Senior Director of People M&A

Equinix; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Equinix is seeking a People M&A Leader to oversee the People functions for M&A and Emerging Market activities. This role partners with business units to shape pre- and post-close M&A strategies, safeguarding culture, leadership and talent throughout the deal lifecycle.

The successful candidate will manage a dedicated People M&A delivery team, drive due diligence, integration planning, and regional market readiness, while aligning HR programs with strategic deal objectives.

Qualifications

• Significant years in HR leadership roles overseeing large-scale M&A, divestitures, and integration transactions.
• Ability to align people strategy with deal economics and business outcomes.
• Proven track record of cross-functional leadership across regions and organizations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and lead the People M&A function and Emerging Market team across the full deal lifecycle.
• Partner with business leaders to shape M&A and divestiture strategies through a people lens.
• Drive due diligence insights and post-close integration to protect culture, leadership and talent outcomes.
• Manage a delivery team, scaling as deal flow requires, ensuring high-quality execution.

Skills

M&A Leadership

HR Strategy

Stakeholder Management

Cross-Functional Leadership

Change Management

People Analytics

Global/Multigeography

Job description

• The People M&A Leader will oversee and lead the People functions Merger & Acquisition + Emerging Market team and is the strategic partner to the business and deal teams by shaping M&A and divestiture strategies through a people and culture lens
• The M&A HR Leader ensures that workforce insights influence deal decisions, drives value realization beyond financials, and safeguards business continuity, culture, leadership, and talent outcomes
• This leader will ensure seamless strategy and execution across the full deal lifecycle – from due diligence to integration or separation to stabilising post-event – while safeguarding employee experience, mitigating risks, and ensuring compliance
• They will manage a dedicated People M&A delivery team, scaling resources up or down based on deal flow and priorities, and will partner closely with all People teams and business leaders to align people-related integration plans with organizational goals
• Influence Transaction Strategy
• Influence deal structure discussions (e.g. asset vs. share deal, TSA complexity, leadership retention)
• Drive early people relat4ed due diligence findings allow to influence the Corp Dev strategy/bid price to get the best ROI and value to Equinix
• Advise on leadership operating model post-close
• Assess talent flight risk, leader disengagement, union or regulatory pressure – before deal signing
• Translate workforce implications into clear business trade-offs: Speed vs. adoption, clean exit vs. local relationship impact, cost vs. reputation
• Strategy Development & Execution
• Define the overall strategy, approach, and standards for HR M&A activities, ensuring alignment with organizational goals (from due diligence to integration)
• Lead the end-to-end HR strategy and execution for all M&A transactions, including feasibility assessments, due diligence, deal execution, and post-close integration
• Define strategies for establishing operations in emerging markets and facilitate their integration into the global HR framework
• Team Resourcing
• Oversee a flexible team of M&A specialists and contributors, scaling capacity up or down in alignment with deal priorities and timelines
• Set performance expectations, track KPI’s, foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, and ensure high-quality, on-time delivery of services accurately and with high levels of employee satisfaction
• Be fully accountable for the operational execution of all programs in scope
• When not engaged in active transactions, redeploy resources to high-priority HR initiatives within People Experience
• Ensuring adequate HR resourcing pre- and post-transition; including country specific culture and legal/regulatory/statutory requirement expertise
• Program Management Oversight & Execution (Integration/Separation)
• Will drive regional program management for the region they reside in and oversee execution of other regions delivered via regional M&A team members
• Partner with COEs (e.g. Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, HR Technology) to ensure all HR workstreams have a detailed project plan and it is integrated into the broader enterprise integration plan
• Manage M&A risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies from an HR lens
• Stakeholder Management
• Partner with business, Corp Dev, Finance, Legal, and TPT CoEs to ensure people-related risks and costs are factored into deal negotiations and valuations
• Escalation Management & Brand Protection
• Serve as the primary escalation point for HR-related issues during transaction execution and represents the people function at the enterprise M&A working group
• Ensures M&A decisions reflect the needs of employees and protect the employer brand
• Emerging Market Operations
• Transition new markets to global Operating Model
• Manage delivery of services to Emerging Markets until stabilized – ensuring global standards tailored to market as needed

Familiarity with legal, financial, and operation aspects of M&A from a people perspectiveA significant number of years of proven experience in HR Leadership roles managing large-scale M&A, divestitures, & integration transactionsStrong understanding of end-to-end HR practices, including compensation, benefits, talent management, and HR data & technologyTrack record of successfully leading cross-functional, multi-geography integration teamsThe ability to inspire, empower, motivate, and guide a diverse teamAgilityInfluential collaborator and relationship builder who builds trust and works effectively across HR, other functions, and external stakeholdersAbility to bridge cultures, engage leaders, and create a unified employee experienceThe ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines while maintaining a focus on quality and efficiencyHighly organized, detail-oriented, and committed to operational excellenceNavigating ComplexityFosters a collaborative, continuous improvement and high-performance culture that is continuously building capabilityDetail Oriented & OrganizedAbility to see the big picture while navigating complex, fast-changing deal environmentsAbility to hold teams accountable for results, while balancing efficiency and empathyLeadership SkillsDisciplined approach to planning, governance, and delivery, ensuring deals close on time and integration goals are metUnderstands deal economics and translates people dynamics into business impactThrives under pressure and in high-stakes, time-sensitive situationsCultural AwarenessUtilizes high discretion, professionalism, and has a strong ethical compassCommercial HR AcumenCollaborationProject Management SkillsDrive alignment between HR and other functions on priorities