---
title: 'Head of People Operations at Atomic Machines'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-people-operations-atomic-machines-emeryville-fqf08y2h2tqc'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Head of People Operations at Atomic Machines

- **Company:** Atomic Machines
- **Location:** Emeryville, CA
- **Compensation:** $215k–$240k
- **Posted:** 2026-07-28
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/atomicmachines/jobs/4337213009

## Job description

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 at an exciting inflection point. As we scale beyond 250 employees, we're looking for a strategic builder to design and lead the next generation of our People Operations function.

This role owns the employee experience across the full employee lifecycle, from onboarding through offboarding, while building the operational infrastructure, systems, and programs that let us scale thoughtfully. You'll lead People Operations, People Programs, HR systems, and employee experience initiatives, partnering closely with our HR Business Partner, Head of Strategic Growth, IT, and executive leadership.

This is a role for someone who sees the challenges ahead, sees where the business is headed, and builds toward that by creating, implementing, and driving processes that solve today's problems, not just designing strategy on paper. You'll evaluate new technologies, modernize processes, implement scalable systems, and design programs supporting a diverse workforce spanning engineering, operations, R&D, manufacturing, and corporate functions.

We're a hardware company, and hardware moves differently than software. We need someone who has built People Ops in a hardware, manufacturing, or deep-tech environment and understands why that context changes what good HR support looks like.

This role reports to the VP of People & IT and partners regularly with senior leadership, including the CEO. This role is based onsite in our Emeryville office, where the majority of our Atomizers are based.

## What You'll Do

People Operations

- Own the end-to-end employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, payroll, benefits, leave administration, immigration, compliance, and HR operations
- Lead the transition of benefits and payroll from our PEO to in-house administration
- Design scalable operational processes, documentation, and governance that support a rapidly growing organization

People Programs

- Build and continuously improve programs supporting performance management, employee development, compensation administration, engagement, and organizational effectiveness
- Partner closely with the HR Business Partner and Head of Strategic Growth to ensure programs align with business priorities and organizational growth

People Systems & AI-Forward Operations

- Evaluate, implement, and optimize HRIS and People technology that enables scale
- Apply sound judgment about when AI tools genuinely improve People work and when they don't, weighing tradeoffs around accuracy, confidentiality, and employee trust before adopting new tools or workflows
- Continuously assess new technologies and automation opportunities while maintaining strong data integrity and governance

Office Operations

- Partner with People, IT, security, and workplace teams to ensure employees have the systems, support, communication, and resources needed to thrive
- Oversee office operations across all locations, including reception, and collaborate with Real Estate and Facilities on security, janitorial, and food programs
- Provide strategic leadership for office operations, including workplace safety, reception, and office management across all locations

Leadership

- Lead, coach, build, and develop the People Operations team
- Establish priorities, operating rhythms, quality standards, and scalable processes across People Operations
- Build strong 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 any other trait on this list.
- 10+ years of progressive People Operations leadership experience, 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's already lived that difference
- Experience designing and building People Operations infrastructure, programs, and systems from the ground up
- Experience leading benefits, payroll, compliance, HRIS implementation, and operational process design
- Strong understanding of employee lifecycle management, People programs, and operational excellence
- Strong knowledge of California employment law; multi-state experience is a plus
- A track record of building trust with executives by delivering, not just advising. You're the person leadership comes to because you've already shown you can build the thing, not because you're good at describing what should be built
- Experience leading and developing high-performing People Operations teams
- Ability to work primarily onsite in Emeryville, with regular presence across our other Bay Area locations.
- Bachelor's degree required.

The compensation for this position also includes equity and benefits.

Salary Range $215,000—$240,000 USD

## About Atomic Machines

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Atomic Machines is building a new robotic micro-manufacturing platform to create a class of micro-electromechanical (MEMS) devices unattainable with traditional semiconductor-based fabrication.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B)
- **Headquarters**: Berkeley, California, USA (with additional offices in Emeryville and Santa Clara, CA) [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/461907-37)
- **Founded**: 2019 [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/461907-37)
- **Founders**: Not publicly available

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Advanced Manufacturing, Nanotechnology, Robotics, MEMS (Micro-Electromechanical Systems), Machinery (B2B), Semiconductors [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/461907-37)
- **Target customers**: B2B — technology innovators and manufacturers in the AI data center world and broader tech industry requiring rapid prototyping and large-scale production of micro-devices [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Redefining humanity’s relationship with matter" — building the machines that make everything, taking digital manufacturing to the extreme [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/atomic-machines)

## Products & Services
- **MEMS 2.0 Platform**: A proprietary robotic manufacturing technology stack that breaks traditional paradigms of silicon-fab-based MEMS fabrication, enabling new classes of microdevices with radically shorter development lifecycles [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/)
- **First Commercial Device**: A product addressing a critical need in the rapidly evolving AI data center world, currently being commercialized [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/join)
- **Microelectromechanical Systems Power Relay**: Patented technology (multiple patents filed globally) for power relay applications [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/461907-37)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding raised — **$144M** across two rounds (Series A in Nov 2022, Series B in Feb 2025) [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/461907-37)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Sozo Ventures, XTX Ventures, Deep Ventures, and individual angel investors (10 total investors) [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/461907-37)
- **Growth Signals**: Strong product/market fit with a clear go-to-market path; headcount of 134 employees (as of 2026) growing rapidly; well-funded with $75M Series B raised in Feb 2025; active patent portfolio [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/461907-37) [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/join)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary Technology Stack**: A completely new micro-manufacturing approach that is not based on traditional semiconductor/MEMS fabrication — a fundamental innovation rather than an incremental improvement [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/)
- **Extreme Digital Manufacturing**: Enables "unimaginably short product development lifecycles" and rapid prototyping with compelling economics [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/join)
- **First-Mover Advantage in MEMS 2.0**: Breaking traditional manufacturing paradigms for a new class of microdevices
- **Patented IP**: Multiple active and pending patents for microelectromechanical systems power relay technology [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/461907-37)

## Strategic Focus
- **Commercialization**: Scaling the first device targeting the AI data center market [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/join)
- **Platform Expansion**: Building the full "matter compiler" — the machines that make everything — from rapid prototyping to large-scale production [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/)
- **Talent Aggregation**: Actively hiring across multiple disciplines (AI, software, hardware, manufacturing, IT security, finance) to build a world-class multi-disciplinary team [greenhouse.io](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/atomicmachines)

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven Work**: A rare opportunity to work on a "world-changing mission" to democratize the power to make physical things — from bits to atoms [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/join)
- **Apolitical Maker Culture**: The company explicitly states it is building "an apolitical maker culture of continuous invention, operational excellence and idea meritocracy" with information transparency [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/join)
- **Significant Equity**: Employees receive significant equity compensation and are treated as true company owners who benefit financially from overall success [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/atomic-machines)
- **Multi-Disciplinary Environment**: Work alongside incredibly talented engineers, scientists, and builders across robotics, MEMS, software, AI, and manufacturing [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/join)
- **Work Policy**: In-Office — employees work from physical offices in Emeryville, Santa Clara, or Berkeley, CA [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/atomic-machines) [greenhouse.io](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/atomicmachines)
- **Growth Opportunity**: Join as an early-stage company (founded 2019, still stealth) with strong funding and clear product/market fit — opportunity to help define the company from its early days [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/atomic-machines)

## Sources
1. [atomicmachines.com](https://www.atomicmachines.com/)
2. [atomicmachines.com/join](https://www.atomicmachines.com/join)
3. [greenhouse.io](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/atomicmachines)
4. [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/461907-37)
5. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/atomic-machines)

## Other roles at Atomic Machines

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