HR Integration Lead

Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life. This role is currently based at our Minneapolis office and will transition to our new headquarters in Dayton, MN, in 2027.   The HR Integration Lead is responsible for leading diligence activities and planning and orchestrating integration activities for Human Resources during mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other transformation initiatives. This position serves as the primary HR lead for the Integration Management Office (IMO), and coordinates across all HR disciplines to ensure successful delivery on integration objectives, synergies, risk management, and the target operating model without disrupting business continuity. The position partners closely with HR leaders, acquired company counterparts, and cross-functional teams to deliver milestones on time and with minimal disruption. In addition, this position serves as the HR function’s project management lead, establishing and applying consistent project management practices across HR while leading select strategic, cross-functional initiatives. What You Will Do at Graco Integration Planning & Execution Orchestrate all HR due diligence, integration planning, and post-close optimization activities for acquisitions, mergers, and divestitures, ensuring each HR workstream has clear scope, priorities, owners, and deliverables that converge into a single functional plan Develop and maintain comprehensive HR integration plans (including milestones, roadmaps, deliverables, dependencies, risks, and resource requirements), translating integration objectives into actionable work plans aligned with the overall integration strategy and ensuring completion of all functional integration activities within agreed timelines and scope Lead the development of side-by-side analyses comparing compensation, benefits, HR policies, and other HR programs between Graco and acquired organizations, identifying key differences, risks, and employee impacts, and partnering with COEs on recommended integration approaches Own HR Day-1 readiness planning and communications to support a smooth and seamless transition with minimal business disruption, in partnership with HR partners Coordinate with acquired company and internal Graco HR partners to facilitate successful integration execution Ensure operational ownership, support processes, documentation, and service transition activities are completed before transitioning acquired environments to steady-state HR operations Cross-Functional Collaboration Serve as the primary point of contact between the HR function and the Integration Management Office, coordinating across HR workstreams and cross-functional partners to manage interdependencies, resolve issues, and remove barriers Participate in integration governance forums and provide timely progress updates on HR integration status, milestones, dependencies, risks, and decisions Partner with Corporate Development, Finance, HR partners, and business leaders to identify, quantify, validate, and track HR-related synergies and value-creation opportunities associated with each transaction Change Management & Communications Develop HR change management plans that support Day 1 readiness, post-close integration, and long-term adoption of new HR programs, processes, and systems Create clear, audience-specific communications for employees, leaders, HR partners, and acquired company counterparts on HR processes and programs, including FAQs, leader talking points, transition messaging, and readiness materials Assess stakeholder impacts, readiness