Senior Technical Project Manager, Global Expansion & M&A

Overview

Instacart is looking for a strategic, execution-oriented Technical Program Manager (TPM) to lead and scale complex, cross-functional initiatives supporting global expansion and M&A activities. This role operates at the intersection of strategy, operations, People, Legal, Finance, IT, and executive leadership.

You will own end-to-end program management for international market entry, entity setup, workforce expansion, and acquisition integrations, ensuring seamless coordination across stakeholders and disciplined execution against timelines, budgets, and risk frameworks. A key component of the role includes close partnership with HR Centers of Excellence (COEs) on integration, compliance, compensation, benefits, payroll, and organizational design workstreams.

This role requires a systems thinker who can translate ambiguity into structure, manage high-stakes initiatives with executive visibility, and bring operational rigor to moments of significant company change.

About the Job

Strategic Program Leadership (Global Expansion & M&A)

• Lead large-scale, cross-functional programs related to international expansion and corporate development initiatives.
• Develop integrated program plans across People, Legal, Finance, IT, Security, and Operations.
• Define scope, milestones, dependencies, critical paths, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Establish governance models, operating rhythms, and executive reporting for complex initiatives.
• Drive alignment across senior stakeholders to ensure clarity of decision rights and accountability.

Global Expansion Execution

• Partner with Legal, Finance, IT, Security, and People teams on entity creation, employer-of-record transitions, and regulatory readiness.
• Coordinate HR COE workstreams including compensation benchmarking, benefits setup, payroll implementation, mobility, and local compliance.
• Build repeatable playbooks and scalable frameworks for new country launches.
• Ensure technical and operational systems (people systems, payroll, IT provisioning, security access) are aligned for new markets.
• Identify risks related to compliance, data privacy, and workforce management across jurisdictions.

M&A Integration Management

• Lead integration program management for acquisitions, including Day 0 / Day 1 readiness and post-close integration.
• Partner with HR COEs on org design, job architecture alignment, compensation harmonization, benefits transition, and talent assessment.
• Coordinate system integrations (people systems, payroll, identity management, collaboration tools).
• Track synergy milestones, integration KPIs, and change management initiatives.
• Establish structured communication plans to ensure clarity for acquired employees and leaders.

HR COE Partnership

• Serve as a central connector across Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, People Systems & Operations, , Payroll, Benefits, HRBPs, and Employee Relations.
• Translate expansion and M&A strategy into clear People workstreams with defined deliverables and timelines.
• Identify interdependencies across COEs and proactively manage sequencing and risk.
• Support scalable documentation, process mapping, and operational readiness.
• Elevate program management maturity within People through templates, dashboards, and playbooks.

Risk, Governance & Infrastructure

• Partner with Legal and Security to operationalize GDPR and international privacy requirements within people systems, ensuring compliant employee data management across jurisdictions.
• Build structured intake and prioritization processes for expansion and integration initiatives.
• Maintain centralized risk registers and mitigation frameworks.
• Create executive-ready dashboards and reporting artifacts.
• Ensure documentation quality, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance.
• Continuously refine global expansion and M&A operating models based on lessons learned.

About You

Minimum Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of experience in Technical Program Management, M&A, Strategy & Operations, Corporate Development, or related functions.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional programs with executive visibility.
• Experience supporting global expansion initiatives and/or M&A integrations.
• Strong familiarity with People systems, HR operations, and cross-border workforce considerations.
• Experience operating in high-growth, fast-paced environments.
• Exceptional program management discipline (planning, dependency mapping, risk mitigation).
• Ability to translate ambiguity into structured execution plans.
• Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfort navigating high-stakes, confidential initiatives.
• Systems thinker who can connect business strategy, technical systems, and workforce implications.
• High judgment and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Strong analytical skills with a bias toward measurable outcomes.