Cyber Defense Platforms Staff Engineer

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Cambridge, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Cambridge, MA is seeking an Associate Director (Staff Engineer) to own the defense technology stack end-to-end, including SIEM, SOAR, EDR, DLP, email security, and phishing, with detection content, automation, and tooling central to the role.

This senior individual contributor position has enterprise-wide impact, requiring leadership across IT, infrastructure, and engineering teams while mentoring engineers and analysts.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in security engineering, security operations, or detection engineering, with demonstrated ownership of defense and security platforms.
• Strong hands-on experience architecting and administering SIEM, SOAR, EDR, DLP, or email security and anti-phishing platforms.
• Experience mapping detections to MITRE ATT&CK and building detection content at scale.

Responsibilities

• Own the deployment, configuration, administration, and lifecycle of defense platforms including SIEM, SOAR, EDR, DLP, email security, and phishing
• Define the platform roadmap: evaluate, deploy, integrate, and rationalize security technologies to maximize defensive coverage and operational efficiency
• Engineer and maintain security data pipelines across the enterprise: log source onboarding, normalization, enrichment, retention, and cost management
• Own the detection content lifecycle end-to-end: development, testing, tuning, versioning, and retirement of rules and analytics across all platforms
• Establish detection-as-code practices, including version control, peer review, CI/CD deployment, and automated validation of content
• Map detection coverage to MITRE ATT&CK, identify gaps, and partner with threat intel, IR, and offensive security to convert findings into durable detections
• Design and build SOAR playbooks and workflow automation that reduce manual analyst effort and accelerate triage and response
• Build internal tooling, integrations, and APIs that connect security platforms to each other and to enterprise systems
• Set the standards for how Cyber Defense builds, deploys, and operates its technology, and serve as the technical authority for the defense technology domain
• Lead cross-functional technical initiatives across IT, infrastructure, and engineering teams, and mentor engineers and analysts across the broader team

Skills

Security engineering

Security operations

Detection engineering

Automation

Python/Go/PowerShell

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

SIEM

SOAR

EDR

DLP

Email security

Job description

As the Associate Director (Staff Engineer) for Cyber Defense Platforms, you will own the defense technology stack end-to-end: SIEM, SOAR, EDR, DLP, email security, and anti-phishing platforms, along with the detection content, automation, and tooling that make them effective. This is a senior individual contributor role with enterprise-wide impact: every alert triaged, threat detected, and incident contained across the company depends on the systems you build and operate.

This is a hybrid position and will be primarily based in Cambridge, MA.

Responsibilities

• Own the deployment, configuration, administration, and lifecycle of defense platforms including SIEM, SOAR, EDR, DLP, email security, and phishing
• Define the platform roadmap: evaluate, deploy, integrate, and rationalize security technologies to maximize defensive coverage and operational efficiency
• Engineer and maintain security data pipelines across the enterprise: log source onboarding, normalization, enrichment, retention, and cost management
• Own the detection content lifecycle end-to-end: development, testing, tuning, versioning, and retirement of rules and analytics across all platforms
• Establish detection-as-code practices, including version control, peer review, CI/CD deployment, and automated validation of content
• Map detection coverage to MITRE ATT&CK, identify gaps, and partner with threat intel, IR, and offensive security to convert findings into durable detections
• Design and build SOAR playbooks and workflow automation that reduce manual analyst effort and accelerate triage and response, including automated handling of user-reported phishing
• Build internal tooling, integrations, and APIs that connect security platforms to each other and to enterprise systems
• Set the standards for how Cyber Defense builds, deploys, and operates its technology, and serve as the technical authority for the defense technology domain
• Lead cross-functional technical initiatives across IT, infrastructure, and engineering teams, and mentor engineers and analysts across the broader team

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in security engineering, security operations, or detection engineering, with demonstrated ownership of defense and security platforms
• Deep hands-on expertise architecting and administering: SIEM, SOAR, EDR, DLP, or email security and anti-phishing platforms
• Strong software engineering skills in a language commonly used for security automation (e.g., Python, Go, PowerShell), with experience building production-quality integrations and tooling
• Proven experience building and managing detection content at scale, measured against frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK
• Track record of delivering measurable operational improvements through automation, such as reduced response times or expanded capacity without added headcount
• Ability to operate autonomously in a build-from-zero environment and drive technical work across teams you don't manage
• Experience standing up or modernizing a security operations stack (SIEM migration, SOAR implementation, EDR rollout) from early maturity
• Cloud security experience, particularly AWS-native security services
• Experience in regulated industries (pharma, biotech, healthcare, financial services)
• Relevant certifications (e.g., GIAC GCDA/GDAT/GCIA, CISSP) or equivalent expertise

About Alnylam

We are the leader in RNAi therapeutics a revolutionaryapproach with the potential to transform the lives of people with rare and common diseases. Built on Nobel Prize-winning science, Alnylam has delivered the breakthroughs that made RNAi therapeutics possibleand are just at the beginning of what’s possible. Our deep pipeline, late-stage programs, and bold vision reflect our core values: fierce innovation, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, open culture and commitment to people. We're proud to be a globally recognized top employer, wherean authentic, inclusive culture and breakthrough thinkingfuel one another.

At Alnylam, we commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equal employment opportunity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their sex, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, pregnancy status or related conditions, genetic information, veteran or military status, marital or familial status, political affiliation, age, or any other factor protected by federal, state, or local law. Alnylam is an E-Verify Employer.

The pay range below reflects the full-time base salary range we expect to pay for this role at the time of posting. Base pay will be determined based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, and education. This role is eligible for an annual short-term incentive award (e.g., bonus or sales incentive) and an annual long-term incentive award (e.g., equity).

Alnylam’s robust Total Rewards package is designed to support your overall health and well-being. We offer comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, a lifestyle reimbursement program, flexible spending and health savings accounts and a 401(k)with a generous company match. Eligible employees enjoy paid time off, wellness days, holidays, and two company-wide recharge breaks. We also offer generous family resources and leave. Our commitment to your well-being reflects our belief that caring for our people fuels the impact we create together.

State Specific Applicant Notices

• Arizona Applicants: To the extent required by applicable law, the Company maintains a smoke-free workplace.
• Maryland Applicants
  • UNDER MARYLAND LAW, AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT REQUIRE OR DEMAND, AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT, PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYMENT OR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, THAT AN INDIVIDUAL SUBMIT TO OR TAKE A LIE DETECTOR OR SIMILAR TEST. AN EMPLOYER WHO VIOLATES THIS LAW IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $100.
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• Massachusetts (MA) Applicants: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability
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