Associate Director - M&A - HR

Job content

Overview

KPMG research shows that 2/3 of deals fail to deliver value, and amongst the top reasons are People and Culture. HR M&A was set up as part of the Integration & Separation (I&S) team in Deal Advisory, which has been growing year on year and seen by our clients as a market leader. We have worked on some of the largest and most high-profile client engagements in the deals space, including multi-billion spins, integration of global mega mergers, disposals of non-core assets for large multinationals. We have launched a market differentiating digital engagement platform for M&A as well as a campaign focused on ‘the Human Side of Deals’, and we continue to drive digital innovation.

This is an opportunity to be part of a fast growing, dynamic, working flexibly, collaborative culture and diverse team, made up of HR deals professionals working alongside with deal execution teams on large scale, global integrations, separations and Joint Venture, across a range of sectors (Financial Services, Healthcare, Real Estate, Consumer, Industrial, Technology, Media and Telecommunications or Business Services). We work together to develop solutions to the issues our clients may face and understand the financial benefits or risks that may be present from a people perspective.

We advise on all aspects relating to HR and change management on the deals process from HR due diligence through to deal execution. Our focus areas:
1) Employee experience: Shaping the employee experience strategy and executing an engagement program. This often is based on our unique digital engagement platform, to ensure that the workforce is engaged, and key talent is retained in order to protect deal value
2) Organisational Design: Organisation Design, people strategy, operating model, driving synergies and value enhancements for integrations, carve-outs, or Joint Venture. Managing the talent risks and retention strategies, putting in place the strategy and execution programme to stand up Combined Company
3) Labour relations and compliance: Ensuring that labour and HR risks and obligations are understood and managed globally in order to deliver on the deal timelines and planned changes. We have one of the strongest experiences in workforce transition in the market.
4) HR operations: HR Operations focuses on the integration of the HR function itself, from strategy, operating model, integration or separation of systems and processes including standing up/securing payroll on deals.

Our wider Integration & Separation (‘I&S’) deals team culture and HR M&A ways of working are highly collaborative, open, and high performing. Associate Directors are not expected to have all skill sets, but to lead teams to deliver on these areas.

Responsibilities

Client delivery:

• Demonstrate credibility and experience to advise and deliver on complex I&S deals (involving teams from I&S, Deal Advisory and the wider firm).
• Prepare, plan, and deliver HR M&A programmes and HR due diligence.
• Leading and supporting our clients through strategy development, organisational design, people transitions, employee experience and synergy/cost analysis programmes arising from acquisitions, divestitures, carve outs and other transactions.
• Delivering and/or reviewing high quality, transaction reports and other M&A documentation including HR due diligence and Transitional Service Agreements.
• Drawing on knowledge and experience to provide high quality and deep insights and recommendations to our clients.
• Leading client meetings and interviews and act as primary point of contact for the client across overall engagement.
• Interfacing with senior internal and external stakeholders both at clients and within KPMG.
• Managing relationships with key C level executives at clients.
• Deploys I&S and Deal Advisory technology on projects to reduce cost and improve client delivery, where appropriate.

Wider team:

• To work collaborative with the HR M&A partner and directors, as well as the wider I&S and Deal Advisory partners and directors to pursue and land deal opportunities. Our team truly believes in the success of ‘hunting in packs’. We land more deals and bigger deals by working together across Deal Advisory and across borders.
• Supporting and contributing to the growth plans of our HR M&A business.
• Drive digital innovation including the development of compelling HR M&A propositions to provide market growth opportunities.
• To identify and pull through relevant KPMG services, e.g. Management Consulting People & Change, People Services etc.
• Owning engagement management, including quality and risk management for the project, setting scopes, budgets, staffing resources, creation, and coordination of client-ready deliverables with KPMG engagement teams, and direct communication of results with clients.
• When not working on projects, support the development of our propositions, business development and preparation and delivery of proposals to clients.
• Acts as a role model for I&S values and demonstrates behaviours in line with KPMG values and culture.

Experience & Skills

• Experience in a consulting firm or industry of preparing and delivering HR, Organisation Design or Strategy programmes in a M&A environment including:

o HR due diligence (buyside and sell side) – writing and reviewing.
o Planning and execution of integrations and separations across strategy and OD, people transition, culture, employee experience, infrastructure, and systems.
o HR Operations, including people, process, governance, service management, technology and contracts.
o Design, negotiation, and operation of HR related transitional services.
o Advise, challenge and support clients through the deal life cycle including deal execution.

• Deep technical expertise in at least one of the following areas:

o Operating model, organisation design and execution.
o Talent retention strategy, talent pooling and assessment & selection.
o Cultural assimilation, shaping employee experience strategy and execution.
o Headcount and HR related synergies, e.g. workforce optimisation, managing RIF (Reduce in Force) programmes and large-scale workforce transitions.
o HR operating models, including organisation, systems, and processes – integrating, carving out or setting up from scratch.
o Labour relations e.g. TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings), restructuring and redundancy, union negotiation strategies and Collective Labour Agreements.

• Understanding of the deal lifecycle and the role of HR and strategy within it – starting from due diligence through to concluding transitional service agreements.
• Leading a team which includes both colleagues and client members of staff.
• Programme management experience and track record of successful delivery of projects.
• Experience of HR outsourcing, supplier management and procurement.
• Comfort with ambiguity, fluid situations and a highly pressured environment.
• Fluency in a European language beneficial.