The posting
Who we are
Atoms is building the machines that power the next era of progress.
Over the last decade, software has transformed the digital world. But the physical world, where food is made, minerals are mined, goods are moved, and industries are run, remains far less intelligent, far less efficient, and far more constrained. We’re changing that.
Atoms builds Physical AI – real-world robots for the industries that move civilization forward, starting with food, mining, and transport. Our systems are designed to understand, predict, and control the real world with precision, turning complex physical operations into something more reliable, more scalable, and more productive.
This work requires more than robotics. It requires deep integration across hardware, software, AI, operations, manufacturing, and real estate. We don’t just build machines in a lab. We deploy them into real environments, operate them, learn from them, and improve them until they work at scale.
We are roboticists, engineers, operators, and builders. We believe the next great technology companies will not only transform information, but the physical systems that shape everyday life.
If you want to work on hard problems with real-world impact, join us.
About the role
As the first HR Generalist on the Transport & Mining HR team, you'll work directly with the Head of HR for Transport & Mining to build the people foundation for two fast-scaling businesses. This role is designed for someone with 3-5 years of HR experience who wants to grow in employee relations, manager coaching, data-driven HR, and operational excellence.
You'll support employees and managers across a diverse workforce: engineers and operations teams in San Francisco, manufacturing technicians, and hourly field teams at customer sites in the US and internationally. You'll own day-to-day HR operations, keep our people data accurate, ensure compliance, and help deliver the people programs that let these teams scale. Your job is to help us move from reactive to proactive while the organization is still being built.
The ideal candidate brings a service mindset, exceptional attention to detail, and sound judgment in a fast-paced environment. You'll be equally comfortable supporting an engineer in HQ and a technician on a shift schedule.
What you’ll do
Employee Relations & Manager Coaching
- Serve as the first point of contact for employee and manager questions across Transport & Mining, providing guidance on HR policies, benefits, leaves, and local requirements.
- Handle employee relations intake, documentation, resolution tracking, and trend spotting, and partner with Employee Relations on investigations and complex cases.
- Coach managers on performance, conduct, and attendance issues, including coaching conversations, documentation, and performance improvement plans.
- Coach new and first-time managers on everyday people practices, and help build simple resources they can use on their own.
HR Operations & Compliance
- Own onboarding and offboarding for a high volume of employees across office, field, and manufacturing roles, from HRIS setup, background checks, and site readiness to termination entries, final pay, and system deactivation.
- Process job changes, transfers, and pay changes with high accuracy, and keep employee data clean as T&M teams move onto Atoms' core HR systems.
- Partner with Payroll on timekeeping audits for hourly and shift-based employees, including overtime and premium pay, and help make sure roles are classified correctly as exempt or non-exempt.
- Coordinate workers' compensation claims from intake to resolution with operations, safety, and insurance partners, and conduct regular audits across HR focus areas to ensure ongoing compliance and operational accuracy.
- Support M&A integration efforts, including employment agreements, benefits transitions, and onboarding into Atoms programs and systems.
Business Partnership & People Programs
- Partner with engineering, operations, and manufacturing leaders on org changes, team health, and headcount planning, bringing data and a point of view to the conversation.
- Help deliver Atoms' people programs for Transport & Mining, including performance cycles, engagement, recognition, and retention.
- Support leveling and title consistency as teams grow and new teams join Atoms.
Data, AI & Process Improvement
- Build and maintain reporting on headcount, hiring, attrition, attendance, and leave trends, and turn the data into clear and actionable insights for HR leadership and business leaders.
- Find repetitive HR work and remove it, using AI tools, automation, templates, and self-serve resources.
- Turn one-off fixes into simple, repeatable processes that will hold up as we scale.
What we’re looking for
- 3-5 years of HR experience, ideally as an HR Generalist in logistics, transportation, manufacturing, or a high-growth start-up.
- Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience accepted.
- Experience supporting hourly, field, or manufacturing employees across multiple US states, including exempt vs. non-exempt classification. International exposure is a plus.
- Proficient with or the ability to quickly learn payroll management, human resource information system (HRIS), and similar computer applications. Workday experience is a plus.
- Strong analytical skills: comfortable with spreadsheets, building reports, and pulling insight from HRIS data.
- Hungry and builder-minded: you've worked without a playbook, figured it out, and stayed with a problem until it was fixed. You're comfortable with ambiguity and speed while holding a high bar for quality.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to manage sensitive and confidential situations with tact, professionalism, and diplomacy.
- Clear, confident communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Organized and detail-oriented, with a deep care for doing great work. You raise the bar for yourself and others.
- AI-fluent and already using new tools to work faster and improve HR processes at scale.
Why join us
At Atoms, you’ll work on one of the defining challenges of our time—bringing automation into the physical world to drive real, lasting impact. We exist to uncover valuable unknown truths and turn them into progress, which means constantly pushing beyond what’s known and building what doesn’t yet exist. The work is ambitious and often challenging, but it’s grounded in a shared sense of purpose and a team committed to seeing it through together. Our work only matters if it serves others, and we know that meaningful progress depends on the trust of the people we serve and the strength of our team—so we invest in both, creating an environment where you can do your best work and grow.
What else you need to know
This role is based in our San Francisco office. Atoms is a company driven by invention and continuous change - we are constantly reimagining our industries, building new products, and refining how we operate. 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 $106,000 - $125,000 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?
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