--- title: 'Strategy & Planning Manager at Atoms' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/strategy-planning-manager-atoms-los-angeles-atszbacf3vvk' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-10' --- # Strategy & Planning Manager at Atoms - **Company:** Atoms - **Location:** Los Angeles, CA - **Posted:** 2026-06-10 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/cssmerge/jobs/8585840002 ## Job description ## Who We Are At Picnic, we’re reinventing the way employees experience lunch at work. By partnering with top local restaurants and batching hundreds of orders, we make it easy for companies to offer high-quality, individually packed meals, without fees or tips. Our mission is to create a seamless, affordable, and joyful lunch experience that benefits both employees and employers. ## About the Role As Strategy & Planning Manager, you’ll turn a fast-moving business into a well-organized, goal-driven machine. You’ll own the planning cadence, performance infrastructure, and analytical firepower that keeps every team rowing in the same direction. This is not a staff role. You’ll own outcomes, not just analyses — and you’ll see the direct impact of your work on how Picnic grows. ## What you’ll do Planning & Goal-Setting - Drive quarterly and annual planning processes across all Picnic teams — owning the calendar, the templates, and the quality of outputs. - Partner with the Head of Picnic to define company-level and functional OKRs grounded in business priorities and market realities. - Build and maintain the performance frameworks (KPIs, leading indicators, scorecards) that tell us whether we’re winning. Performance Tracking & Insights - Own the weekly and monthly business review cadence: synthesize data from across the org into a clear picture of where we stand. - Flag risks early, surface opportunities proactively, and come with a point of view — not just a dashboard. - Work closely with the Data team to translate raw analytics into decisions. SQL and Python fluency will help you move fast without waiting on others. Budgeting & Resource Allocation - Lead budgeting and forecasting cycles in partnership with our Strategic Finance lead. - Analyze historical trends to inform headcount, spend, and operational decisions. - Track budget performance and identify where we’re over- or under-resourced relative to priorities. Cross-Functional Alignment - Keep teams accountable to their commitments — in a way that’s collaborative, not policing. - Run cross-functional planning sessions and project coordination on high-priority initiatives. - Ensure that what leadership decides actually gets executed: translate direction into clear workstreams, owners, and timelines. Special Projects & Executive Support - Lead strategic analyses and special projects on behalf of the Head of Picnic — market sizing, operational deep-dives, growth opportunity assessments. - Prepare exec-level presentations and business reviews that are sharp, well-structured, and decision-ready. - Be the connective tissue between strategy and execution: wherever something matters and doesn’t have a clear owner, that’s often you. ## What we’re looking for - Bachelor’s from a top university - 3–6 years of experience in strategy, business operations, consulting, investment banking, private equity or a similar high-output analytical role — ideally in a high-growth startup or tech-adjacent environment. - Exceptional at translating complexity into clarity: you can take a messy business problem, structure it, analyze it, and tell a coherent story about what to do. - Strong command of data — you’re comfortable building models, pulling your own data, and knowing when a number doesn’t pass the sniff test. - SQL proficiency is required - Track record of owning cross-functional processes — not just contributing to them. - Low-ego, high-agency: you’re comfortable being behind the scenes and energized by enabling others to execute well. - Excellent written and verbal communication — you write clearly, present confidently, and calibrate to your audience. - Project management chops: you can hold multiple workstreams without letting anything fall. ## Why join us - Drive real impact: Be part of building the operational engine behind a fast-growing startup that’s redefining how work gets done. - Work with purpose: Join a mission-driven team focused on making the workplace experience better for thousands of people. - Grow with us: At Picnic, there’s room to grow—personally and professionally—as we scale and take on new challenges together. What Else You Need To Know This role is based in our Los Angeles office location. As a company driven by innovation and continuous change, close collaboration is essential. We’re constantly reimagining our industry, creating new products, and refining our processes, and we do our best work together. That’s why all of our office-based teams work onsite, five days a week. The base salary range for this role is $160,000 - $185,000 per year. Actual compensation will be determined on an individual basis and may vary depending on experience, skills, and qualifications. Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package. You may also be eligible for equity awards and an annual performance-based bonus. Benefits Summary (USA Full-Time Exempt Employees): - Medical, dental, and vision insurance (multiple plans, incl. HSA options). - Company-paid life and disability insurance (short- and long-term). - Voluntary insurance: accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity. - Optional supplemental life insurance for self, spouse, and children. - Pet insurance discount. - 401(k). - Health Savings Account (HSA) - Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care, Commuter) - Time Off policies: - Discretionary vacation days - 8 paid holidays per year - Paid sick time - Paid Bereavement leave - Paid Parental Leave Benefits are subject to change at the company's discretion. Atoms accepts applications on an ongoing basis. Ready to join us as we serve those who serve others? #LI-Onsite ## About Atoms ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Atoms builds physical automation systems—robotics, AI, software, and infrastructure—for mining, transport, and food industries to automate the physical world. - **Entity Type**: Private (formerly City Storage Systems; rebranded from CloudKitchens/ProFood parent) - **Headquarters**: Los Angeles, California, United States - **Founded**: Rebranded as Atoms in March 2026; predecessor