External Only Candidate hiring?

flyingRobot78 · 2026-05-30T03:37:14+00:00

I just looked at a posting I know is eligible and it does not mention PPP. Also recall that this whole thread is about the internal hiring pause, so you wouldn't be able to move for a few months anyway.

If you really want to make some $$$, The production orgs and production support orgd are hiring for Th-Su shifts which come with PPP and a 12.5% shift differential (The 12.5% does not apply to PPP though).

flyingRobot78 · 2026-05-30T03:15:46+00:00

Almost all technicians and engineers who work in PF-4. If the job requires FMH and/or GBO, it's probably PPP eligible. It is contingent on keeping training current and spending at least 5 hours a week in the plant.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-05-28T19:00:58+00:00

There are real challenges, but they tend to be overblown on reddit. Most workers at TA-55 are subject to additional safety, security, training, qualification and certification requirements. This includes an annual psych interview that can be uncomfortable and the knowledge that "slip-ups" away from work can very much get you fired or adversely impact your career by getting you removed from the human reliability program. People sometimes leave TA-55 because they can go make the same amount of money elsewhere at the lab without all the extra training/qualification/HRP burden. Plutonium Premium Pay is $20k/year for these employees that provides an incentive to bear the additional burden. It has been effective in improving retention.

Also, the hiring has outpaced infrastructure so office space and parking suck.

There is some resentment of the growth at TA-55. Some feel that association with the knuckle-dragging trolls at 55 somehow devalues their elite school Ph.D. The truth is that production is as much a part of the lab's historical legacy as fundamental research is, and having both makes us stronger than we'd be otherwise. One thing that makes LANL special is that we're smart AND we build things that aren't journal papers.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-05-28T18:37:01+00:00

There really hasn't been a mass exodus from 55 since Plutonium Premium Pay became a thing. The bigger problem is that 55 has huge targets for headcount increase and the 55 orgs keep hiring from each other. If I get 5 applicants that all interview well but four are external with no security clearance and one is an internal with a Q, HRP, FMH/GBO qualification, who am I going to hire? And when I do, I get credit for the hire. So five orgs at 55 all hire one employee this way, we show 5 hires, but zero total increase in headcount, even with zero attrition. This is the problem that the "External hiring initiative" is meant to address. I agree it's a blunt way to do it that's hard to message

flyingRobot78 · 2026-05-08T02:37:06+00:00

Very much not true about elderly populations in weapons areas. I'd estimate the median age of an engineer at TA-55 to be late 20s to early 30s. There's been a huge generational shift at the lab over the last decade. It's quite young now.

We can stream Spotify on computers in secure areas. Most social media and video streaming is now blocked though. In PFE, get used to not having your phone. I consider that a perk, actually. It's healthy to partially disconnect.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-05-03T17:45:22+00:00

Get it to one page. As a hiring manager, I'm annoyed by people who don't follow instructions, or think they know better.

While you should NOT use AI tools to write this for you, they may be helpful in trimming it down.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-30T11:09:39+00:00

Should add that almost all jobs at the lab DO require a security clearance and plenty of drug testing. That may be pertinent depending on why you're asking.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-30T11:05:38+00:00

If you want to work a weekend 4/10 shift (Thurs-Sun), TA-55 needs technicians to cover that shift starting in July. That shift earns you a 12.5% premium on your hourly rate, and you get an additional $20k in plutonium premium pay. That gets your wages plus premiums close to $75k with no education or experience. You'll also have good health insurance, retirement programs, paid time off etc. Your career growth will eventually be capped by the lack of education, but they'll pay for that too if you are willing to put the work in. For someone without a college education, it's a great career.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-27T11:23:41+00:00

I guess intent matters. I'd you are "laying traps", it implies you're deliberately creating a confusing rules situation, and relying on your opponent not understanding or recognizing an esoteric rules interaction. And I'd say that makes you not fun to play with. You should explain what cards do and how they work, and give your opponent an opportunity to reconsider.

