HR (People) M&A Lead

Kraken International; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Payward is hiring a People M&A Lead to own the people side of our M&A activity end to end — from first-pass diligence through close and integration. Reporting directly to our CPO, this high-pace, high-volume role needs an in-house operator with an analyst's mindset who can leverage AI to move fast through messy data rooms, while applying sound judgment.

The role requires 8+ years across M&A people/HR diligence and integration, with a track record of multi-diligence processes on tight timelines

Qualifications

• 8+ years across M&A people/HR diligence, integration, total rewards, or corp dev with hands-on ownership of the people workstream on completed deals.
• Track record of running multi-diligence processes in tandem, to tight timelines.
• Strong analytical depth for modelling comp, equity, dilution, retention costs and integration spend.
• Global/cross-border deal experience with multi-jurisdiction and/or regulatory change-of-control employment considerations.
• Demonstrated use of AI and automation to review large document volumes with sound judgment.
• Ability to make risk calls on incomplete information and present a clear stance to executives.
• Credibility in founder-facing negotiation conversations on comp, equity and retention structures.
• Rigorous confidentiality instincts and comfort operating on live, undisclosed transactions.

Responsibilities

• Own the people workstream of Payward's M&A end-to-end — from diligence through close and integration.
• Build and own People DDQ including data requests, questions to target, follow-ups and workshops.
• Crunch high-volume, low-structure data rooms using AI and automation to compress review cycles.
• Filter signals from noise: translate findings into a short list of flags with risk scores and recommendations.
• Lead the drafting of people-side deal mechanics: modelling, equity treatment, retention and earn-out structures.
• Collaborate with corp dev, legal, finance and People leadership; defend recommendations with data.
• Act as People M&A program manager during integration: org design, leveling and Day 1 readiness.
• Turn each deal into reusable playbooks, DDQ templates, risk scoring and automation.

Skills

M&A diligence

Integration

Total rewards

Corp dev

AI & automation

Analytical depth

Negotiation with founders

Confidentiality

Job description

Building the Future of Open Finance

Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system.

The team

Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients.

Payward is hiring a HR (People) M&A Lead to own the people side of our M&A activity end to end — from first-pass diligence through close and integration. Reporting directly to our CPO, this is a high-pace, high-volume seat that needs someone who thrives on fast turnarounds and incomplete information. We're looking for an in-house operator with an analyst's mindset who can use AI to move fast through messy data rooms, but whose real edge is judgment — knowing what risks matter and when to deviate.

The opportunity

• Own the people's workstream of Payward's M&A activity end to end — from first-pass diligence through close and integration.

• Build and own People due diligence questionnaire (DDQ) including data requests and questions to the target, follow-ups and deeper-dive workshops.

• Crunch high-volume, low-structure data rooms — employment contracts, org data, comp and equity files, policies, claims history — using AI and automation to compress review cycles.

• Filter signal from noise: translate hundreds of findings into a short list of flags scored against Payward's risk tolerance, with a clear recommendation attached to each.

• Lead the drafting of the people-side deal mechanics: comp modelling, equity treatment, retention and earn-out structures, and deal-specific considerations that hold up in negotiation with founders.

• Sit in the room with corp dev, legal, finance and People leadership — leverage SMEs and push recommendations upward, defending them with data.

• Act as People M&A program manager during integration after signing: support org design, levelling and comp harmonization, retention execution, and Day 1 people readiness.

• Turn each deal into reusable infrastructure and learnings — playbooks, DDQ templates, risk scoring, and automation that make the next deal faster.

What you bring

• 8+ years across M&A people/HR diligence, integration, total rewards, or corp dev — with hands-on ownership of the people workstream on completed deals.

• A track record of running multi-diligence processes in tandem, to a hard timeline: knowing what to prioritize or defer.

• Strong analytical depth — comfortable modelling comp, equity, dilution, retention cost and integration spend directly, not briefing someone else to do it.

• Global/cross-border deal experience with multi-jurisdiction and/or regulatory change of control employment considerations.

• Demonstrated use of AI and automation to review large document volumes, with judgement about where the model's output can and cannot be trusted.

• Ability to make and communicate risk calls on incomplete information, and to state a position clearly to executive stakeholders.

• Credibility in founder-facing negotiation conversations on comp, equity and retention structures.

• Rigorous confidentiality instincts and comfort operating on live, undisclosed transactions.

• High agency in ambiguity — deals move, scope shifts, and no one hands over a finished process.

Nice to haves

• Crypto, fintech or regulated financial services acquisition experience.

• Experience integrating founder-led or early-stage teams into a larger platform.

• Prior work building a diligence or integration playbook from scratch.

Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Please note, applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Our commitment

Payward is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate the diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions, and unique perspectives that everyone brings to the table. We hire based on merit, seeking out people with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills for the job.

We may ask candidates to complete job-related skills or work-style assessments as part of our hiring process. These assessments evaluate competencies relevant to the role and are applied consistently across candidates for similar positions. Results are considered alongside experience and interviews, and are not the sole basis for any employment decision.

As an equal opportunity employer, we don't tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, whether based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.