA‑55’s PF‑4 nuclear materials facility, supporting both manufacturing and surveillance operations.

You’ll contribute to:

• Fabricating and qualifying nuclear weapons components
• Performing technical machining on actinide materials
• Supporting surveillance efforts to monitor and predict stockpile longevity

This tuition‑supported internship offers a direct pipeline into full‑time employment at LANL and includes:

• Full reimbursement of tuition and fees
• Hourly pay for class time at SFCC, time spent initiating security clearance, completing LANL training, and on‑site internships at LANL
• Transition to full‑time employment upon graduation (contingent on eligibility)

• Complete employment application for Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Include:
    Resume, Cover Letter, High School transcripts, College transcripts (if applicable)
• GPA: 3.0 minimum (HS or college)
• Complete enrollment application at Santa Fe Community College
• Enrolled in Engineering Machining Technology AAS degree
• Full‑time student status at SFCC (12–18 credits)
• Minimum Work Keys scores:
  Workplace Documents 3, Applied Math 3, Graphic Literacy 3
• Eligible for Q‑level DOE security clearance
• U.S. citizenship required

Successful candidates will be expected to complete the Laboratory’s SMM Qualification Program upon hire.

High school diploma or equivalent required. Completion of the AAS degree program in 2 consecutive years with a 3.0 GPA as determined by SFCC academic process.

Computer skills:

• Mechanically inclined
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office:
  Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams

Typical schedule will be in classroom instruction Monday through Thursday at Santa Fe Community College and on‑site internship at Los Alamos National Laboratory on Friday during Spring and Fall semesters. Summer and Winter breaks will require scheduled internship at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Upon successful completion of the program, participants must commit to three years of employment at LANL’s TA‑55 plutonium facility as a Special Materials Machinist. Failure to fulfill this commitment may result in repayment of tuition and fees to LANL.

Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Iran, North Korea, and Russia 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.

• 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…