Head of People Operations

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
• Working knowledge of AI tools relevant to People Operations, including a clear point of view on their limits and when a human judgment call should override automation
• 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
• Bachelor's degree required
• Ability to work primarily onsite in Emeryville, with regular presence across our other Bay Area locations.