Senior Director - Global HR Transformation & M&A Integration

The Opportunity The HR Chief of Staff and M&A Integration Office is the CHRO's right hand and the single point of accountability for how the HR function runs, how it presents to the CEO and Board, and how the people agenda integrates across every acquisition. The role combines the HR Chief of Staff charter with a formal HR M&A Integration Office, end-to-end ownership of HR technology implementation, leadership-level narrative and analytics, and a proactive maker-checker framework for global compliance.

It requires someone who can move comfortably between strategy and execution - shaping a Board narrative in one meeting and resolving an integration or compliance issue in the next. Mission for the Role Build an operating backbone for HR that is disciplined, data-led and scalable, while ensuring every acquisition is integrated thoughtfully and completely. The person will enable the CHRO and HR leadership team to make faster decisions, deliver against commitments, manage risk proactively and create a consistent employee experience across businesses and geographies.

Outcomes The person will be successful when the following outcomes are delivered. The timing below is indicative and will be aligned to business priorities after joining. 1. Establish a rigorous HR operating cadence · Within the first 90 days, assess the current HR operating rhythm and establish one clear cadence for OKRs, the Annual Operating Plan, functional priorities, risks, and decision follow-through. · Create a transparent view of commitments, owners, dependencies, and milestones across the HR leadership team, with course correction initiated early where delivery is at risk. · Run program management for strategic HR initiatives and cross-functional special projects, including projects emerging from ongoing integrations. 2.

Improve the quality of CEO and Board decision support · Build a repeatable reporting structure that converts HR data into a clear leadership narrative rather than a collection of activity updates. · Own the analysis and story for CEO and Board reviews across workforce priorities, OKRs, AOP delivery, employee sentiment, integration progress, compliance and people risk. · Raise the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of HR strategy and review decks, with explicit insights, implications, and decisions required. 3.

Build and lead the HR M&A Integration Office · Create a practical HR due diligence and integration playbook covering the full lifecycle from deal evaluation and Day 1 readiness through stabilization and formal integration close. · For every prospective acquisition, assess organisation structure, compensation exposure, benefits liabilities, statutory and labour risks, culture, leadership continuity and critical-talent risk in partnership with the CHRO and deal team. · Own the integrated people plan after close, with defined workstreams, decision rights, milestones, risks, escalation mechanisms and success measures. · Lead integration communication through town halls, leadership Q&A sessions, manager toolkits and employee pulse checks, ensuring concerns are surfaced and addressed quickly. 4.

Harmonise people practices across acquired entities · Lead title and policy harmonisation against the parent framework, balancing consistency with local legal and business requirements. · Run the harmonisation of performance management and sales commission programmes, including plan architecture, timelines, governance and payout mechanics. · Identify and close statutory, labour, benefits and entity-level compliance gaps discovered during diligence or integration. 5.

Own HR technology implementation end to end · Define the HR technology roadmap beyond core Darwinbox administration, beginning with workforce planning and extending to gaps in analytics, ESOP administration, integration tracking and other priority areas. · Build the business case, lead vendor evaluation and selection, manage implementation partners, oversee data and system integration, and drive adoption through to measurable business value. · Serve as the accountable escalation point when a tool, vendor or implementation is not delivering to scope, timeline or expected outcomes. · Partner with technology and design teams to provide product thinking and UI or UX support for internal HR tools, including the mentor-mentee platform. 6.

Introduce proactive global compliance controls · Design and implement a formal maker-checker framework for global HR compliance, shifting the function from reactive or audit-triggered action to planned prevention. · Build a global control calendar, ownership matrix, and evidence trail that can withstand audit and scale as the company adds entities and geographies. · Create clear visibility of gaps, remediation owners and ageing, with material risks escalated before they become business issues. 7.

Strengthen core HR governance and employee listening · Act as guardian of the HR budget, tracking programme spend against approved plans and flagging variances early with recommended actions. · Own the employee NPS and pulse survey cycle from design and execution through analysis, publication and closure of action plans. · Coordinate and consolidate ESOP and SAR proposals for leadership review and approval; this role will not own plan design.

Competencies: Strategic thinking: Connects the people agenda to business priorities, anticipates second-order implications and turns ambiguity into a practical path forward. Gets things done: Creates structure, establishes ownership, manages dependencies and follows through until the outcome is delivered. Analytical judgement: Works confidently with imperfect data, identifies what matters, tests assumptions and converts analysis into a clear recommendation.

M&A integration leadership: Understands both the technical and human dimensions of integration and can balance pace, risk, culture and business continuity. Technology and product orientation: Frames business requirements clearly, evaluates solutions rigorously, and drives implementation and adoption rather than stopping at selection. Executive communication: Builds crisp, decision-oriented decks and communicates credibly with the CEO, Board, senior leaders and acquired-company teams.

Influence without authority: Aligns stakeholders across HR, Finance, Legal, Technology and business teams while maintaining constructive challenge and accountability. High ownership and low ego: Steps into details when required, gives credit freely, raises difficult issues early, and remains focused on the enterprise outcome. Experience and Qualifications · 15+ years of progressive experience across HR, business operations, transformation, program management, or a closely related field. · Direct experience in M&A, covering HR due diligence and post-close integration; experience with multiple integrations or a structured integration office is highly preferred. · A track record of operating as both a strategic advisor and a hands-on operator in a complex, fast-moving organization. · Strong data and analytical capability, including experience interpreting raw workforce data and building a decision-oriented narrative for senior leadership. · Experience leading HRIS or HR technology selection and implementation, preferably involving Darwinbox or a comparable platform, as well as specialist tools and external implementation partners. · Working knowledge of compensation, ESOP or SAR mechanics, sales commission structures, performance management and statutory or labour compliance across at least two or three geographies. · Excellent written and verbal communication, including executive decks, Board materials, town halls and stakeholder communication during change. · Bachelor's degree required; a postgraduate qualification in business, human resources or a related field is preferred.

What This Role Is Not · It is not a coordination-only Chief of Staff role. The person owns outcomes, operating mechanisms, and closure. · It is not limited to HRIS administration. The role owns the wider HR technology roadmap and implementation agenda. · It is not a reporting role that consolidates numbers. The expectation is to analyse, interpret, and recommend. · It is not limited to post-close project tracking. The person participates from due diligence through full integration close.

Equal Employment Opportunity RateGain is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We also provide reasonable accommodation to candidates and employees with disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

If you require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please let the recruitment team know.