Cyber Defense Principal Engineer
Alnylam PharmaceuticalsBase Salary
$200k - $270k/yr
Responsibilities
- Define and execute the long-term technical strategy and roadmap for cyber defense capabilities.
- Architect and scale SIEM/SOAR, security data pipelines, automation frameworks, and detection infrastructure.
- Lead enterprise detection engineering, advanced analytics, risk-based alerting, behavioral analytics, and threat hunting.
- Build and integrate a unified cyber defense platform across cloud, endpoint, identity, network, and SaaS environments.
- Establish scalable security standards, architectures, and operating principles across enterprise teams.
- Apply automation and AI-enabled workflows to improve threat detection, investigation, and incident response.
- Advise leadership on cyber defense strategy, complex incident response, and enterprise risk.
- Support insider threat, advanced monitoring, vulnerability management, exposure reduction, and risk-based prioritization programs.
- Participate in an on-call rotation and support incident response outside standard business hours as needed.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience across cyber defense disciplines, including security engineering, detection engineering, threat hunting, incident response, vulnerability management, or offensive security.
- Strong programming and automation skills in Python, Go, or comparable technologies, including experience building security tooling, integrations, and detections.
- Experience leading large-scale SIEM migrations or enterprise security platform transformations.
- Deep expertise with SIEM, SOAR, EDR/XDR, threat intelligence platforms, cloud security, and security data platforms.
- Hands-on experience applying AI/ML and automation to threat detection, investigation workflows, and incident response.
- Advanced detection engineering experience, including behavioral analytics, threat hunting, and MITRE ATT&CK frameworks.
- Experience designing or supporting insider threat and advanced monitoring programs.
- Strong knowledge of vulnerability management, exposure reduction, and risk-based prioritization.
- Ability to communicate and influence across engineering, infrastructure, legal, compliance, and business leadership teams.
- Experience operating in complex, global enterprise environments.
Benefits
- Hybrid work arrangement primarily based in Cambridge, MA.
- Participation in an on-call rotation with flexibility for incident response outside standard business hours.
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage; life and disability insurance; lifestyle reimbursement; flexible spending and health savings accounts.
- 401(k) with a generous company match, paid time off, wellness days, holidays, and two company-wide recharge breaks.
- Family resources and leave programs.
- Eligibility for annual short-term and long-term incentive awards, including bonus or equity.
About Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
SILENCE DISEASE. AMPLIFY LIFE.™ Alnylam is a leading independent biopharmaceutical company and the pioneer in RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics – a revolutionary approach to treating diseases which “silences” the genes that cause or contribute to them. Founded in 2002 by a group of distinguished researchers and biotech leaders, Alnylam’s work over more than two decades has yielded the critical breakthroughs and advancements that have made the field of (RNAi) therapeutics possible. In 2018, our first commercial medicine, and the world’s first RNAi therapeutic was approved. Since then, five more Alnylam-developed medicines have been approved and we’re hard at work developing new therapies to treat both rare and prevalent diseases. We are a global and diverse company of 2,600+ people. We pride ourselves on fostering a fun, inclusive and dynamic work environment where employees can recognize their fullest potential. That's why we’re consistently ranked as a top employer by The Boston Globe (2015-25), Science Magazine (2018-25), Fast Company (Best Workplaces for Innovators 2020-25) and Great Place to Work. We are based in Cambridge, Massachusetts (U.S.), with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. See our social media community guidelines: https://bit.ly/2FcRhJy. Please note: If you wish to report an adverse event or product complaint, please email medinfo@alnylam.com or you may call us using the following telephone numbers: for North America, 877.ALNYLAM (877.256.9526), for Europe, +31 20 369 7861 Fraudulent Recruitment Activity Be aware of the potential for scams and fraudulent recruitment activity from individuals claiming to represent Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Alnylam never conducts its interview process via messaging apps, freelance sites, or social media platforms. Alnylam team members only communicate with potential candidates through an official Alnylam email address ending in "@alnylam.com."