Senior Manager, HR M&A

Senior Manager, HR M&A

Global Human Resources | Mergers & Acquisitions

About Cognizant Corporate

Cognizant Corporate is a global community united by a shared purpose: to make a meaningful impact. We are committed to excellence and driven by outcomes that matter. Collaboration is at the heart of how we work, and our forward-thinking mindset fuels continuous learning, innovation, and growth. At Cognizant, careers transcend titles. We empower our people to think strategically, inspire others, and lead with purpose, always guided by our core values.

About the role

The Senior Manager, HR M&A will be a member of the global HR M&A team responsible for leading people-related activities across the acquisition lifecycle, from due diligence and pre-close planning through employee transition, integration, and post-close stabilization.

As a trusted advisor to deal teams, business leaders, and functional stakeholders, this individual assesses human capital risks and opportunities, develops HR transaction and integration strategies, and influences people-related deal terms. The role combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, business and financial acumen, workforce data analysis, executive communication, and disciplined program leadership.

In this role, you will:

Acquisition Due Diligence

• Support the deal lead in the HR due diligence process for assigned acquisitions.

• Develop and refine a tailored HR information request list based on deal drivers, transaction structure, workforce profile, geographic scope, and emerging risks, gaps, or dependencies.

• Review workforce data, employment practices, HR policies and programs, organizational structures, and contractual obligations to assess organizational capability, workforce stability, critical talent, employee relations, compliance exposure, and key-person dependencies.

• Evaluate compensation, benefits, incentives, employment terms, workforce costs, and employee-related obligations, including executive and key-employee agreements, change-in-control provisions, severance, transaction bonuses, retention commitments, and other transaction triggers.

• Compare target-company practices and programs with Cognizant plans, policies, processes, and operating models to develop gap analyses identifying material risks, integration considerations, potential costs, and mitigation actions.

• Partner with Compensation, Benefits, Employment Legal, Finance, Tax, Mobility, Talent, HR Operations, and other subject-matter experts to validate findings and determine potential exposure.

• Translate due diligence findings into concise, executive-ready risk assessments, recommendations, and decision materials.

• Maintain an HR risk register and ensure material findings, assumptions, open items, and dependencies are appropriately documented and escalated.

• Provide HR input into purchase agreement provisions, transition service considerations, financial models, integration requirements, and other people-related deal terms.

• Ensure due diligence findings are effectively transitioned into integration planning and execution.

Acquisition Integration

• Play a vital role in the development and execution of the HR integration strategy and roadmap for assigned acquisitions.

• Translate transaction objectives and due diligence findings into an actionable HR integration plan with clear milestones, owners, dependencies, decision points, success measures, and required transaction timelines.

• Establish and maintain HR integration governance, including leadership updates, workstream reviews, decision tracking, and monitoring of progress, employee-impacting risks, and organizational readiness. Escalate unresolved issues and recommend corrective actions when milestones, employee experience, cost, or compliance could be affected.

• Partner with Finance, IT, Corporate Security, Legal, Mobility, Compliance, Corporate Development, and business teams to identify and manage cross-functional dependencies affecting employees.

• Coordinate with Compensation, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Talent Architecture, HR Operations, Payroll, HR Technology, and HR Business Partners to assess gaps and guide harmonization decisions for organizational alignment, employment terms, compensation, benefits, policies, systems, processes, and employee support.

• Partner with HR Business Partners, Organizational Change Management, Corporate Communications, and Corporate Development to establish an effective employee communication and change framework.

• Coordinate integration-related data requirements with the HR M&A data management team and other data owners.

• Support post-close stabilization and the transition of responsibilities to steady-state HR owners.

• Conduct post-integration reviews and incorporate lessons learned into future transactions.

Employee Transition and Onboarding

• Create comprehensive employee transition and onboarding plans for acquired employee populations, including employment documentation, background verification, work eligibility, employee data readiness, payroll setup, benefits enrollment, and HR system readiness.

• Coordinate people-related activities across HR functions, countries, legal entities, and business units.

• Oversee the accurate and timely preparation and delivery of employment documents, employee communications, onboarding materials, and benefit information to promote clarity, consistency, and effective employee experience.

• Partners with Legal, Finance, Tax, Mobility, Payroll, Compensation, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, and local HR teams to ensure employee readiness.

• Participate in HR readiness reviews and confirm that people-related requirements are completed before key transaction milestones.

• Serve as an escalation point for employee transition matters, including issues following close, and coordinate timely resolution through the appropriate HR and business teams.

What you must have to be considered

• Deep understanding of the HR M&A lifecycle, including due diligence, pre-close planning, employee transition, integration, stabilization, and transition to steady-state operations.

• Strong understanding of HR disciplines and their interdependencies, including compensation, benefits, HR operations, talent acquisition, talent management, employee relations, payroll, mobility, HR technology, and HR business partnering.

• Demonstrated ability to assess human capital risk, translate findings into business, financial, contractual, and operational implications, and develop practical recommendations from incomplete information and evolving transaction circumstances.

• Advanced analytical capabilities to synthesize complex workforce and financial information, identify critical risks, trends, dependencies, and gaps, and maintain a clear view of transaction objectives.

• Strong business and financial acumen to evaluate cost drivers, financial exposure, and workforce costs, and balance transaction objectives with employee experience, compliance, and operational readiness.

• Strong project and program management skills, including governance, planning, dependency management, risk mitigation, decision management, and execution within compressed transaction timelines.

• Strong communication skills, including the ability to prepare and deliver concise presentations, risk summaries, decision papers, and recommendations.

• Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills to work effectively with target companies, internal teams, business units, and external advisors, and drive cross-functional outcomes without direct reporting authority.

• High degree of judgment, discretion, and sensitivity when handling confidential transactions and employee information.

• Ability to operate effectively in a global environment and work across cultures, countries, legal entities, and time zones.

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, including the ability to analyze workforce data and develop executive-ready materials.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Organizational Development, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.

• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in corporate Human Resources, HR consulting, or a related discipline.

• Minimum of 5 years of direct HR M&A experience across acquisition due diligence, pre-close planning, integration, employee transition, or post-close stabilization.

These will help you succeed

• Demonstrated experience leading HR workstreams across multiple phases of the M&A lifecycle, with responsibility for multiple completed acquisitions, experience supporting divestitures or other complex corporate transactions, and experience managing cross-functional, global programs.

• Experience conducting HR due diligence and evaluating workforce risks, compensation, benefits, employment arrangements, organizational structures, and employee obligations, and translating findings into transaction terms, financial assumptions, purchase agreements, transition plans, and integration cost models.

• Demonstrated experience partnering with Corporate Development, Legal, Finance, Compensation, Benefits, HR Operations, HR Business Partners, and business leadership.

• Prior experience in consulting, technology services, or another transaction-intensive global organization strongly preferred.

• Willingness and ability to work across global time zones and support critical transaction milestones outside standard working hours when required.

• Ability to travel based on transaction and business needs.

• AI experience in deal-related matters preferred.

Work model

We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 3 days a week in a Cognizant office. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.

We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.

Salary and Other Compensation

Applications will be accepted until December 15th, 2026.

The annual salary for this position is between $97,650 - $132,000, depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits : Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

• 401(k) plan and contributions

• Long-term/Short-term Disability

• Paid Parental Leave

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.