Professional (non-STEM) - Undergraduate Student Intern

Los Alamos National Laboratory; Los Alamos (NM); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 50,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Tuition assistance

Flexible schedules

Onsite gym and wellness programs

Relocation packages

Job summary

Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Office of Improvement offers a summer internship for students who enjoy turning complexity into clarity. You will assist improvement, maintenance, and assessment professionals, help organize evidence, track red flags, and create clear reports.

The role emphasizes learning to apply approved AI tools for drafting, analysis, and presentation materials within strict data-protection and security guidelines.

Qualifications

• Introductory coursework in business operations, writing/editing, or related fields.
• Understanding of how records and processes support effective work.
• Familiarity with productivity tools (ChatGPT, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams).

Responsibilities

• Review procedures and documents for clarity and alignment.
• Organize evidence, track red flags, and aid in producing objective reports.
• Create and update training materials, job aids, and presentations.

Skills

Writing and editing

Attention to detail

Communication

Organization

Team collaboration

Quality assurance exposure

Education

Undergraduate student (12 credits)

GPA ≥ 2.75

First-year matriculation documentation

Tools

ChatGPT

Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Teams

Job description

What You Will Do

The Office of Improvement is a small team with work that reaches across the Maintenance and Site Services division. Our division helps keep the Laboratory's facilities and critical systems—such as elevators, cranes, fire protection systems, utilities, and building equipment—safe, reliable, and ready to support the Lab mission by planning, scheduling, and executing the work packages. The Office of Improvement helps groups find where requirements, processes, and written guidance are unclear or not working well, then helps turn that information into practical improvements. This internship is for a student who likes making order out of complexity—reading closely, noticing red- flags, tracking details, and making information easier for people to use. A science or engineering major is not required. Students pursuing business, professional or technical writing and editing, communications, quality assurance, project management, public administration, or related professional fields are strongly encouraged to apply.

You will work alongside improvement, maintenance, work-control, and assessment professionals. Although our team is small, the reports, procedures, job aids, and training materials we help produce are used across Maintenance and Site Services and support safe, reliable, and compliant work. You will also have opportunities to learn practical, responsible uses of approved artificial intelligence tools for business work—such as improving drafts, analyzing information, and preparing presentation materials—while following human-review, data-protection, and security expectations.

Examples of assignments may include:

• Reviewing procedures, program documents, and job aids for unclear, conflicting, incomplete, or outdated content.


• Supporting assessment and improvement activities by organizing evidence, recording red flags, maintaining action trackers, and helping prepare clear, objective reports.


• Creating and updating PowerPoint presentations, training materials, job aids, and other communication products that make expectations easier to understand and apply.


• Building and maintaining simple trackers, schedules, and dashboards that help teams manage commitments and see progress.


• Participating in meetings with subject‑matter experts and learning how quality assurance, continuous improvement, and policy governance are applied in a government mission‑driven environment.


• Observing craft workers at jobsites across LANL to understand basic machinery components or to evaluate compliance with work procedures.


• Anticipated internship duration: Summer 2027 appointment, approximately 10‑12 weeks. Exact start and end dates will be established at offer.


• Application deadline for best consideration: February 19, 2027. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; early application is encouraged.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

Knowledge

• Introductory coursework or experience in one or more relevant areas, such as business operations, writing and editing, communications, quality assurance, project management, public administration, or a related field.


• Basic understanding of how organized records, clear communication, and reliable processes support effective work.


• Familiarity with common productivity tools, such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, or comparable applications.

Skills

• Writing and editing concise, audience‑appropriate content with strong attention to grammar, formatting, and detail.


• Organizing information and using sound judgment to distinguish important details from background information.


• Communicating professionally with peers and subject‑matter experts through written, verbal, and virtual channels.


• Using spreadsheets or similar tools to organize information, check completeness, and communicate status.

Abilities

• Learn unfamiliar topics and ask thoughtful questions in a collaborative, professional environment.


• Manage multiple assignments, meet agreed‑upon deadlines, and communicate early when priorities or needs change.


• Handle internal information responsibly and maintain discretion when working with program documents and records.


• Work both independently and as a dependable member of a small, cross‑functional team.

Education and Experience

• Currently enrolled (12 semester credit hours or full‑time equivalent) in an accredited undergraduate degree‑granting program (or international equivalent)


• Must have and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).


• Entering first‑year students must provide documentation indicating matriculation into an accredited undergraduate degree program.

Desired Qualifications:

• Coursework, projects, campus involvement, or work experience in business, professional writing or editing, communications, quality assurance, project coordination, process improvement, or public administration.


• Experience producing polished written products, such as articles, reports, procedures, newsletters, proposals, or training materials.


• Experience with Excel, SharePoint, Teams, PowerPoint, document templates, workflow mapping, or basic data visualization.


• Interest in using approved artificial intelligence tools responsibly to support business work, with sound judgment and human review.


• Interest in how organizations learn from performance information, improve systems, and turn requirements into usable practices.

Work Environment:

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.

Work Schedule

Onsite/Hybrid: This position is located in Los Alamos, NM with the potential for a hybrid work arrangement (partially onsite/partially offsite) from a location within 2 hours ground commute of this location. Reporting onsite will be regularly required. Hybrid is at the discretion of management and can change at any time with appropriate notice. Some interns may work a 9/80 schedule at the discretion of management and in accordance with the Student Programs Office guidebook.

Note to Applicants:

Required Application Materials

• Current resume


• Current official transcripts


• Personal statement of interest (not to exceed one page)

Travel

No travel is approved.

Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China— including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau— as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (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.

No Clearance

Position does not require a security clearance. Selected candidates will be subject to drug testing and other pre‑employment background checks.

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.

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 [e-mail] or call (505)-664-6947.