Senior Director, People M&A

Senior Director, People M&A

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company®, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet. A place where bold ideas are welcomed, human connection is valued, and everyone has the opportunity to shape their future.

Role Description

People M&A Leader will oversee the People functions Merger & Acquisition + Emerging Market team. The role serves as the strategic partner to business and deal teams by shaping M&A and divestiture strategies through a people and culture lens, ensuring workforce insights influence deal decisions, achieve value beyond financials, and safeguard business continuity.

Key Responsibilities

Influence Transaction Strategy

• Influence deal structure discussions (e.g., asset vs. share deal, TSA complexity, leadership retention).
• Drive early people‑related due diligence findings to influence the Corp Dev strategy/bid price.
• 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 overall strategy, approach and standards for HR M&A activities, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Lead end‑to‑end HR strategy and execution for all M&A transactions.
• 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 with deal priorities.
• Set performance expectations, track KPI’s, foster accountability and continuous improvement.
• Be fully accountable for operational execution of all programs in scope.
• Redeploy resources to high‑priority HR initiatives within People Experience when not engaged in active transactions.
• Ensure adequate HR resourcing pre‑ and post‑transition, including country‑specific culture and legal expertise.

Program Management Oversight & Execution (Integration/Separation)

• 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 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 represent the people function at the enterprise M&A working group.
• Ensure 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.

Knowledge And Experience

• Significant years of proven experience in HR Leadership roles managing large‑scale M&A, divestitures, and integration transactions.
• Strong understanding of end‑to‑end HR practices, including compensation, benefits, talent management, and HR data & technology.
• Familiarity with legal, financial, and operational aspects of M&A from a people perspective.
• Track record of successfully leading cross‑functional, multi‑geography integration teams.

Skills And Attributes

• Leadership skills: inspire, empower, motivate, and guide a diverse team.
• Collaboration: influential collaborator and relationship builder across HR, other functions, and external stakeholders.
• Agility: see the big picture while navigating complex, fast‑changing deal environments; thrive under pressure.
• Discipline: disciplined approach to planning, governance, and delivery, ensuring deals close on time and integration goals are met.
• Project Management skills: manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines while maintaining quality and efficiency.
• Detail oriented & organized: highly organized, detail‑oriented, and committed to operational excellence.
• Culture awareness: bridge cultures, engage leaders, and create a unified employee experience.
• Commercial HR acumen: understand deal economics and translate people dynamics into business impact.
• Navigate complexity with high discretion and strong ethical compass.

Benefits

We ensure employees receive a competitive, inclusive, sustainable, connected and efficient benefits package. Key benefits include:

• Health, life, disability and voluntary plans.
• Retirement contributions to a retirement plan.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Benefits tailored to each country, e.g., Canadian core benefits include healthcare coverage and retirement plans.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equinix is an Equal Employment Opportunity and, in the U.S., an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to unlawful discrimination.

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