Job DescriptionThe Lead, People M&A Integration is a senior individual contributor who helps shape and execute People Enablement strategy across the M&A lifecycle. The role translates transaction objectives into integrated plans, decision frameworks, governance routines, and coordinated execution across due diligence, integration planning, Day 1 readiness, change management, and post-close transition.
This role serves as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert to business and People Enablement leaders. It independently brings structure to complex work, identifies and escalates risks, drives cross-functional follow-through, and balances strategic guidance with hands-on delivery. The Lead partners across People Enablement, Finance, IT, Legal, Operations, Payroll, and FP&A, and works with HR business partners to support the transition of acquired employees and the post-integration handoff.
Success requires deep M&A or integration experience, strong business acumen, exceptional stakeholder management, disciplined program management, and the judgment to operate effectively in a fast-moving and confidential environment.
Key Responsibilities
M&A strategy, advisory, and lifecycle leadership- Act as a strategic advisor to leaders, connecting people-related integration decisions to transaction objectives, business priorities, employee outcomes, and organizational risk.
- Provide subject matter expertise and practical guidance across due diligence, integration planning, Day 1 readiness, stabilization, and post-integration transition.
- Anticipate business and stakeholder needs, develop proactive recommendations, and frame tradeoffs and decisions for senior leaders.
- Help build and scale the People M&A capability through repeatable standards, policies, playbooks, and operating practices.
Due diligence and integration assessment- Lead or coordinate people, organizational, cultural, operational, and HR functional due diligence activities.
- Synthesize qualitative and quantitative information to identify risks, opportunities, dependencies, costs, and integration considerations.
- Translate diligence findings into decision-ready insights, mitigation actions, integration requirements, and readiness plans.
- Maintain confidentiality and apply sound judgment when handling sensitive transaction and employee information.
Integration planning, governance, and execution- Develop and maintain integrated workplans, milestone trackers, decision logs, dependency maps, risk registers, and governance materials.
- Drive critical initiatives from concept through completion, coordinating multiple workstreams and deadlines without unnecessary process.
- Facilitate governance and working sessions, document decisions, clarify ownership, and hold stakeholders accountable for follow-through.
- Prepare executive summaries, status reports, dashboards, and recommendations that provide clear visibility into progress, decisions, risks, and outcomes.
Cross-functional stakeholder leadership- Serve as a bridge across People Enablement and enterprise partners, including the central M&A team, Legal, Finance, IT, Operations, Payroll, and FP&A.
- Build trusted relationships, navigate competing priorities, resolve issues constructively, and escalate barriers when timing or outcomes are at risk.
- Partner with HR business partners and functional owners to align integration activities and enable an effective transition and post-integration handoff.
- Communicate complex topics clearly with senior leaders, project teams, and partners at all levels.
Employee experience and change management- Assess organizational and employee impacts and shape practical change, communication, onboarding, and transition strategies.
- Champion a people-first experience while aligning acquired teams with company culture, values, policies, processes, and business objectives.
- Develop or coordinate employee-facing communications, leader materials, FAQs, readiness activities, and adoption plans.
- Use empathy, resilience, and conflict-resolution skills to support stakeholders through ambiguity and change.
Data, risk, compliance, and continuous improvement- Use data and insights to identify risk areas, support decisions, monitor outcomes, and improve execution quality.
- Build compliance into integration planning by maintaining working knowledge of applicable company policies, processes, and legal requirements.
- Create and improve dashboards, templates, decision frameworks, analytics, automation, and AI-enabled tools that strengthen efficiency and visibility.
- Capture lessons learned and convert transaction experience into scalable playbooks and best practices.
Required qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Business, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Finance, or a related field.
- 4-7+ years of relevant experience, including direct experience in HR M&A, integration management, human capital consulting, HR transformation, or M&A program management.
- Demonstrated success independently leading complex, cross-functional initiatives with multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and time-sensitive deliverables.
- Strong program and project management capability, including development of integrated plans, governance routines, decision frameworks, risk mitigation, and executive reporting.
- Ability to operate with limited supervision, exercise judgment, solve difficult problems, and move effectively between strategic priorities and detailed execution.
- Exceptional stakeholder management, written communication, executive presentation, meeting facilitation, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Strong business acumen and the ability to communicate effectively with senior leaders and translate business needs into practical people solutions.
- Integrity and discretion in handling confidential information and sensitive employee or transaction matters.
Preferred qualifications- Deep working knowledge of HR M&A and integration across talent, payroll, compensation, benefits, employee relations, people operations, HR systems, employee communications, culture, and organizational design workstreams.
- Experience in an Integration Management Office, Program Management Office, consulting environment, corporate strategy function, or a dedicated M&A integration team.
- Experience partnering with HR business partners and functional leaders to support employee transitions and post-integration handoffs.
- Familiarity with change management methodologies, integration frameworks, compliance considerations, and risk mitigation practices.
- Experience creating executive-level presentations, dashboards, governance materials, and decision-ready recommendations.
- Ability to leverage analytics, automation, and AI-enabled tools to improve decision-making, efficiency, and execution quality.
