Director of Cyber Security Architecture

Magnolia Recruiting is partnered with our amazing pharmaceutical client, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, in their search for a Director of Cybersecurity Architecture. This is a highly important hands-on role that will be responsible for leading the design of a Zero Trust architecture, least privilege, segmentation, and continuous verification environment. Candidates must be deeply experienced with Cloud, application design, and AI.
This is a hybrid role requiring on-site work 2 days per week in Cambridge, MA.

PLEASE NOTE:

If you have already applied directly to Alnylam for this role, please do not apply here as well.

Alnylam is pioneering RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics and scaling for impact across research, clinical development, manufacturing, and global commercialization. Our Cybersecurity organization is evolving to match that ambition, and we’re seeking a Director of Cybersecurity Architecture to define and drive the security architecture strategy that enables innovation while protecting our science, our patients, and our people.

Reporting directly to the VP/CISO, this leader will own Alnylam’s cyber architecture and target security state, translate strategy into actionable standards and roadmaps, and ensure security is embedded into enterprise initiatives from inception through delivery. This role balances long-term architectural vision with pragmatic execution, partnering closely with across our functions to scale secure-by-design practices across the enterprise.

This is a hybrid role and is primarily based in Cambridge, MA with regular engagement across Alnylam technology and business teams.

• Define and own Alnylam’s enterprise cybersecurity architecture and target state aligned to business growth, regulatory requirements, and risk appetite.
• Lead the design and evolution of a Zero Trust architecture, emphasizing identity, least privilege, segmentation, and continuous verification.
• Establish and maintain cyber reference architectures, design patterns, and standards across identity, cloud, applications, data, infrastructure, and endpoints.
• Serve as the senior security architecture authority for major enterprise initiatives, ensuring security is embedded early and consistently.
• Partner with Information Technology and Expertise Areas to align cybersecurity architecture with broader technology strategy and prevent fragmented or duplicative solutions.
• Responsible for engineering execution that turns strategy into resilient, enterprise-grade security capabilities.
• Drive architectural input into vendor selection, platform strategy, and solution design, balancing risk reduction with business enablement.
• Establish governance for architecture reviews, risk-based exceptions, and technical debt remediation.
• Translate cybersecurity strategy into multi-year roadmaps with clear milestones, dependencies, and measurable outcomes.
• Define and track architecture-related metrics demonstrating risk reduction, consistency, and maturity progression.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of security architects and engineers, fostering a culture of accountability and strong partnership.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information security, engineering, or related field. Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in cybersecurity, security architecture, or enterprise technology design, with 8+ years of leadership experience, including building and leading architecture or engineering teams.
• Industry-recognized certifications strongly preferred (e.g., CISSP, CCSP, SABSA, TOGAF, or equivalent).
• Deep expertise in designing security architecture across IAM, cloud/hybrid environments, application and API security, network segmentation/Zero Trust, and data…