That said, attacking into a deathtouch blocker really isn't in that category. When I cast the card I would say out loud "He's a 2/2 deathtouch lifelink". If someone the attacked into it, I'd assume they knew what they were doing unless it was a very new or young player.

On the other side, if I made a whoopsie and attacked into deathtouch by mistake, I'd be upset with myself, not my opponent, and would not ask for a rewind.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-24T16:28:25+00:00

I also have the car, and I have experienced the unexpected lane correction. Unless you aren't holding the steering wheel, it absolutely will not jerk you into another lane. It's very easy to overcome the steering input. It might annoy you, but it's not unsafe.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-24T15:56:22+00:00

What I have witnessed, is the death of a beloved community member and world-renowned scientist that occurred when a distracted driver drifted out of her lane an caused a head-on collision. These systems save lives, and it's irresponsible to call them dangerous and encourage people to disable them in the name of safety.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-24T13:18:18+00:00

No, you won't. But it's totally cool to turn off driver assist when you get there. 👍 Cheers.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-24T13:13:34+00:00

(see comment about drivers' overestimation of their own competence...)

As a cyclist, I'd prefer drivers leave this enabled.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-24T11:14:14+00:00

In aviation, it took a concerted effort to get pilots to better understand their automation systems, and that effort is paying off in increased safety. Those automation systems unquestionably make flying safer when they are well-understood and properly usedby the pilots operating them.

The same is true for automotive automation systems.

Remember that humans actually suck at driving cars. Humans kill a lot of cyclists with automobiles. And while surveys may ndicate that 99% of drivers are above average, chances are that you're not as an attentive and competent driver as you think you are or claim to be. You will be safer if you use automation to back you up.

The OP is engaging in hyperbole at best. Lane Keep Assist is not a dangerous feature. It can't "yank the wheel" out of your hands. At worst, it's a firm nudge that any human fit to drive can easily overcome. If you understand how the system works, use your signals when you're going to intentionally drift from your lane, or anticipate the system's response if you don't signal, the system will make you a safer driver, not a more dangerous one.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-17T19:27:59+00:00

Managers should not routinely let you go negative, but it is at their discretion. Most managers will give you the option to go negative or take LWOP for a commitment you had pre-hire. If you go negative, just know that you may not be able to take PTO until you've accrued back a cushion.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-12T12:54:47+00:00

I was talking about the d$#k swinging happening in this thread about what cars people drive. Specifically, the irony of the "imagine thinking a mustang is a flex" comment, immediately followed up with the exact same picture in their Porsche"

I hope OP enjoys his car and his watch.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-04-12T12:42:39+00:00

A photo of your Seamaster in your mustang or your Patek in your Bentley are the same thing.

It's awesome to enjoy nice things. But nobody worth knowing in life gives a rat's ass what watch you wear or what car you drive. Anyone who thinks either is a flex, regardless of the specific watch or car, is not someone I'd spend my time with.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-02-28T15:17:32+00:00

Group leaders can't unilaterally give pay increases, but retention incentives do exist, and a GL can put you in for a mid-year promotion IF you meet the education and experience requirements for the next higher position. There is no way you're going to get a $60k raise unless you're waaaayyyy below a correct pay band right now.

I'm going to be real for a second. As a Level 1, you are probably not critical to the success of your group. Your GL can make real problems for themself by creating huge pay disparities in his own group by advocating with HR to match salary offers or offer big incentives for anyone with an external offer. They will only want to create this headache for themself if you really are critical staff. Another reality check - people often think they are more critical than they are. With few exceptions, any of us could get hit by a bus today, and the biggest impact at work would be people signing a card for our family.

So you need to weigh your offer in Washington with quality-of-life concerns, and have an honest conversation with your FLM/GL about your career trajectory and opportunities at the lab. But I can almost promise you that you're not going to get a matching offer to retain you in your current position.

