Director, M&A Integration

Upwork•Palo Alto, CA

2h•$181,750 - $326,000

About The Position

Upwork’s Corporate Strategy & Development team drives high-impact initiatives that shape the future of the world’s work marketplace. As we continue expanding our Enterprise solutions, AI capabilities, and global marketplace, inorganic growth remains an important lever for accelerating our strategy. The team partners closely with senior leaders across Product, Engineering, GTM, Trust & Safety, Finance, and People to identify, evaluate, and integrate acquisitions that advance Upwork’s long-term vision. We are seeking a Director of M&A Integration — an experienced and strategic individual contributor who will own the strategy, planning, implementation and execution of integration efforts across Upwork’s acquisition portfolio. This leader will join the Strategy, Corporate Development and Partnerships organization and bring strong cross-functional influence, integration expertise, and operational rigor to ensure newly acquired teams, technologies, products and businesses are set up for long-term success.

Requirements

10–15+ years of M&A integration, consulting, or operational leadership experience, with a minimum of 5+ years directly leading M&A integrations end-to-end.
Strong track record integrating teams, technology, and operational processes within technology or marketplace/SaaS environments.
Ability to operate as a high-impact individual contributor driving complex, global integration efforts.
Excellent cross-functional influence skills and executive presence.
Exceptional program management, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
Superior written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level reporting.
Proficiency in Google Workspace
Willingness to travel as needed.

Nice To Haves

Smartsheet experience a plus.
MBA or equivalent experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead End-to-End M&A Integration
Define and drive integration strategy, workstreams and timelines across all phases: pre-sign diligence, signing-to-close planning, and post-close execution to align with strategic and financial objectives.
Lead integration planning and project management with clear milestones, resource needs and timelines to facilitate efficient decision-making, manage risks and interdependencies and drive value creation and capture.
Drive cross-functional implementation and execution from Day 1 readiness through product, technology, operational, and go-to-market integration.
Anticipate, identify and resolve integration obstacles, surface risks early, consider dependencies, and drive escalations in partnership with functional leaders.
Establish and track integration KPIs, value realization metrics, and post-deal scorecards and deliver high-quality, executive-ready communication to maintain alignment, highlight progress, and advance issues as needed.
Ensure acquired teams are set up for success - supporting onboarding, team structure, cultural alignment, and retention of key talent.
Strategic Partnership & Cross-Functional Leadership
Serve as a core member of the deal team, contributing integration insights to target evaluation, diligence, and deal structuring.
Partner closely with Product, Engineering, GTM, Trust & Safety, Finance, and People to align executives on integration scope, operating model, and decision-making.
Provide integration thought leadership, best practices, and advisory support across the business.
Lead customer, marketplace, and competitive insights workstreams to inform acquisition strategy.
Guide virtual cross-functional teams and onboard newly acquired employees in a complex, matrixed environment.
Capability Building & Performance Excellence
Enhance Upwork’s M&A integration playbooks, tools, processes, and best practices.
Conduct post-mortems and integrate learnings into future deals.
Prepare integration updates and insights for senior executives and the Board of Directors.
Support broader Corporate Strategy initiatives outside of M&A as needed.