M&A Human Resource Manager

M&A Human Resource Manager

Position Overview:

Our client is seeking a Merger & Acquisition HR Manager to lead critical integration initiatives for a rapidly growing manufacturing site in the West Chicago area. This will start out as a 6-month contract role for someone who understands M&A integration, enjoys driving operational change, and can serve as a trusted integration partner to site leadership and parent company stakeholders.

This role will support the continued integration of a recently acquired business into a larger corporate structure. The work will focus heavily on HR, payroll, systems, data, compliance, training, governance, talent, and organizational alignment. Several integration workstreams are already underway, and this person will be expected to quickly assess the current state, take ownership of open actions, drive accountability and adoption, and report progress clearly.

Within this position, you will partner across HR, Legal, IT, Finance, Payroll, site leadership, and corporate integration teams to move key initiatives forward. This includes supporting payroll migration, system integration readiness, policy harmonization, internal controls, employee data integration, job architecture alignment, training rollout, and broader change management efforts.

The right person will be experienced, direct, organized, and comfortable stepping into a complex environment with visible impact to the business. You will lead a workstream, push for decisions, communicate expectations, and keep the integration moving. This is a hands-on role for someone who can balance professionalism with urgency, support the local team while staying aligned to the broader business mission, and bring structure to competing open priorities.

Bilingual English-Spanish communication skills are required. This role is expected to be onsite in Melrose Park, IL.

Key Responsibilities :

• Lead day-to-day execution of assigned integration workstreams across HR, payroll, systems, data, compliance, training, governance, talent, and organizational alignment.
• Review the existing integration tracker, assess open items, clarify ownership, and create a practical execution plan for remaining priorities.
• Partner with site leadership, HR, Legal, IT, Finance, Payroll, and corporate integration teams to drive progress across cross-functional initiatives.
• Support payroll migration activities, including transition planning, controls, employee data validation, governance, and communication.
• Prepare for future system integration by supporting HR data cleanup, process alignment, reporting needs, and system readiness.
• Help harmonize HR policies, practices, compensation structures, benefits processes, merit review processes, bonus plans, and related employee communications.
• Support implementation of HR and payroll internal controls, including approval controls, reconciliations, employee validation, onboarding, offboarding, overtime, incentives, and data privacy requirements.
• Partner with Legal and HR leadership on labor law, policy review, compliance requirements, and Illinois-specific workforce considerations.
• Support employee integration activities, including orientation processes, mandatory training, reporting relationships, decision rights, authorities, and governance structure.
• Help align positions to the parent company’s job architecture and support related talent and organizational planning efforts.
• Support recruiting process alignment, vendor harmonization, talent gap review, and future performance management readiness.
• Facilitate change management by helping teams understand what is changing, why it matters, what actions are required, and how execution will be measured.
• Create structure around recurring meetings, follow-ups, decision points, blockers, and leadership reporting.
• Join weekly integration calls and provide clear progress updates, risks, action items, and escalation needs.
• Work with internal and external integration partners to coordinate execution and keep stakeholders aligned.
• Identify gaps in process, ownership, systems, communication, controls, and governance, then recommend practical next steps.
• Support the local team with professionalism while reinforcing corporate standards, timelines, policies, and expectations.
• Protect confidential employee, payroll, HR, legal, and business information with discretion and professionalism.
• Support additional integration, HR, operational, and change management initiatives as business needs evolve.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, or a related field preferred.
• Proven experience leading or supporting M&A integration initiatives required.
• Strong HR integration experience preferred, especially across payroll, benefits, systems, compliance, controls, data, talent, and organizational alignment.
• Experience working in manufacturing, industrial, distribution, or site-based environments strongly preferred.
• Prior consulting, advisory, Big 4, top-tier public accounting, or professional services experience preferred.
• Experience supporting integration work within a larger corporate or public company environment preferred.
• Strong change management skills with the ability to implement new processes, support adoption, and guide teams through early iterations.
• Direct, professional communication style with the ability to push work forward, clarify expectations, and escalate issues when needed.
• Self-directed, organized, and able to manage a long list of open priorities in a fast-paced integration environment.
• Strong judgment with the ability to know when to support, when to challenge, when to escalate, and when to move work forward independently.
• Ability to be onsite in Melrose Park, IL.

What Naturally Makes You a Good Fit:

• You understand that integration work requires more than tracking tasks.
• You know how to bring structure to a messy or incomplete process.
• You can quickly understand what has been done, what is still open, and what needs to happen next.
• You are comfortable leading without needing every detail handed to you.
• You communicate directly and professionally, especially when decisions need to be made.
• You can support the local team while staying aligned to the larger integration plan.
• You understand how to balance urgency, change management, and people impact.
• You can identify risk without creating unnecessary noise.
• You bring a steady presence when priorities shift, personalities are difficult, or the work becomes unclear.
• You care about execution, not just strategy.
• You take ownership and follow through.

Benefits of working with the team:

As a valued member of the team, you will receive a competitive compensation package, including a base salary with bonus eligibility based on site and broader company performance. Additional benefits include: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) plan, life insurance, paid time off, company-sponsored benefits, etc.