The Acquisition Integration Specialist is a critical project management role providing strategic guidance and partnership for the Airgas M&A pipeline. This role serves as the single point of contact between the Global Business Support (GBS) teams and the Airgas Business Units, Corporate M&A team, and HR Centers of Excellence (CoEs) related to integration of Airgas acquisitions. Your core focus is to manage the end-to-end integration playbook and coordinate cross-functional resources to ensure all GBS integration tasks are advanced accurately, seamlessly, and on schedule.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: GBS Task Coordination: Serve as the primary liaison and coordinator for all Global Business Support (GBS) teams. Ensure all GBS-related integration deliverables are advanced timely and accurately across pre-closing, pre-SAP cutover, and post-SAP phases. Key coordination responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Treasury & Banking Setup: Partner with Treasury to request new bank accounts, order required banking supplies (deposit stamps and slips), and coordinate the purchase and installation of smart safes (Loomis) with IT and regional divisions. Additionally, foster alignment on legacy bank account practices for stock deals, guiding the shared efforts for the ongoing monitoring, clean-up, and timely closure of legacy bank accounts.
Accounts Payable (AP) Integration: Guide and support vendor transitions, including notifying vendors of new ownership, verifying payment terms, vendor setup in SAP, transferring utility billings, managing 1099s, and coordinating the payout of legacy accounts payable. Manage AP clean-up efforts such as reviewing Unprocessed Receipts Reports (UPRR) and managing payment blocks for existing Airgas vendors. Additionally, implement cutoff procedures/duplicate payment risk monitoring to identify and manage situations where vendors send invoices multiple times or prematurely to Airgas prior to the official cutoff date.
Cash Application & Communications: Support customer communication rollouts, ensuring Payment Options letters are mailed successfully. Coordinate with legacy companies to establish processes for handling payments (Checks and ACH) received prior to Go-Live, including GL and profit center mapping.
Financial Controls Setup: Collaborate with Procurement and Finance leaders to determine delegation of authority, spending limits, and approval levels prior to SAP cutover.
Strategic Guidance & Playbook Management: Co-own and manage the end-to-end GBS integration playbook, ensuring it serves as a comprehensive step-by-step guide for every acquisition.
Project Tracking & Risk Management: Utilize standardized project management templates to ensure consistent project tracking. Develop and maintain the Cutover Plan (a detailed minute-by-minute plan for go-live weekend) and manage the overarching Risk & Issue Log to preemptively identify and build alignment through integration roadblocks for all acquisition activities within the GBS scope.
Resource Allocation: Guide and coordinate integration resources effectively across a high-volume pipeline capable of handling multiple acquisitions per year.
Knowledge Transfer: Formally document all integration choices, data mappings, and control implementations to ensure seamless ongoing support post-go-live.
Stakeholder Communication: Maintain strong alignment with Division Leads / Integration PMs to ensure local nuances and insights are incorporated into the centralized integration strategy.
Qualifications that will help you thrive:
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
Experience: Ideally, you bring 5+ years of experience in project management, business process integration, or M&A operations, preferably within a large, decentralized organization.
Systems Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in SAP (or similar ERP systems) is valued.
Technical Skills: Deep understanding of financial operations, including Treasury, Accounts Payable, and internal controls.
Soft Skills: Inspiring leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to coordinate cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
Analytical Ability: Proven track record of risk management, process documentation, and advancing complex, time-sensitive cutover plans.
Language: Advanced English proficiency (Business Fluent), with excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively manage cross-functional stakeholder communication and complex project documentation.
Our Differences make our Performance
At Air Liquide, we are committed to build a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces the diversity of our employees, our customers, patients, community stakeholders and cultures across the world.
We welcome and consider applications from all qualified applicants, regardless of their background. We strongly believe a diverse organization opens up opportunities for people to express their talent, both individually and collectively and it helps foster our ability to innovate by living our fundamentals, acting for our success and creating an engaging environment in a changing world.
