HR Group Director M&A

Cadence Design Systems; United States; Hybrid; USD 189,000 - 351,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan with employer match

Employee stock purchase plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

Cadence Design Systems invites a senior HR leader to own global M&A people strategy, driving due diligence, organization design, talent assessment and retention across complex transactions. You will collaborate with executives and deal teams to enable fast, scalable integration in a dynamic, multinational environment.

The role emphasizes influencing senior stakeholders, building playbooks and governance, and delivering high-impact outcomes across geographies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 12+ years of progressive HR experience.
• Deep expertise in HR disciplines: organizational design, talent management, compensation and benefits.
• 8+ years in HR M&A, including due diligence, integration, and cross-border work.
• Proven senior leadership in fast-paced, high-ambiguity environments.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder influence.
• Excellent communication and executive presence.

Responsibilities

• Lead HR M&A strategy and execution across mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and other strategic transactions.
• Design and strengthen HR M&A operating model, playbooks, governance, tools and metrics.
• Partner with executives to shape transaction strategy through organizational design, talent, culture, rewards and integration risk.
• Lead due diligence, Day 1 readiness, synergy planning and integration.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across HR, Legal, Finance, IT and business leaders.
• Drive organization design, talent selection, leadership assessment, retention and onboarding.
• Provide thought leadership and capture lessons learned to strengthen transaction capability.

Skills

M&A HR leadership

Due diligence

Organizational design

Talent management

Stakeholder management

Project management

Executive communication

Financial acumen

Education

Bachelor's degree

12+ years HR experience

Job description

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

As GroupDirector, HR M&A, you will have the opportunity to shape thepeoplestrategy behind some of the company’s most important strategic transactions. In this highly visible role, you will lead global HR M&A strategy and execution across mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other transformational initiatives, partnering closely with executive stakeholders and deal teams from strategy through integration.

You will drive end-to-end HR M&A activity, including due diligence, organization design, talent assessment, retention strategy, employee transitions, communicationsand onboarding. This is a unique opportunity for a strategic, hands-on leader to build and scale HR M&A capabilities, influence critical business decisions, and help deliver successful outcomes in a dynamic, global environment.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead the HR M&A strategy and execution for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and other strategic transactions, ensuring alignment with business objectives and enterprise people priorities.
• Build and continuously strengthen the HR M&A operating model, playbooks, governance, tools and metrics to enable consistent, scalable execution across geographies and business units.
• Partner with executive stakeholders and deal teams to shape transaction strategy through insights on organizational design, talent, culture, rewards, labor considerations and integration risk.
• Lead HR due diligence, Day 1 readiness, synergy planning, and integrationexecution, helping the business navigate complexity with clarity, rigor and speed.
• Lead and influence cross-functional and cross-regional teams, including HR, Legal, Finance, IT, Payroll, external advisers and business leaders, to deliver coordinated, high-impact transaction outcomes.
• Drive the HR approach to organization design, talent selection, leadership assessment, retention, employee transition andonboardingto support business continuity and long-term value creation.
• Provide thought leadership on HR M&A priorities, guide stakeholder communications and decision-making forums, and capture lessons learned to continuously strengthen the organization’s transaction capability.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree and 12+ years of progressive experience in corporate HR, HR consulting or related roles, including substantial experience leading complex global programs and initiatives.
• Deep expertise across core HR disciplines, including organizational design, talent management, employee relations, compensation and benefits, change management and workforce transitions.
• 8+ years of HR M&A experience, including leading due diligence, deal execution, integration and/or separation planning across domestic and international transactions.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively as a senior leader in fast-paced environments with tight timelines, high ambiguity and sensitive stakeholder dynamics.
• Strong leadership and program management capabilities, with a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams, influencing senior decision-making and managing external advisers.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize large volumes of complex information into clear recommendations and decisive action.
• Strong business and financial acumen, with the ability to understand enterprise strategy, value creation objectives and industry dynamics in the computational software and semiconductor sectors.
• Extensive experience working across global organizations, including virtual and international environments, with strong cultural awareness and judgment.
• Excellent communication skills and executive presence, including the ability to influence and present effectively to senior leadership and other key stakeholders.

Why Join Us:

This is an opportunity to step into a highly visible role at the intersection of people strategy and business transformation. You will help shape how the company approaches some ofits most important strategic transactions, working alongside experienced leaders across HR, the business and key corporate functions. You’ll have the chance to build and strengthen a critical capability, influence high-impact decisions, and see the direct results of your work in a global organization that values collaboration, rigor and continuous improvement.

Ideally this position will be based in San Jose, California, but other locations or remote work may be considered.

The annual salary range for California is $189,000 to $351,000. You may also be eligible to receive incentive compensation: bonus, equity, and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the salary range is a guideline and compensation may vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies and work location. Our benefits programs include: paid vacation and paid holidays, 401(k) plan with employer match, employee stock purchase plan, a variety of medical, dental and vision plan options, and more.

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