Senior Compliance Analyst

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality.

Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to systems for the most dynamic market applications including consumer, hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, aerospace industrial and health.

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

Job Title: Senior Compliance Analyst

Location: Dublin/Cork (Irl) , Bracknell (UK)

Reports to: License Compliance Director

Job Overview:

As a Senior Compliance Analyst, you will play a central role in protecting Cadence’s intellectual property by identifying, investigating, and resolving unauthorised use of software and IP across global markets. This role sits at the intersection of data analysis, enforcement strategy, and customer engagement, directly contributing to revenue protection and the integrity of Cadence’s licensing ecosystem. You will work across a high-impact, cross-functional environment spanning Legal, Sales, Engineering, and external partners to bring complex compliance cases to resolution.

Job Responsibilities:

• Proactively identify potential software piracy and unauthorised usage through systematic analysis of usage patterns, geolocation data, support logs, and external intelligence sources.
• Build structured, evidence-based cases to support enforcement actions, ensuring all findings are clearly documented and defensible.
• Own anti-piracy cases end-to-end, from initial identification through to commercial or legal resolution, maintaining clear case records throughout.
• Engage directly and professionally with customers on sensitive compliance matters, negotiating settlements related to unlicensed usage and contractual breaches.
• Lead enforcement strategy in close coordination with Legal and Sales teams, managing escalation paths including formal audit or legal processes where required.
• Develop and continuously refine targeting strategies to identify high-risk accounts, building and maintaining pipelines of potential compliance cases.
• Partner with Sales teams to align enforcement activity with broader account strategy and commercial objectives, preserving customer relationships wherever possible.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Product teams to deepen understanding of licensing models and detection capabilities, feeding insights back into compliance processes.
• Draft clear, concise, and effective written communications related to infringement matters, including customer-facing correspondence and internal case summaries.
• Contribute to building scalable anti-piracy frameworks and tools, sharing best practices and detection methodologies across the global compliance organisation.

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Law, Business, Finance, or a related field.
• 3–6 years of experience in licence compliance, anti-piracy, audit, investigations, or revenue assurance.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and resolve non-compliance or unauthorised software usage.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets and draw actionable conclusions.
• Experience engaging with customers or counterparties in sensitive, high-stakes, or adversarial situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft clear enforcement correspondence.

Additional Skills/Preferences:                     

• Experience in software compliance, electronic design automation (EDA), or IP licensing environments.
• Familiarity with forensic or usage-based data analysis techniques.
• Previous experience working with external audit or investigation firms.
• Understanding of enterprise software licensing models, including network, WAN, and usage-based licensing.
• Strong negotiation capability with experience reaching commercial settlements in complex or sensitive cases.
• Data-driven decision-making approach with a track record of improving detection or process accuracy.

Additional Information:

• This role sits within the Global Compliance organisation, working alongside a team of analysts and legal professionals focused on IP protection and revenue assurance.
• Key stakeholders include Legal, Sales, Engineering, and Product teams, as well as external audit and investigation partners.
• The team works with data analytics platforms, internal licensing systems, and case management tools to detect and manage compliance activity.
• This is a global-scope role; candidates should be comfortable engaging across time zones and with international stakeholders.

Check what we can offer you:

• Competitive salary
• 25 days holiday per year
• Private Medical and Dental plans, Income Protection and Life Insurance
• Group Personal Pension Plan
• Cycle to work scheme and gym subsidy
• 5 days paid time to volunteer to give back to our communities
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• The opportunity to work for a Great Place to Work© & Fortune 100 organization

Cadence is committed to equal employment opportunity and employment equity throughout all levels of the organization. We strive to attract a qualified and diverse candidate pool and encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

Travel: <10% travel may be required for team meetings or external partner engagements.