City Storage Systems founded earlier (~2018) - **Founders**: Travis Kalanick (CEO) ## Core Business - Primary industry: Physical AI, Robotics, Automation Machinery Manufacturing, Industrial Infrastructure - Target customers: Mining/quarry operators, transportation & logistics companies, food service brands and kitchens (B2B, heavy industrial) - Mission or purpose statement: “We build progress machines.” / “The constraint on human progress is our ability to automate the physical world.” ## Products & Services - **Atoms Mining**: Autonomous haulage systems for mines and quarries designed to improve productivity, safety, and efficiency in complex industrial environments. - **Atoms Transport**: Wheelbase for robots — autonomous delivery and logistics systems for moving goods. Includes the acquired Pronto AI technology (acquisition completed April 2026). - **Atoms Food (ProFood)**: Robotics for better food. Automated kitchen systems that deliver consistent, affordable meals at scale; kitchen infrastructure platforms (bringing orders, delivery, operations into one platform); food real estate; Lab37 (an operating system for food facilities); and a forthcoming “built” meals brand. - **Lab37**: The operating system/software layer that connects and orchestrates Atoms’ physical automation across domains. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total Funding – Not publicly disclosed; previously raised significant capital as City Storage Systems/CloudKitchens (estimated at over $1B in prior rounds); 414 employees on LinkedIn as of mid-2026 - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Travis Kalanick (founder/CEO, previously co-founded Uber); partners include mining/quarry operators, food brands (specific names not public) - **Growth Signals**: 414 employees (+13.2% monthly growth); operates in 24 countries; 26 active job postings (+160% monthly); recent acquisition of Pronto AI (April 2026); rebranding from City Storage Systems to Atoms (March 2026) signals strategic consolidation and pivot; hiring across robotics, AI, software, hardware, operations globally ## Competitive Advantages - **Cross-stack vertical integration**: Controls sensors, compute, software, manufacturing, operations, real estate, energy, and infrastructure — a rare “full-stack” approach to physical AI. - **Founder advantage**: Led by Travis Kalanick (Uber co-founder) who has deep experience scaling category-defining companies and attracting top engineering/operations talent. - **Real-world deployment**: Robots with “real jobs” — not lab demos — deployed in working mines, kitchens, and transport systems today. - **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on “cross-stack competence,” ownership, and solving problems “most companies won’t attempt.” - **Global footprint**: Presence in 24 countries allows rapid deployment and operations at scale. ## Strategic Focus - Consolidating formerly separate brands (CloudKitchens, ProFood, Pronto AI) under one unified “Atoms” identity to create a single physical AI platform - Expanding autonomous mining haulage into more quarries and mines globally - Scaling food automation from kitchen robotics to end-to-end food infrastructure (real estate, ordering, delivery, operations) - Growing AI, ML, and autonomy capabilities (hiring Senior Software Engineer - ML Infrastructure, Backend Infrastructure, Robotics Engineer) - International expansion with dedicated regional roles (APAC, LATAM, Europe) ## Why Work Here - **High ownership**: “Take ownership early, and contribute from day one” — interns and new hires work on live products, not side projects. - **Hard problems**: Solving physical-world automation challenges that most companies won’t attempt — mining, logistics, food production at scale. - **Compensation**: “Outsized rewards for outsized performance” — competitive compensation, healthcare, benefits, and PTO. - **Culture**: “Builders” and “hardcore engineers” who have scaled category-defining companies — a relentless, high-expectation environment focused on excellence. - **Work policy**: Mix of in-office roles (Mountain View, CA; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Austin, TX) and international locations (Vilnius, LTU; Makati, PH; Bogotá, COL; São Paulo, BRA). Remote/hybrid policy not explicitly stated but many roles list specific city locations. - **Tech stack**: Modern — Python, TypeScript, Go, Java, Kubernetes, Docker, PostgreSQL, Redis, GraphQL, gRPC, Bazel, Google Cloud, NVIDIA, dbt, Looker, Airflow. - **Team composition**: 25% of employees in technical roles (154 people); strong presence of HR, legal, finance, and operations supporting global scale; talent sourced from CloudKitchens, Amazon, Uber, Google, ProFood Properties, City Storage Systems. ## Sources 1. [atoms.co](https://atoms.co/) 2. [atoms.co/careers](https://atoms.co/careers) 3. [atoms.co/openroles](https://atoms.co/openroles) 4. [LinkedIn – Atoms](https://www.linkedin.com/company/atomsco) 5. [Greenhouse – Atoms Jobs](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/cssmerge) ## Other roles at Atoms - [Picnic - Delivery Driver - Carlsbad / San Diego](https://feeny.ai/job/picnic-delivery-driver-carlsbad-san-diego-atoms-carlsbad-43w4nr5aas9p) — Carlsbad, CA - [Facilities Supervisor](https://feeny.ai/job/facilities-supervisor-atoms-salmiya-cd2xhx82xz93) — Salmiya, Kuwait - [Commercial HVAC/R Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/commercial-hvac-r-technician-atoms-los-angeles-m9p1230hj21e) — Los Angeles, CA - [Workplace Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/workplace-associate-atoms-riyadh-czdctd11tcz5) — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - [Accountant](https://feeny.ai/job/accountant-atoms-sao-paulo-e44y3m70r2hm) — São Paulo, Brazil - [Light Commercial HVAC/R Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/light-commercial-hvac-r-technician-atoms-atlanta-n7gp5q8sw2jt) — Atlanta, GA - [Structural Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/structural-engineer-atoms-san-francisco-7q1sz8jjzc0r) — San Francisco, CA - [Real Estate Acquisitions Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/real-estate-acquisitions-associate-atoms-los-angeles-g44kedsxttw9) — Los Angeles, CA - [Strategic Finance Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/strategic-finance-lead-atoms-new-york-w8sh1egg50f3) — New York, NY - [Safety Validation Lead, Scenarios](https://feeny.ai/job/safety-validation-lead-scenarios-atoms-san-francisco-hcb63jg85a32) — San Francisco, CA