Director, HR M&A

Sage is hiring a Director, People M&A to lead the People workstream across our acquisition lifecycle — from pre-deal due diligence and Day 1 readiness through post-close integration. This is a senior individual contributor role with high visibility across Executive Leadership, Corporate Development, and People Leadership where you'll shape the People M&A strategy and integration approach for each acquisition, with accountability for how acquired organisations are brought into Sage in a way that protects deal value, accelerates organisational alignment, and retains critical talent.

You will typically manage multiple integrations concurrently, remaining accountable for execution outcomes while working closely with regional Director-level People Business Partners and global HR Centres of Excellence in support of planning, coordination, and the delivery of the people-related work required for each integration. You will advise on people risk, trade-offs, sequencing, and integration decisions, often within compressed decision windows. By shaping how Sage integrates acquired organisations, you will play a central role in supporting the company’s strategic growth through acquisitions.

What Makes This Role Distinctive

• M&A is a deliberate and recurring growth lever for Sage. This role operates within an acquisition strategy where multiple integrations are planned, sequenced, and executed over time, requiring comfort making people and integration decisions across concurrent initiatives.
• You’ll partner closely with Executive leadership, Corporate Development, CHRO, EVP People, and Consultants/Advisors to shape decisions and recommendations on people-related risks, trade-offs, and timing, with direct impact on outcomes.
• This role offers scope to continuously refine Sage's People M&A integration approach to evolve playbooks, tools, and ways of working while operating in live deal environments.
• You’ll lead cross-border HR integrations across different regulatory environments, labour markets, and cultural contexts, with particular relevance across North America and Europe.

Minimum Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading the People/HR workstream across complex, multi-country M&A transactions, from pre-deal due diligence and Day 1 readiness through post-close integration. Depth and complexity of global experience matter more than deal count.
• Direct, hands-on HR M&A experience gained in a global organisation, M&A consulting/advisory environment, or both. A blend of consulting and in-house M&A experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience leading acquisitions involving North America and Europe, with exposure to differing employment, regulatory, labour market, and cultural considerations.
• Strong understanding of the people implications of different deal structures, including asset transfers and share/share purchases.
• Proven ability to operate as the senior People/HR M&A lead, advising on risk, trade-offs, sequencing, and decisions in ambiguous, time-sensitive deal environments.
• Strong programme and project management capability, including experience managing multiple complex integration workstreams concurrently across geographies, functions, and senior stakeholders.
• Strong ability to build relationships, credibility and influence with senior leaders and external advisors with the confidence to challenge constructively when needed.
• Ability to travel 25% of the time (typically between Europe & the U.S.).

Key Responsibilities

• Pre-deal diligence and deal planning: Lead HR due diligence for acquisitions, including discovery sessions with senior management, target company leadership, and external advisors to identify people-related risks, liabilities, opportunities, and integration considerations that inform deal decisions.
• Integration strategy and execution: Own the HR/People integration strategy for each acquisition, partnering with Sage leadership, Corporate Development, and target organisations to design approaches that address organisational design, workforce planning, talent retention, culture, and change management.
• Leadership, communication, and talent retention: Partner with Corporate Affairs to design and execute employee communication strategies that support confident transitions for colleagues joining Sage.
• Continuous improvement and M&A discipline: Capture lessons learned from each integration to strengthen institutional knowledge and continuously improve Sage’s HR/People M&A integration methodology and discipline.

Benefits

• Generous bonuses (30%)
• Up to 8% matched pension contribution plus 2% top-up by Sage.
• 25 days of paid annual leave with the option to buy up to another 5 days.
• 8 bank holiday days.
• Paid 5 days yearly to volunteer through our Sage Foundation.
• 50% income protection.
• Holiday buy + sell.
• Work away scheme for up to 10 weeks a year.
• Ongoing training and professional development.
• Hybrid working (2 days from home).
• Healthy Mind app membership.
• Access to various helpful memberships for finances, health and wellbeing.