What are the responsibilities and job description for the Executive Director, Ethics & Compliance position at 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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At Synopsys, we want talented people of every background to feel valued and supported to do their best work. Synopsys considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, military veteran status, or disability.
In addition to the base salary, this role may be eligible for an annual bonus, equity, and other discretionary bonuses. Synopsys offers comprehensive health, wellness, and financial benefits as part of a competitive total rewards package. The actual compensation offered will be based on a number of job-related factors, including location, skills, experience, and education. Your recruiter can share more specific details on the total rewards package upon request. The base salary range for this role is across the U.S.
Apply NowSynopsys maintains a workplace where all personnel, customers, and vendors are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect. We maintain worldwide policies in our Work Rules Policy, which is applicable to all employees in furtherance of these principles. We pride ourselves on providing a healthy and productive work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, age, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, medical condition, and any other characteristic protected by law. For applicants and employees with disabilities, we also make reasonable accommodations consistent with applicable laws and regulations. We are each expected to do our part to create a healthy and productive work environment for everyone. This includes bringing issues to management’s attention when you believe certain conditions are distracting from a good work environment. Our Work Rules Policy also allows you to raise concerns with other Synopsys managers. If employees are still unable to resolve their concerns, their disputes may be resolved through our Internal Issue Resolution Process Policy. In addition, all managers and employees in positions of authority have a special obligation to maintain and support a healthy and productive work environment.
Salary : $253,000 - $380,000