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
We are hiring a Senior Director, Mining Autonomy Platform Engineering to lead the team that owns the platform beneath our autonomous mining products.
What you’ll do
- Retrofit and integration architecture. Own the architecture of the autonomy installation across supported trucks, including electrical architecture, harness design, mounting, sensor and compute placement, and power. Define what is common across trucks and what is configured per model, and maintain a documented integration path for a new truck type.
- Bring-up and commissioning engineering. Own the build instructions, drawings, procedures, and commissioning gates that installations run against. Act as the engineering escalation point for field teams and convert escalations into documented design and process changes.
- Off-machine validation. Build and own the bench and simulation capability that allows releases to be validated against real truck interfaces. Own the correlation between bench behavior and truck behavior, including where the two diverge.
- Reliability, diagnostics, and fleet measurement. Own availability, utilization, and subsystem failure-rate measurement, including fault attribution. Set diagnostics requirements for new hardware, and run root-cause and corrective-action discipline on field failures.
- Configuration control. Own per-truck configuration integrity, including validation at commissioning that installed hardware matches what the software expects.
- Team building. Hire and lead the mining platform engineering team. Set the technical bar and develop engineers who can handle routine bring-ups independently.
- Engineering standards. Establish and enforce conventions for schematics, circuit naming, labeling, harness documentation, and change control across internal teams and suppliers. Lead design reviews, DFMEA, and structured root-cause processes.
What we’re looking for
- Required: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field with 12+ years of relevant experience, or a master's with 10+.
- Experience leading engineers on an autonomous or similar program, including hiring, setting technical direction, and delivering against committed dates.
- Ownership of a vehicle or machine integration platform from architecture through field deployment, with personal accountability for how the system was installed, validated, and supported.
- Hands-on experience with machine and vehicle networks (CAN, CAN FD, automotive Ethernet); drive-by-wire and actuation integration; electrical and harness architecture for harsh environments; embedded compute and sensor integration; hardware-in-the-loop and bench validation.
- Experience converting bespoke, per-customer or per-platform engineering into a configurable product with documented interfaces.
- Working understanding of autonomous systems end to end, including sensing, perception, localization, planning, controls, and the associated safety architecture.
- Track record of establishing reliability, availability, or failure-rate measurement that changed how an organization set priorities.
- Experience acting as the senior technical presence at a customer or partner site during a launch or a failure.
- Strong written practice covering architecture documents, integration specifications, and failure analyses.
- Willingness to travel regularly to active mine and quarry sites, domestic and international. Site work requires PPE, lifting up to 50 lbs, and working at rack level, on machines, and in operating pits, with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Ability to work onsite five days a week in San Francisco.
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 $255,000 - $322,000 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
- Paid Parental Leave
- Pre-Tax Commuter Benefit Plan
- 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?
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