Head of Integration
Client name disclosed upon mutual interest.
Location: Midwest preferred (Ohio, Michigan, or Pennsylvania)
Compensation: $150,000-$175,000 base salary + 25% bonus
Travel: Up to 25%, concentrated around acquisition closings and early integration
About the Role
We are looking for a Head of Integration to lead the internal pre-close and post-close integration of an acquisitive, lower-middle-market commercial services platform. The role begins at signed LOI, builds the integration plan, and carries each acquisition through completed integration.
This is an opportunity to build an integration function from scratch. The organization is actively acquiring businesses and needs a leader who can create the playbook, establish the cadence, coordinate functional owners, surface risk early, and make integration a repeatable capability rather than a series of one-off projects.
This role leads primarily through influence rather than direct authority. Functional leaders across Operations, Finance, HR, IT, and Sales own the work in their areas; the Head of Integration owns the plan, cadence, risk register, accountability, and escalation path.
Responsibilities
Pre-Close Planning
- Engage at LOI signature, absorb diligence findings, and build a working understanding of each target.
- Develop the integration plan across organizational structure, operating model and KPIs, technology migrations, back-office and financial reporting, and Day 1 readiness.
- Stand up detailed timelines, 30/60/90-day checklists, risk registers, decision logs, governance calls, and status reporting.
- Partner with senior leadership and M&A to identify synergies and dis-synergies in advance of close.
- Sequence integration activity around operating seasonality where appropriate to minimize disruption.
Post-Close Execution
- Run the integration cadence, hold functional owners to commitments, engage when problems arise, and escalate early when timelines or outcomes are at risk.
- Coordinate the transition of acquired-company leadership and protect key seller and founder relationships throughout integration.
- Keep operations, finance, accounting, banking, HR, IT, data, reporting, commercial, brand, customer communication, fleet, facilities, safety, compliance, and founder-transition workstreams moving against plan.
- Drive toward fast, accurate post-acquisition reporting and a smooth employee and customer transition.
Governance and Reporting
- Report integration plans, progress, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership and investors as appropriate.
- Define and track integration success metrics including timeline adherence, operational stability, key employee retention, customer impact, and performance against the financial plan.
- Create clarity around scope, sequencing, resource needs, trade-offs, and escalation decisions.
Build the Integration Playbook
- Create reusable templates, checklists, functional requirements, standard timelines, and governance standards.
- Refine the playbook after every acquisition so each integration becomes faster, cleaner, and more scalable.
- Capture lessons learned and ensure missed items are documented and incorporated into future integrations.
Requirements
Must-Haves
- Bachelor's degree.
- Seven or more years of professional experience, including at least two years leading M&A integration, post-close operations, or comparable large-scale change programs.
- Experience from a corporate integration or corporate development team, consulting role, private equity operating team, or acquisitive operating company.
- Ability to build rapport and credibility from owner-operators and frontline teams through senior functional leaders.
- Exceptional program management skills, including integration plans, timelines, risk registers, 30/60/90-day checklists, decision logs, and status reporting.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines across internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, including work with senior executives, boards, or investors.
- Strong initiative and comfort with ambiguity in a fast-paced, acquisition-driven environment.
Nice-to-Haves
- Experience integrating founder- or family-owned targets below $10 million of EBITDA.
- Multi-site field services, route-based, skilled-trades, or similar operating experience.
- Experience with ERP, CRM, HRIS, or field-operations platform migrations.
- Experience building an integration function or playbook.
- Large-scale change-management experience in small to medium-sized organizations.
- Advanced degree in business, accounting, finance, or management.
How Success Will Be Measured
- Add-on EBITDA performance versus budget.
- Key employee and crew retention.
- Employee engagement at acquired businesses following close.
- Speed and completeness of integration and technology migration.
- Consistent execution against the integration plan and financial expectations.
Compensation & Benefits
- Base Salary: $150,000-$175,000
- Bonus: 25%, based on achievement of role KPIs
- Travel: Up to 25%
