MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Precision Machining & Fabrication | Diamond Turning & 5-Axis | Defense & National Security Research

🔎 At a glance

Company Name: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Location: Lexington, MA
Founded: 1951
Shop Type: Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), operated by MIT
Industries Served: Defense / National Security Research
Production Style: Prototype and first-article fabrication supporting national security research programs
Machining Capabilities: 5-axis machining, diamond turning, CNC milling and turning, precision dimensional inspection

🏭 About MIT Lincoln Laboratory

MIT Lincoln Laboratory was established in 1951 as a federally funded research and development center, operated by MIT for the U.S. Department of Defense. Its mission is technology in support of national security, and its work has included developing the nation's first air defense system in the 1950s.

The Laboratory occupies a 75-acre campus on the eastern perimeter of Hanscom Air Force Base in Lexington, Massachusetts. Research spans air and missile defense, space systems, radar and imaging sensors, laser technology, cybersecurity, biotechnology, air traffic control, and intelligence/surveillance/reconnaissance systems. On-site capabilities include a world-class semiconductor research and fabrication lab, a flight test facility with customized aircraft, and an advanced supercomputing center.

Within the Laboratory, the Fabrication Engineering Group builds advanced hardware prototypes that support these national security programs — precision machining, diamond turning, and dimensional inspection work that turns engineering designs into working systems.

👍 Why you'll like working here

This is mission-driven work: the parts machinists and inspectors here build and verify support real national security programs, not commodity production runs. The work is prototype- and first-article-focused rather than high-volume, so there's real variety and real ownership over getting each part right.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is organized with a flat management structure — only three levels — specifically to encourage the exchange of ideas across disciplines. Employees have access to MIT-funded benefits including comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, a pension, a matching 401(k), paid vacation, sick, parental, and military leave, tuition reimbursement and continuing education support, and mentorship programs.

⚙️ What you'll be working on

• Precision machining and diamond turning of mechanical components for national security research programs
• 5-axis CNC machining of prototype and first-article parts from engineering drawings
• Dimensional verification and inspection of finished components against print and GD&T requirements
• Programming and operating CMMs and vision systems directly from solid models
• Manual gaging with micrometers, height gages, thread gages, and bore gages
• Collaboration with engineers to move designs from concept through working hardware

⭐ Shop highlights

• Federally funded R&D center operated by MIT since 1951
• Fabrication Engineering Group builds advanced hardware prototypes for national security programs
• On-site access to a semiconductor fabrication lab, flight test facility, and supercomputing center
• Flat, three-level management structure built around cross-disciplinary collaboration
• MIT-funded pension and tuition reimbursement

🛠️ Machines & technology

CNC Mills: CNC milling centers for prototype and first-article components
CNC Lathes / Mill-Turn: CNC turning centers, including diamond turning lathes for high-precision optical and mechanical surfaces
Other Production Equipment: 5-axis machining centers

📏 Quality & inspection

Inspection work is done on coordinate measurement machines (CMMs) and vision systems programmed directly from solid models, backed up with manual gaging (micrometers, height gages, thread gages, bore gages). Inspectors work with software including Solidworks, Zeiss Calypso, CMM Manager, Polyworks, and Zone3, and track parts and results through SAP and ARAS Innovator.

💼 Current CNC career opportunities

• Machinist A
• Sr Machinist
• Diamond Turning Machinist
• Project Machinist
• Inspector A (Mechanical)

View current opportunities and apply through hireCNC.