Payroll Specialist

ATOMS Careers page; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Atoms in San Francisco is seeking a Payroll Specialist to ensure timely, compliant payroll for California employees. Onsite five days a week, you’ll own payroll accuracy, support compliance, and drive process improvements across the organization.

The ideal candidate has 2+ years in payroll, strong knowledge of payroll tax, and proficiency with MS Office and Google Workspace. This role reports to the Payroll Manager and offers a base salary with potential equity opportunities.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of payroll experience.

Responsibilities

• Assist with payroll processing for California employees by deadline.
• Process off-cycle payments for prior period adjustments, terminations, and supplemental payments.
• Coordinate with teams across markets to obtain payroll information.
• Investigate and resolve unusual payroll activity.
• Provide employee payroll and timesheet support.
• Update employee benefit deductions, retirement changes, garnishments, and other changes.
• Audit payroll and timesheet entries for accuracy.
• Assist with year-end processing including Form W-2 preparation and distribution.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Payroll processing

California payroll

MS Office

Google Workspace

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis

Confidentiality/Privacy

Tools

MS Office

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

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

Atoms is seeking a Payroll Specialist who will be responsible for ensuring pay is processed on time and in compliance with government regulations. This position will support execution on various Payroll initiatives and will report to the Payroll Manager. This position is onsite at our San Francisco depot from Monday through Friday.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, highly organized, and passionate about accuracy. As a Payroll Specialist, you will play a key role in ensuring our employees are paid accurately and on time, supporting compliance, and helping improve payroll processes across the organization. In this role, you'll take full ownership of your lane, treat payroll accuracy as a core part of the employee experience, and bring a proactive, problem-solving mindset to our growing team.

What you’ll do

• Assist with the payroll processing for California employees in accordance with the required deadline.
• Process off cycle payments for prior period adjustments, terminations, and supplemental payments as required.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with various teams and markets to obtain the information needed to process payroll.
• Investigate and resolve unusual activity.
• Provide employee customer service for payroll check and timesheet-related questions.
• Update and maintain employee benefit deductions, retirement changes, garnishments and miscellaneous changes.
• Audit payroll entries and timesheet entries for accuracy.
• Assist with year-end processing, including preparation and distribution of Form W-2.
• Other duties as assigned.

What we’re looking for

• 2+ years of experience.
• California payroll experience.
• Extensive knowledge of the payroll function including the preparation, balancing, internal control and payroll tax.
• Fluency in MS Office (Word, Excel) and Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Sheets, Docs, and Slides).
• The ability to collaborate cross-functionally and build relationships in a team environment.
• Integrity and maintaining the confidential nature of information by protecting the privacy of our employees and their records.
• Strong analytical tendencies and proven experience solving problems with data.

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 Franciscooffice. 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 $70,000 - $90,000 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.

Benefits Summary (USA Full-Time Exempt Employees):

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account / Health Savings Account Options
• 401(k)
• Equity
• Sick Time, Unlimited Flexible Time Off, and Paid Holidays
• Team lunch in our SoMa office every Tuesday and Thursday

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?