Executive Director, Ethics & Compliance
Synopsys
The Executive Director, Ethics & Compliance is accountable for translating enterprise strategy into a practical, scalable global compliance program and ensuring it operates effectively across the business. This role requires a seasoned leader who sets direction and owns execution—driving a best-in-class program through complex regulatory, geopolitical, and high-growth environments.
Reporting to the Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, the Executive Director is a highly visible leader who partners closely with cross-functional leaders and business teams worldwide. The ideal candidate brings deep compliance and investigations expertise with strong operational leadership and a global perspective, enabling the company to operate responsibly and decisively by embedding integrity, sound judgment, and ethical decision-making into day-to-day operations at scale.
Key Responsibilities
Global Ethics & Compliance Leadership
· Lead the execution and continuous improvement of the global ethics and compliance program, ensuring consistent, risk-based application across regions, business models, and growth environments.
· Own the Code of Ethics & Business Conduct and the global policy framework, ensuring policies, procedures, and governance mechanisms remain current, effective, and aligned with regulatory expectations.
· Design and oversee global compliance risk assessment, monitoring, and reporting to strengthen controls, measure program effectiveness, and drive continuous improvement.
· Partner with the Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer to support executive and Board-level oversight, including reporting to the Audit Committee and engagement with external auditors.
International and Regulatory Risk Governance
· Apply the global risk framework to cross-border, geopolitical, and regulatory risks affecting international operations and global business activities.
· Monitor regulatory and enforcement developments in key jurisdictions and adapt compliance strategies and program requirements accordingly.
· Lead global oversight of anti-corruption, anti-bribery, competition, and related regulatory compliance programs.
· Advise on cross-border business transactions, third-party relationships, and international market expansion to proactively identify and mitigate compliance risk.
· Coordinate with Trade Compliance on sanctions and export-related risk escalation, governance, and investigations.
Culture, Speak-Up, Investigations & Enforcement
· Advance a strong global culture of integrity globally through training, awareness, communications, and leadership engagement.
· Oversee the company’s speak-up and anti-retaliation framework, including confidential reporting mechanisms and issue escalation.
· Direct the global investigations function, including hotline operations, internal investigations, and regulatory inquiries and enforcement matters, ensuring consistent, timely, and fair resolution.
Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership
· Lead and develop a high-performing, globally distributed team of ethics and compliance professionals across the U.S., EMEA, and APAC.
· Partner with Finance, Internal Audit, HR, Sales, and global business leaders and teams to embed ethics and compliance into core processes, strategic initiatives, and business operations.
· Support complex business transformations, including post-acquisition integration, to ensure compliance standards are consistently implemented across newly acquired entities.
Qualifications
· Legal Credentials: J.D. from an accredited law school and active U.S. bar membership.
· Experience: 15+ years of legal and compliance experience, including at least 7+ years in a senior in-house leadership role within a large, publicly traded multinational technology company.
· Global Expertise: Proven track record of managing compliance across multiple jurisdictions (US, EMEA, APAC) and navigating international enforcement landscapes.
· Leadership: Experience building and leading high-performing, multidisciplinary teams of attorneys and compliance professionals.
· Executive Presence: Demonstrated ability to influence executives and communicate complex risk profiles to Board-level committees.
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