Director, International Privacy Lead and Data Protection Officer

Director, International Privacy Lead & Data Protection Officer

 

Overview

Alnylam is seeking an experienced privacy and data protection leader to serve as Director, International Privacy Lead & Data Protection Officer. Reporting to the Senior Director, Head of Privacy, AI Governance, Training & Communications within Ethics & Compliance, this role will lead Alnylam’s international privacy program, with primary responsibility for Europe (EU/EEA, United Kingdom, and Switzerland) and support for broader international markets.

As Alnylam’s formally appointed Data Protection Officer (DPO) under applicable European and Swiss privacy laws, the Director will provide independent privacy oversight, advise the business on data protection obligations, and maintain direct access and escalation channels to senior leadership for material privacy risks.

This individual contributor will be expected to serve as a proactive partner to the our international business, anticipating privacy and data protection obligations driven by regulatory change and business growth, and translating those requirements into actionable guidance for policies, operations and ways of working.

The successful candidate will partner closely with Legal, Information Security, IT, HR, Commercial, Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Pharmacovigilance, Procurement, Ethics & Compliance, and other business stakeholders to enable responsible use of personal data while strengthening privacy governance, risk management, and business adoption across international markets.

Hybrid role preferably based in Zug, Switzerland. Also open to candidates based in Madrid, Spain or Maidenhead, UK.

 

Responsibilities

• Lead and mature Alnylam’s international privacy program, with primary focus on Europe and support for broader international markets, by setting program priorities, strengthening governance frameworks, and ensuring privacy requirements are embedded into business planning, policies, controls, and day-to-day operations.
• Serve as Alnylam’s appointed DPO under EU GDPR, UK GDPR, and applicable Swiss data protection requirements, providing independent advice, monitoring compliance, maintaining required independence, and acting as the primary point of contact for supervisory authorities and data subjects.
• Oversee privacy risk identification, assessment, mitigation, monitoring, and escalation processes, including privacy-by-design and privacy-by-default requirements, DPIAs, TIAs, Records of Processing Activities (ROPA), cross-border transfer assessments, and related governance documentation.
• Advise business and functional leaders on privacy requirements related to clinical research, pharmacovigilance, commercial operations, medical affairs, human resources, patient support programs, real-world evidence, AI, and other data-driven initiatives.
• Partner with Information Security, Legal, Procurement, and business stakeholders on privacy incident response, breach assessment, third-party privacy risk management, data protection terms, data sharing arrangements, remediation, and regulatory notification decisions.
• Proactively monitor the European and international privacy, AI, digital, cyber and data governance legislative landscape, anticipating compliance impacts from business growth and regulatory change, and rapidly translating new or changing requirements into practical updates to policies, controls, business processes, training, and operational guidance.
• Develop and deliver privacy training, communications, awareness initiatives, metrics, monitoring activities, and continuous improvement plans that promote a culture of privacy and accountability across international markets.

 

Qualifications

Required

• Juris Doctor (JD), LLM, or other advanced legal degree required.
• 12+ years of privacy legal or compliance experience at a law firm and/or in-house.
• Significant experience advising on privacy risk in regulated life sciences settings, including clinical research, pharmacovigilance, medical affairs, commercial, HR, patient-facing, and digital activities.
• Experience serving as a DPO or advising in an equivalent independent oversight capacity for GDPR, UK GDPR, Swiss FADP, or comparable privacy regimes.
• Deep understanding of GDPR, UK GDPR, Swiss FADP, international data transfer requirements, and global privacy regulations.
• Experience advising on AI, data-driven innovation, real-world evidence, cross-border data use, and other strategic privacy initiatives.
• Strong privacy governance and risk management experience, including the ability to set priorities, mature program controls, and translate complex requirements into practical guidance for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong executive communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills, with the credibility and judgment to engage senior leaders, regulators, external partners, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead complex privacy initiatives across matrixed, international organizations, applying practical and proportionate judgment to ambiguous issues.
• Executive presence, regulatory credibility, and strategic judgment to anticipate legal, business, and technology shifts and translate them into clear priorities for the international privacy program.

Preferred

• Privacy certifications such as CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT, AIGP, or similar credentials preferred.
• Experience interacting directly with European data protection authorities and regulators preferred.
• Experience leading multinational privacy teams or global privacy programs preferred.
• International business experience within a global life sciences organization preferred.

 

About Alnylam: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ALNY) has led the translation of RNA interference (RNAi) into a whole new class of innovative medicines with the potential to transform the lives of people afflicted with rare and more prevalent diseases. Based on Nobel Prize-winning science, RNAi therapeutics represent a powerful, clinically validated approach to treating diseases at their genetic source by “interfering” with mRNA that cause or contribute to disease. Since our founding in 2002, Alnylam has led the RNAi Revolution and continues to turn scientific possibility into reality.

Our culture: Our people-first culture is guided by our core values: fiercely innovative, open culture, purposeful urgency, passion for excellence, and commitment to people, and these values influence how we work and the business decisions we make. Thanks to feedback from our employees over the years, we’ve been fortunate to be named a top employer around the world. Alnylam is extremely proud to have been recognized as one of Science Magazine’s Top Biopharma Employers, one of America's Most Responsible Companies for 2024 by Newsweek, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and UK – among others.

At Alnylam, we commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equal employment opportunity. We are dedicated to building an environment where employees can feel that they belong, can bring their authentic selves to work, and achieve to their full potential. By empowering employees to embrace their unique differences at work, our business grows stronger with advanced and original thinking, allowing us to bring groundbreaking medicines to patients.

Before applying, please review Alnylam's ⁠Candidate Privacy Notice regarding how Alnylam handles Personal Data you provide with your application for employment.