People Leader

Atomic Machines is ushering in a new era of micromanufacturing with its Matter Compiler™ technology platform. This platform enables new classes of micromachines to be designed and built by providing manufacturing processes and a materials library that are inaccessible to semiconductor manufacturing methods. It unlocks MEMS manufacturing not only for device classes that could never be produced by semiconductor methods, but also for entirely new categories. Furthermore, this digital platform is fully programmable in the way 3D printing is digital—but whereas 3D printing produces parts of a single material using a single process, the Matter Compiler™ technology platform is a multi-process, multi-material system: bits and raw materials go in, and complete, functional micromachines come out. The Atomic Machines team has also created an exciting first device—made possible only through the Matter Compiler™ technology platform—that we will be unveiling to the world soon. Our offices are in Emeryville and Santa Clara, California. About the Role Atomic Machines is scaling past 250 employees. We're looking for a builder to design and lead the People function. This opportunity owns People end to end: the systems, infrastructure, programs, and compliance that let a hardware company grow fast without breaking. You'll lead a team across the operational lifecycle from onboarding through offboarding, total rewards, and the People systems and data foundation the company runs on. You'll also own our move off a PEO to in-house benefits and payroll, stand up the multi-state footprint that comes with our first out-of-state site, drive organizational development and learning, and lead our HR Business Partner function. You will report to the VP of People & IT and partner regularly with senior leadership, including the CEO, alongside our Head of Strategic Growth, IT, and Finance, representing our operational and organizational core HR functions. This is a role for someone who loves to build and build teams. To be successful, you’ll need to evaluate technology, modernize processes, implement systems, and design programs serving a workforce that spans engineering, R&D, manufacturing, operations, and corporate functions. We're a hardware company, and hardware moves differently than software. We need someone who has (or is excited to) build People in a hardware, manufacturing, or deep-tech environment and understands why that context changes what good support looks like. Based onsite in our Emeryville office, where most Atomizers work. What You'll Do People Operations Own the operational employee lifecycle: onboarding, transfers, leaves, offboarding, and the process, documentation, and governance underneath each Lead the transition of benefits and payroll from our PEO to in-house administration Own payroll operations, including multi-state payroll as we expand beyond California Design scalable processes and internal documentation that hold up as headcount grows Total Rewards & Benefits Own benefits strategy, design, annual renewals, and broker relationships Run compensation administration, including cycles, band maintenance, and the operational side of merit and equity refresh Manage leave administration, workers' compensation, and 401(k) administration Compliance, Risk & Immigration Own employment compliance in California and every state we operate in, and stand up compliance infrastructure for our first out-of-state location Manage immigration in partnership with outside counsel Own I-9, records retention, employee data privacy, required filings, and audit readiness Partner with EHS and Operations on workplace safety programs across office and manufacturing environments People Programs & Business Partnering Lead our HR Business Partner function, setting the standard for how People supports the business Build and improve the operating machinery behind performance management, employee development, and organizational effectiveness Partner with the Head of Strategic Growth so People programs align to business priorities and organizational growth Organizational Development & Learning Build the organizational development practice: org design support, capability planning, and the frameworks leaders use to structure and grow their teams Design and run learning and development programs, from manager enablement to functional skill building across engineering, manufacturing, and corporate teams Treat onboarding as a development experience, not just a process, so new Atomizers reach productivity quickly in a deeply technical environment People Systems & Data Evaluate, implement, and optimize HRIS and People technology that enables scale Own People data integrity, reporting, and the headcount analytics Finance and leadership rely on Apply sound judgment about when AI tools genuinely improve People work and when they don't, weighing accuracy, confidentiality, and employee trust before adopting new tools or workflows Leadership & Team Lead, coach, and develop the People team, including People Operations and business partnering Establish priorities, operating rhythms, quality standards, and scalable process across the function Own the People budget and vendor portfolio Build cross-functional partnerships with Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, R&D, IT, Finance, and executive leadership What You'll Need First principles thinking with high judgment. You start from "what does Atomic Machines actually need and why," not from what worked at your last company. This matters more than anything else on this list. 8+ years of progressive People leadership, ideally scaling a startup or high-growth technology company Direct experience building People Operations in a hardware, manufacturing, or deep-tech company. Hardware startups run on different constraints and timelines than software startups, and this role needs someone who has already lived that