Machinist A

Jobtome; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 53,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, MA, seeks an experienced Machinist A to translate mechanical drawings into finished parts. You will develop fabrication strategies, program and operate CNC mills and lathes, and help fixture designs in a high-mix, low-volume R&D setting.

As part of a national security-focused program, you will work with SolidWorks/hyperMILL familiarity and advance materials experience. The role requires a Secret DoD clearance and offers relocation assistance.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of direct experience in subtractive manufacturing, hands‑on in milling, turning, or both.
• CNC programming and operation experience (milling and/or turning).
• Manual machining equipment experience.
• Ability to interpret mechanical drawings and apply GD&T.
• Custom fixture design and fabrication capability.
• Proficiency with CAM software, 3D CAD, and Microsoft Office.
• Hand tool and inspection equipment competency.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Develop fabrication strategies for new parts and communicate tooling requirements.
• Program, set up, and operate CNC milling and turning equipment.
• Run manual machining equipment as jobs require.
• Interpret mechanical drawings and apply GD&T.
• Design and fabricate custom fixtures and workholding.
• Maintain machine tools and shop equipment.
• Use hand tools and inspection equipment to verify work to print.
• Work independently and as part of a team supporting prototype builds.

Skills

Subtractive manufacturing

CNC programming

CNC milling

CNC turning

GD&T

Fixture design

CAM software

3D CAD

MS Office

Hand tools

Inspection tools

Teamwork

Education

Two-year technical school diploma or equivalent

Tools

CAM software

3D CAD

SolidWorks

hyperMILL

Microsoft Office

Job description

Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Location: Lexington, MA 02420
Pay: $38.53 – $42.92/hour
Job Type: Full Time
Shift: Standard hours;
occasional overtime forcritical program milestones
Experience: 4+ years in subtractive manufacturing
Machines: CNC milling and turning, manual machining equipment
Software: CAM software, 3D CAD, Microsoft Office

Why This Job Is Worth Considering

MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Fabrication Engineering Group builds the physical hardware behind national security research programs — one-off and short-run prototype parts that don't exist anywhere else yet. As a Machinist A, you'll take a concept from a mechanical drawing to a finished part, developing your own fabrication strategy and calling out the tooling a job needs rather than just running a pre-set program. It's high-mix, low-volume work in an R&D environment, with the stability and resources of an FFRDC operated by MIT behind it.

What You'll Be Doing

• Develop fabrication strategies for new parts and communicate tooling requirements
• Program, set up, and operate CNC milling and turning equipment
• Run manual machining equipment as jobs require
• Interpret mechanical drawings and apply geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)
• Design and fabricate custom fixtures and workholding
• Maintain machine tools and shop equipment
• Use hand tools and inspection equipment to verify work to print
• Work independently and as part of a team supporting prototype builds

Machines, Controls and Software

Core work is CNC milling and turning (including CNC turning with live tooling for candidates with that background), plus manual machining equipment. CAM software, 3D CAD, and Microsoft Office are used daily. Familiarity with SolidWorks and hyperMILL is a plus, as is experience machining advanced materials such as titanium, Hastelloy, and composites.

What We're Looking For

Required

• 4+ years of direct experience in subtractive manufacturing, hands‑on in milling, turning, or both
• CNC programming and operation experience (milling and/or turning)
• Manual machining equipment experience
• Ability to interpret mechanical drawings and apply GD&T
• Custom fixture design and fabrication capability
• Proficiency with CAM software, 3D CAD, and Microsoft Office
• Hand tool and inspection equipment competency
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs

Preferred

• Two‑year technical school diploma or equivalent
• Background in a high‑mix, low‑volume or R&D prototype environment
• CNC turning experience with live tooling
• Familiarity with SolidWorks, hyperMILL, and machining advanced materials (titanium, Hastelloy, composites)

Clearance

This role requires a Secret‑level DoD security clearance. MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer; U.S. citizenship is required.

Pay, Benefits and Schedule

$38.53–$42.92 per hour, based on experience. Standard hours, with occasional overtime to meet critical program milestones. Relocation assistance is available for this role.

About MIT Lincoln Laboratory

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is a federally funded R&D center operated by MIT, based in Lexington, MA, developing advanced technology in support of national security. This search is being run by hireCNC's Retained Search team on behalf of MIT Lincoln Laboratory.