HR CONSULTANT - MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS (REMOTE)

Job Summary:

The HR Consultant – M&A is a key member of the Compass Group HR New Business team, focused on supporting mergers, acquisitions, and divestiture activities across the organization. This role serves as the primary HR lead for people integration efforts, partnering closely with M&A, Strategic Projects, Sector HR, Benefits, and cross-functional project teams. This individual plays a critical role in ensuring strong collaboration, delivering seamless people integration, and supporting a positive employee experience throughout the transaction lifecycle.

This position requires the ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, high-change environments and includes up to 50% travel to support onsite onboarding, stakeholder meetings, and go-live integration activities.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Partnership & Leadership

• Serve as the primary HR point of contact for sellers, M&A teams, project teams, and Sector HR.
• Act as a trusted HR advisor during transactions, aligning stakeholders and driving execution under tight timelines.
• Mobilize and unify cross-functional teams around urgent integration priorities.

Deal Close & HR Compliance

• Plan and manage all HR compliance activities required for deal close, including I-9s, background checks, and onboarding requirements.
• For asset deals, lead and support onsite Day 1 onboarding activities, often requiring travel.

Communications & Change Management

• Partner with Payroll and Total Rewards subject matter experts to build and execute a comprehensive communications and change management strategy.
• Develop and manage deliverables such as:
• Associate FAQs
• Employee communications and announcements (in collaboration with sellers and Sector HR)
• Communication timelines and Q&A sessions
• Confidently manage associate questions and lead difficult or sensitive conversations during periods of change.
• Promote consistency and standardization across integrations by utilizing structured change management methodologies, communication frameworks, and repeatable tools/templates to drive clarity, alignment, and execution efficiency.

Current State Assessment & Future State Planning

• Plan and conduct current state HR assessments, gathering data through interviews, documentation, and collaboration with sellers.
• Review existing HR policies, programs, and offerings to identify gaps.
• Develop and present future state recommendations, including:
• HR handbook comparisons
• PTO and benefits comparisons
• Leverage AI-enabled tools and digital technologies to streamline comparative analyses, identify insights, and enhance the efficiency and scalability of assessment and recommendation processes.
• Collaborate with internal partners to align on future state HR solutions.

HR Data Collection & System Integration

• Use established tools and templates to collect and validate HR data, including:
• Position requirements and organizational hierarchies
• Employee master data
• Partner with Total Rewards to determine:
• Appropriate titles
• Compensation alignment
• Prior service credit and related decisions
• Collaborate with PSS teams to provide accurate load files within agreed timelines.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies during and after system loads through collaboration with other stakeholders / subject matter experts
• Perform post-load data quality validation to ensure accuracy

Go-Live & Post-Transition Support

• Plan and execute people integration go-live activities, including employee communications and active issue resolution.
• Support stock deal integrations through employee communications and real-time associate support.
• Coordinate a structured handoff to Field HR, ensuring continuity for payroll and employee relations support post-transition.
• At time of go-live, support with master date updates as needed (i.e. pay rates, location changes, etc.).
• Following the transition, provide thoughtful participation in lessons learned conversations to ensure process refinement.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

• Approximately 8+ years of progressive HR experience, with experience supporting M&A, integrations, or complex organizational change initiatives.
• Broad HR knowledge across onboarding, compliance, HRIS, payroll, total rewards, and employee relations.

Core Competencies & Attributes

• Strongly collaborative, with the ability to influence across functions and levels, including in communication with executive level leadership
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, capable of managing multiple complex workstreams simultaneously.
• Comfortable and effective in leading difficult conversations with employees, leaders, and external stakeholders. Demonstrates unwavering confidence when responded to with resistance.
• Proven ability to rally teams quickly around urgent priorities and deliver results under tight deadlines.
• Strong change leadership mindset with the ability to guide employees through transition and uncertainty.
• Clear, confident communicator with strong written and verbal skills.

Work Environment & Expectations

• Fast-paced, project-driven role supporting frequent business change.
• Up to 50% travel required to support onboarding, assessments, and integration milestones.
• Flexibility to adjust priorities based on deal timelines and business needs.