Executive Director, Legal, Compliance & Security, AGI

Job Title:

Executive Director, Legal, Compliance & Security, AGI

Reporting to: VP and GM, Ansys Government Initiatives

Role Level: Executive Director

Job Location:

Exton, PA

Ansys Government Initiatives (AGI) provides advanced engineering simulation and digital mission solutions to support U.S. national security, defense, space, and microelectronics programs. As a partner to the defense community since 1989, AGI helps customers apply Ansys & Synopsys software to solve complex, multidomain problems, connect engineering teams, and validate designs throughout the product life cycle. AGI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Synopsys, Inc.

You are a strategic, business-focused attorney and compliance leader with an active U.S. security clearance and deep expertise in government and commercial contracting for software, SaaS, and advanced technology solutions. You have a command of the regulatory environment that governs high-security, high-consequence technologies—spanning federal acquisition, cyber requirements, and national security frameworks. You excel at transforming complex legal and regulatory obligations into operationally sound business processes.

You work seamlessly across Sales, Product, Security, and Executive leadership to balance speed with compliance, enabling growth while protecting enterprise assets and preserving contractual integrity. You have a proven track record of managing risk in both federal and commercial landscapes, navigating FAR/DFARS, agency supplements, data rights, and software-specific clauses with precision. You are deeply experienced in overseeing corporate compliance programs, including National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) obligations, enterprise cyber controls, internal investigations, and operational mandates tied to government contract authorities.

You understand how to build and mature legal, compliance, and security functions that scale with the business. You are proactive, detail-oriented, and thrive in roles that require both independent judgment and cross-functional teamwork. Your leadership inspires confidence, and your adaptability ensures you deliver results even amidst shifting priorities. You’re equally comfortable in the boardroom, in negotiations with prime contractors and government contracting officers, and in working sessions with engineers and security personnel.

Above all, you bring sound judgment, integrity, and a proactive approach to safeguarding the organization and its mission.

• Leading all legal, compliance, and security functions, ensuring aligned, enterprise-wide governance across contracting, national security, and business operations.
• Owning the full contract lifecycle management process, from intake to negotiation to post-award compliance, strengthening controls and improving contract operations.
• Structuring deals to preserve commercial terms and pricing while ensuring adherence to federal acquisition regulations (FAR/DFARS), flow-downs, agency supplements, and specialized software clauses.
• Providing strategic legal and compliance support during proposal and capture phases, including RFP/RFQ/BAA/OTA reviews, organizational conflict of interest (OCI) assessments, risk reviews and contract modifications.
• Designing and maintaining compliance frameworks that integrate export controls, cybersecurity mandates, data privacy obligations, records management, ethics, and reporting requirements.
• Overseeing National Industrial Security Program (NISP) compliance in close partnership with the Facility Security Officer (FSO) and Security Operations, ensuring full alignment to NISPOM, DoD, and customer-specific requirements.
• Leading incident response, internal investigations, and corrective action planning related to compliance, contractual, or security events.
• Providing executive leadership with clear reporting on legal risk, security posture, regulatory exposure, and compliance program health.
• Building, mentoring, and leading a high-performing team across legal, compliance and security functions.

• Enable rapid and compliant growth across federal and commercial markets.
• Protect the…