Director, Mergers & Acquisitions Integration
IQVIA · Reading
Integration Project Manager
ROLE SUMMARY
The Integration Project Manager leads the planning and execution of acquisition integrations, ensuring a successful transition from due diligence through to steady-state operations. The IPM owns the overall integration plan, coordinates cross-functional workstreams, drives risk and issue resolution, facilitates governance and executive reporting, and ensures achievement of the business case objectives, synergies, and strategic outcomes. The role requires strong program management, stakeholder management, change leadership and problem-solving capability in a complex, matrixed environment.
PURPOSE
- The purpose of this position is to lead the refinement and implementation of the overall acquisition integration plan, tracking and driving progress against key milestones
- The Integration Project Manager should be assigned after the Letter of Intent is signed and sustain their leadership until all integration actions are complete
- They will lead, motivate, and guide the Integration Workstream (Functional) Leads to efficiently attain the integration strategy and objectives, collaborating with the acquired leadership team and internal IQVIA stakeholders
- They act as the single point of coordination between AcquiredCo leadership, Corporate Development, the Business Unit sponsors and the Integration Management Office
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Support the transition from Due Diligence to Integration
- Work with Business Unit sponsors and Corporate Development to document the vision and strategic objectives for the integration
- Work with Corporate Development to identify a cross functional team of Integration Workstream Leads across HR, Finance, IT, Commercial, Legal, Quality and Operations
- Work with Corporate Development to plan for known risks discovered in the due diligence phase, including a post-diligence readout with the Legal Lead to review risks to be carried into integration
- Develop and maintain the handover deck documenting the strategy formed by Corporate Development and the Business, bridging the information gap between the diligence and integration teams
Plan, budget, and drive the integration
- Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop and drive a high-level, cross functional integration plan in Smartsheet in support of the overall integration strategy
- Coordinate with all relevant Functions to create a detailed Integration Budget, and work with Finance to monitor the budget and support report outs to key stakeholders
- Implement planning and organization strategies to prioritize tasks, determine required actions, develop timelines and milestones, and leverage resources
- Establish and maintain a governance cadence with Workstream Leads and the executive sponsors, ensuring progress, past-due tasks and risks are visible and actioned
- Manage Smartsheet and the Integration Team Space, ensuring decisions and progress are tracked and reported accurately
- Connect workstreams with dependencies and hold follow-up discussions to verify alignment across the team
- Establish interim ways of working where a functional integration is delayed (e.g., benefits harmonization, finance system implementation) so operations are not disrupted
Support change, culture, and communication
- Facilitate integration team alignment and accelerate change acceptance for both the acquired and IQVIA teams, addressing change resistance through appropriate change management techniques
- Understand the IQVIA and AcquiredCo cultural environments, political and social dynamics, to inform the degree of change expected and the change strategy
- Determine the need to be physically on site at the AcquiredCo and assess whether other functional leads and IQVIA staff should also be on site
- Provide coaching and feedback to AcquiredCo on IQVIA process, approach and decision making
- Support cross-company communication and collaboration between IQVIA and acquired stakeholders to drive awareness and understanding
Resolve complex business problems through the attainment of Steady State
- Identify and manage risks and resolve issues, employing appropriate escalations as needed (e.g., escalation of any legal or compliance related items) throughout the integration process
- Facilitate the integration team’s understanding of root causes to prioritize critical activities that drive productivity and efficiency
- Navigate organizational viewpoints, positioning ideas and actions to push through controversial issues while addressing the concerns of all relevant parties
- Manage the process of strategic and operational integration decision-making, ensuring decisions are made, documented and communicated
- Protect the value of the acquisition by identifying and maintaining the capabilities that made the target attractive in the first place
- Conduct After Action Reviews (AARs) to capture lessons learned and refine the IQVIA integration playbook
- This role requires availability to travel (around 10%)
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITY
- Strategic focus
- Planning and organizational skills
- Impactful communication skills
- Ability to build strategic working relationships
- The ability to lead teams effectively and escalate where appropriate
- Experience of leading or facilitating change
- Experience of managing complex, cross-functional projects
- A leadership disposition
- Sound decision making
- The ability to delegate to and empower others
- The ability to navigate politics and manage conflict
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority
- Proficiency with project and portfolio tracking tools, in particular Smartsheet
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional programs, ideally within a life sciences, CRO, CDMO or professional services environment
- Prior exposure to M&A, post-merger integration, business transformation or large-scale change programs is strongly preferred
- Working knowledge of the functional disciplines engaged in an integration – HR, Finance, IT, Legal, Commercial, Quality and Operations
- Comfortable operating with ambiguity, incomplete information and competing senior stakeholder priorities
- Willingness and ability to travel and to work on site at the acquired company, particularly during the first six months post-close
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; formal project management certification (PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent) is advantageous
MEASURES OF SUCCESS
- Integration milestones delivered to plan, with Steady State attained within the timeframe agreed with the executive sponsors
- Business case objectives and synergies realized and evidenced
- Integration budget managed within approved envelope
- Risks and issues surfaced early and resolved or escalated appropriately, with no material compliance or legal exposure
- Retention of key acquired talent and continuity of client and vendor relationships through the transition
- Accurate, timely reporting to the executive sponsors and the Integration Management Office
This role is not eligible for UK visa sponsorship.
IQVIA is a leading global provider of clinical research services, commercial insights and healthcare intelligence to the life sciences and healthcare industries. We create intelligent connections to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative medical treatments to help improve patient outcomes and population health worldwide. Learn more at https://jobs.iqvia.com
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