HR Lead - People Operations & Acquisition Integration

Reports to: CEO ## About Nuvocargo Nuvocargo is an AI-native services business, focused on freight. Our Agentic freight engine allows us to run US freight at substantially lower cost than traditional freight brokers. We are now acquiring other freight brokers, integrating them into our systems and transforming the way they operate for the age of AI. ## The role We are hiring an experienced HR operator to own every part of the People function, end to end. This is a hands-on role: you will run day-to-day HR yourself while building the playbook that lets us acquire a company and fully integrate its people, payroll, benefits and policies into Nuvocargo quickly, accurately and with minimal disruption. Integrating acquisitions will be a large and growing part of the job. This is an individual contributor role today, with a clear path to Head of People as the company grows and the team expands. ## What you will do Running HR end to end - Payroll: own US and Mexico payroll accuracy and compliance, working with our PEO/payroll providers and finance. - Benefits: manage US and Mexico benefits, annual renewals, open enrollment healthcare relationships - Recruiting: run hiring processes, job descriptions, interview loops, offers and recruiter / agency relationships. - Onboarding and offboarding: build smooth, consistent processes, including I-9s, equipment, access, final pay and documentation alongside our IT and Finance teams - Employee relations: advise managers, handle investigations and performance management, and keep documentation sound. - Policies and compliance: maintain handbooks and policies across multiple US states and Mexico; keep the company audit-ready. - HR systems and data: own the HRIS / PEO setup, keep employee data clean, and report on headcount, cost, turnover and other people metrics. Acquisition integration - Lead HR due diligence on US target companies: headcount, org charts, compensation, benefits, contracts, liabilities, worker classification, open claims and key-person risk. - Build and own a repeatable HR integration playbook: Day 1 readiness, 30/60/90-day plans, checklists and templates that get faster with each deal. - Migrate acquired employees onto Nuvocargo payroll, benefits, HRIS and policies, including benefits harmonization and plan transitions. - Map acquired roles into Nuvocargo's job levels and compensation bands; identify and resolve pay inconsistencies. - Identify and retain key talent through retention plans and clear communication. - Manage restructuring where needed, including redundancies, severance and federal and state WARN Act requirements, handled with care and in full compliance. - Run the people and communication side of integration: announcements, FAQs, manager toolkits and culture onboarding so acquired teams feel part of Nuvocargo from Day 1. - Work closely with leadership, finance and legal on deal timelines, integration costs and synergy tracking. Mexico HR - Manage Mexican HR matters including IMSS, INFONAVIT, SAT obligations, PTU (profit sharing), aguinaldo, prima vacacional and Ley Federal del Trabajo compliance. - Handle Mexican employment contracts, terminations and finiquitos / liquidaciones, and NOM-035 compliance. - Work with local advisors, accountants and benefits providers in Mexico. ## What we are looking for Must have - 5+ years of HR experience, including owning HR as a generalist or HR lead across recruiting, onboarding, offboarding, payroll, benefits and employee relations. - Direct experience integrating acquired companies, or experience in a private equity-backed, roll-up or serial-acquirer business. - Strong working knowledge of US employment law and multi-state payroll and compliance. - Exceptional attention to detail: payroll, benefits and employee data must be right the first time. - Excellent written and verbal communication; able to deliver difficult news clearly and with empathy. - Comfortable being hands-on in a fast-moving, lean team. Strongly preferred - Fluent in English and Spanish (written and spoken). - Experience implementing or migrating HRIS, payroll or PEO platforms. - HR certification (SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR) a plus. ## What makes someone great at HR in a roll-up - Build systems, not one-offs. Turns each integration into a reusable playbook so the tenth deal is faster and cleaner than the first. - Thinks like an operator and a finance partner. Understands how headcount, comp and benefits drive deal value and integration costs, and tracks them. - Find the problems early. Spots hidden liabilities in diligence (misclassification, unpaid overtime, under-funded benefits, side agreements) before they become Nuvocargo's problems. - Moves fast without breaking trust. Gets acquired employees paid correctly and on benefits on Day 1, because the first paycheck sets the tone for the whole integration. - Protects the talent we paid for. Knows who the critical people in an acquired business are and keeps them. - Balances standardization with judgment. Knows what must be harmonized right away and what can wait. - Uses technology and AI. Automates repetitive HR work so the function scales without adding headcount at the same rate. - Calm and discreet. Handles confidential deal information and sensitive employee matters with discretion. ## Why join - Build the People function and the M&A integration engine of a growing AI-native services business - Work directly with company leadership on strategy and acquisitions. - High ownership and visible impact from day one. - Compensation: $150,000–$175,000 base salary, depending on experience, plus equity and benefits.