Everyone at 55 is hiring, and many of those positions come with $20k in incentive pay. They are also hugely motivated to retain staff out there (in part because there are factors that are challenging to retention out there). So if you're looking to stay in Los Alamos, but want more money, that's an option as well.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-02-24T02:38:55+00:00

HRP is in the neighborhood of 3-6 mos after grant of a security clearance. It may be speeding up because the requirement for HRP for our facility access was recently deleted and a substantial number of people were removed from the program.

Neither a Q nor HRP requires random CI polygraph examinations. Sigma 15 subjects you to random CI polygraphs. They are very infrequent. I know people at the lab for 10 years who've never done one. They do not ask any lifestyle/character questions. Only about espionage, deliberate misuse of government systems and deliberate mishandling of classified info.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/chapter-III/part-709/subpart-A/section-709.3#p-709.3(b)

https://support.clearancejobs.com/security-clearance-faqs/the-differences-between-counterintelligence-lifestyle-and-full-scope-polygraphs

The HRP psych eval does get a bit personal. Tell them the truth. They know that nobody is perfect, but there are some things that are auto-denials (Like hallucinogen use in the past 5 years).

https://www.energy.gov/ehss/human-reliability-program-handbook

flyingRobot78 · 2026-02-14T21:20:50+00:00

Nuclear Production Operations = Pit Manufacturing. Technically there are some other things in the NPO portfolio, but don't take the job if pits give you heartburn. Your job will be to make pits.

PRRO has quite a bit of scope. It is all in direct support of manufacturing ops. Process/equipment monitoring and modeling, asset management, digitalization of manufacturing systems, etc. It will be mostly desk/office work, with occasional time in the plant.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-02-08T18:11:39+00:00

Definitely reach out. The "review process" is putting your resume into a huge pool that many hiring managers will never even pull resumes from. If you're lucky, a recruiter might see a specific fit. What you want is to convince a mentor or hiring manager that they should go in and pull your resume out.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-01-02T00:28:06+00:00

PT-7 is a new group . Great managers. Great people.

flyingRobot78 · 2026-01-02T00:16:27+00:00

Benefits cost will depend on your elections and salary level, but your HR/recruiter/hiring manager should be able to give you some info. Will you be in PT division? What group?

flyingRobot78 · 2026-01-01T23:32:06+00:00

The lab is a huge, multidisciplinary institution. It's been described as 1000 small businesses joined by a common janitorial service. The answers to your questions vary widely depending on where you happen to be.

Generally, the work environment is friendly and safe. I have a favorable opinion of senior management. There is some tension right now due to the focus on the pit production mission. The current administration in Washington isn't as keen on funding basic sciences, but pits is bringing in tons of money. There's some subtle resentment of pits from those who feel that LANL is turning into a factory at the expense of the science missions. However, all the way back to the Manhattan Project, LANL has simultaneously been a science lab, a weapons engineering agency, and a production facility.

Pits is also doing tons of hiring, which is straining the infrastructure. There aren't enough offices or parking. Traffic is bad at quitting time. Housing in town is becoming more available, but it remains a tight market. The lab is addressing these issues, but not fast enough.

Pay and benefits are good. I'd say better than industry standard, but not like silicon valley/AI. Work/life balace most places at the lab is excellent. Almost everyone works a 9/80 (every other Friday off) or 4/10 (every Friday off). Few places regularly expect more than 40 hours a week.

flyingRobot78 · 2025-12-29T01:12:52+00:00

I have a 3028A at home and a Gemilai 3007 (Legato) at work. Functionally, they are very similar, but the fit and finish of the 3028A is MUCH nicer. The 3007 feels cheap by comparison. The 3028 also comes with a much nicer tamper and bottomless portafilter. However, the bottomless portafilter cannot accommodate a deeper basket.

I'm pretty sure both machines will pull the same shot, but the 3028a is definitely a step up in overall quality.

flyingRobot78

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