Hybrid HR & M&A Project Lead (60% Onsite)

PDS Defense, Inc.; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Short-term disability insurance

Direct deposit

Career counseling services

Paid holidays

Skills training

Employee referral bonus

Affordable medical coverage plan

DailyPay

Job summary

PDS Defense, Inc. is seeking a Project Management Specialist in Herndon, VA to lead HR project workstreams around large-scale acquisitions, data integration, and compliance.

The role emphasizes Day 1 readiness, post-merger integration, and rigorous documentation with frequent status updates to HR leadership. The ideal candidate has 7+ years managing HR projects, 3+ years in M&A, and experience in matrixed organizations, with strong change management and HR function background.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience managing HR projects.
• 3+ years of M&A implementation.
• Experience with complex, matrixed organizations.
• Advanced knowledge of change management principles and practices.
• Experience in another HR function (benefits, talent acquisition, learning and development) preferred.
• Aerospace industry experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Project Management & Acquisition Support: 60% of time, tracking milestones, resources, risk logs.
• Provide HR project support for large-scale US acquisitions and communicate status to HR leadership.
• Coordinate between internal HR and other functions to align with acquisition timelines.
• Collect, analyze, and visualize integration data; maintain dashboards and weekly progress reports for 2026-2027 objectives.
• Execute tasks such as auditing data migrations and compliance checklists for Day 1 readiness and post-acquisition integration.
• Ensure thorough documentation and keep PMO tools updated for audit-readiness and data integrity.
• Schedule meetings, capture action items, and ensure timely completion for Administrative and Compliance Governance (30%).
• Assist in gathering documents for US labor law compliance and regulatory filings related to the acquisition.
• Support internal and external partnerships across HR, global teams (incl Airbus Regional teams) and all functions to facilitate smooth transitions for newly acquired employee groups.
• Other duties as assigned: support US HR on key improvement projects (5%).

Job description

PDS Defense, Inc. is seeking a Project Management Specialist in Herndon, VA to lead HR project workstreams around large-scale acquisitions, data integration, and compliance.

The role emphasizes Day 1 readiness, post-merger integration, and rigorous documentation with frequent status updates to HR leadership. The ideal candidate has 7+ years managing HR projects, 3+ years in M&A, and experience in matrixed organizations, with strong change management and HR function background.