Head of People
Atomic Machines is building the Matter Compiler™, the first in a new class of AI-native, all-digital manufacturing systems that build working machines directly from code. The Matter Compiler (MC) is aimed at micro-machines: motors and gears the size of a grain of sand, robots small enough to work inside the body, cooling built directly into the chips that run AI, and the many devices like them that have been waiting on a way to build them. Its first product is PrimeSwitch™, an electromechanical power relay the size of a button battery that carries 150 amps continuous current and opens in 50 microseconds, about a thousand times faster than a conventional contactor. Founded by Jeff Holden — serial entrepreneur, ex-Amazon SVP and Uber’s first Chief Product Officer — the company has raised $250 million to date.
Atomic Machines is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices in Emeryville and Santa Clara.
About the Role
We design our own robotics, write software across the full stack, and run our own fab. Our R&D, robotics, software, manufacturing, and business teams each work on different timelines and under different constraints.
As Head of People, you'll report to our Chief Operating Officer and own HR operations, compensation and benefits, employee relations, performance management, learning and development, and organizational development. Talent Acquisition runs in parallel and will be one of your closest partners.
Your job is to make Atomizers more effective. That means clear expectations, strong managers, an org structure that keeps pace with the business, and AI tools used well across every team. You'll work directly with our CEO and senior leaders on org design and leadership effectiveness.
You'll lead an HR Business Partner and a People Ops Lead, do a meaningful share of the work yourself, and build out the team as we scale.
What You'll Do
Organizational Development
- Work with the CEO and senior leaders on org design, role and level clarity, spans and layers, and leadership team effectiveness
- Coach executives and managers directly on team health, performance, and change
- Run reorganizations and team transitions as priorities shift
- Spot where the org will break as we grow, and fix it before it does
Performance Management
- Own performance management, calibration, promotions, and career development
- Build leveling frameworks and career tracks for engineering, manufacturing, and corporate teams
- Train managers to set expectations, give direct feedback, and address underperformance early
- Run talent reviews and succession planning
AI and Productivity
- Lead how Atomic Machines uses AI tools: find where they improve each team's work, and build the skills to use them
- Use AI in People work, such as performance cycles, comp analysis, onboarding, and policy questions, with human review wherever accuracy, confidentiality, or employee trust is at stake
- Use People data to catch problems early
HR Operations, Total Rewards, and Employee Relations
- Own HR operations, HRIS, payroll, benefits administration, policy, and compliance
- Own compensation, equity, and benefits strategy and cycles with Finance
- Handle employee relations matters and investigations, with Legal and outside counsel when needed
Learning and Development
- Build manager and leadership development that changes how people manage
- Design onboarding so new Atomizers ramp quickly in a highly technical environment
- Measure what changes behavior and results, and cut what doesn't
Team and Partnerships
- Lead the People team and set its priorities, operating rhythm, and quality bar
- Work with Talent Acquisition so hiring, onboarding, leveling, and comp fit together
- Own the People budget and vendors
- Partner with Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, R&D, IT, Finance, and Legal
What You'll Need
- First principles thinking. You start from what Atomic Machines needs, not from what worked at your last company. This matters more than anything else on this list.
- You do the work and set the direction. You'll build a comp model, draft a policy, or run calibration yourself, and you'll also advise the CEO on org design.
- 10+ years in People, including leading HR operations, total rewards, employee relations, performance, L&D, and org development at a startup or high-growth company
- Experience scaling a company through rapid growth, in a culture with a high bar for performance and management
- You've built performance management, leveling, and calibration systems that leaders and employees trusted
- You use AI tools in your own work every week, have helped teams adopt them with measurable results, and know where they fall short
- You've owned comp and benefits cycles and HR operations, including HRIS and payroll
- Strong employee relations judgment and working knowledge of California employment law
- A record of earning executives' trust by delivering
- Hardware, manufacturing, or deep-tech experience is strongly preferred. Physical products run on longer timelines and harder constraints than software, and the People function has to account for that.
- Onsite in Emeryville, with monthly trips to Santa Clara
- Bachelor's degree
Compensation includes equity and benefits.
The compensation for this position also includes equity and benefits.
Salary Range
$215,000 - $280,000 USD
Atomic Machines is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and does not discriminate based on characteristics protected by applicable law. We are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including for individuals with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact rc@atomicmachines.com. To help our recruiting team manage application volume and respond to candidates more efficiently, Atomic Machines may use AI-assisted tools.
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