Payroll Specialist

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, &

Life Insurance

401(k)

Equity

Sick Time & Flexible Time Off

Team lunch in SF office

Job summary

Atoms is seeking a Payroll Specialist who will ensure pay is processed on time and in compliance with government regulations. This onsite role at our San Francisco depot supports accurate payroll and ongoing process improvements across the organization.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, organized, and passionate about accuracy, managing California payroll, data integrity, and year-end tasks with diligence and professionalism.

Qualifications

• California payroll experience required.
• Knowledge of payroll tax, internal controls and balancing.
• Fluency with MS Office and Google Workspace.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally and protect confidentiality.
• Strong analytical skills and data-driven problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Assist payroll processing for California employees per deadlines.
• Process off-cycle payments and adjustments as required.
• Coordinate with teams across markets to obtain payroll data.
• Investigate unusual activity and resolve issues.
• Provide payroll-related employee support.
• Assist year-end processing including Form W-2.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Payroll processing

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis

Attention to detail

Confidentiality

Tools

MS Office

Google Workspace

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?

#LI-Onsite

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Atoms’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.