Scholar Rock is a late-stage global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing apitegromab for children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and other rare, severe, and debilitating neuromuscular diseases. As a global leader in myostatin biology, a field focused on proteins that regulate muscle mass, the Company is named for the visual resemblance of a scholar rock to protein structures. Our commitment to unlock fundamentally different treatment approaches is powered by broad application of a proprietary platform, which has developed novel monoclonal antibodies to modulate protein growth factors with extraordinary selectivity. Scholar Rock works every day to create new possibilities for patients through its highly innovative anti-myostatin program, including opportunities in additional rare neuromuscular diseases. Learn more at ScholarRock.com and follow @ScholarRock on X and on LinkedIn.
Summary of Position:
Scholar Rock is seeking a Senior Director, Cybersecurity to serve as the company’s Chief Information Security Officer, responsible for building and scaling enterprise cybersecurity capabilities that protect the organization’s people, data, technology assets, intellectual property, and business operations.
Reporting to the CIO, this role defines and executes the cybersecurity strategy and roadmap in partnership with enterprise stakeholders across technology, Legal, Privacy, HR, Finance, Quality, and business functions.
The successful candidate combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution, with deep expertise across cybersecurity architecture, engineering, operations, governance, risk management, and compliance. This leader will build scalable, risk-based cybersecurity capabilities for a growing biotechnology company, balancing current operational needs with the maturity required to support commercial growth, regulatory readiness, and future organizational scale.
This role is ideal for a cybersecurity leader who has successfully led multiple cybersecurity functions and is ready to assume broader enterprise cybersecurity leadership responsibilities in a lean, high-growth biotechnology environment.
Position Responsibilities
Cybersecurity Strategy & Program Leadership
- Define and execute the enterprise cybersecurity strategy, roadmap, priorities, and operating model
- Establish cybersecurity governance, policies, standards, and control frameworks aligned with business objectives and organizational growth
- Prioritize cybersecurity maturity initiatives based on business risk, regulatory expectations, commercial growth, and organizational scale
- Drive continuous improvement of cybersecurity capabilities and maturity across the organization
- Serve as the primary cybersecurity advisor to the CIO, Board of Directors, and business leadership
- Translate cybersecurity risks and opportunities into clear, actionable business recommendations
Security Architecture & Engineering
- Own the cybersecurity target-state architecture and security technology roadmap
- Lead cybersecurity architecture and engineering across cloud, infrastructure, identity, endpoint, network, application, SaaS, and data environments
- Embed secure-by-design and risk-based security principles across enterprise initiatives and technology platforms
- Partner with technology teams to integrate security requirements into solution design, implementation, and operational support models
- Evaluate, select, and optimize cybersecurity technologies and services that support business and regulatory requirements
Security Operations & Cyber Resilience
- Own security operations capabilities, including vulnerability management, incident response, security monitoring, identity security, and cyber resilience
- Establish and mature detection, response, recovery, and continuous improvement capabilities
- Lead cybersecurity incident response activities, executive communications, and post-incident reviews
- Partner with technology teams and service providers to strengthen operational security capabilities and reduce enterprise risk
- Support business continuity, disaster recovery, and cyber resilience planning in partnership with IT and business stakeholders
Governance, Risk & Compliance
- Lead the enterprise cybersecurity governance, risk, and compliance program
- Establish and maintain cybersecurity risk management processes, risk assessments, remediation plans, and risk reporting
- Support SOX IT General Controls, user access governance, change management controls, and third-party risk management activities
- Maintain alignment with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and applicable regulatory requirements
- Develop meaningful cybersecurity metrics, KPIs, KRIs, and executive reporting
- Prepare cybersecurity risk, maturity, roadmap, and investment updates for senior leadership and audit committee discussions, as appropriate
Data Protection & Privacy
- Lead cybersecurity capabilities to protect sensitive company data, intellectual property, clinical data, regulated information, and business-critical records
- Partner with Legal, Privacy, Quality, Data & Analytics, and business stakeholders to support data governance, data classification, access controls, and security-related privacy requirements
- Strengthen data protection capabilities across cloud, SaaS, endpoint, collaboration, and enterprise application environments
- Support implementation of privacy-by-design and least privilege principles in alignment with regulatory and business requirements
- Partner with Legal and Privacy on security considerations related to data protection, privacy obligations, vendor risk, and evolving regulatory expectations
Audit, Quality & Regulatory Readiness
- Serve as the cybersecurity lead for internal audits, external audits, inspections, and cybersecurity assessments
- Partner with Privacy, Legal, Quality, and IT stakeholders to ensure cybersecurity controls support compliance obligations
- Ensure cybersecurity controls support GxP-regulated systems, Computer System Validation, and data integrity
- Drive timely remediation of audit findings, observations, and control deficiencies
Vendor & Managed Service Leadership
- Define and lead the cybersecurity operating model, leveraging internal teams, managed service providers, consultants, and strategic partners
- Own strategic relationships with cybersecurity vendors, MSSPs, consultants, and external partners, including governance, performance management, and accountability
- Establish service expectations, SLAs, KPIs, KRIs, operational metrics, and accountability mechanisms for third-party providers
- Conduct operational and executive-level performance reviews to ensure cybersecurity services meet business, compliance, regulatory, and operational objectives
- Partner with Procurement, Legal, Finance, and IT leadership on vendor selection, contract negotiations, renewals, investment decisions, and build vs. buy vs. outsource decisions
Executive Communication & Business Partnership
- Develop and deliver cybersecurity strategy updates, risk assessments, roadmap reviews, audit results, and investment recommendations to senior leadership
- Communicate cybersecurity risks and opportunities in clear business, operational, regulatory, and financial terms
- Build trusted relationships across business and technology functions
- Influence enterprise decision-making through practical, risk-based recommendations and effective stakeholder management
- Serve as a pragmatic advisor who enables business growth while maintaining appropriate risk discipline
People Leadership
- Lead, coach, mentor, and develop cybersecurity personnel and security-focused resources
- Provide leadership across employees, contractors, consultants, and managed service providers
- Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration, and operational excellence
- Help shape the future cybersecurity organization as the company continues to scale
- Build a security culture that is practical, business-aligned, and appropriate for a growing commercial biotechnology company
Candidate Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline
- 12+ years of progressive cybersecurity experience with increasing leadership responsibilities
- Demonstrated leadership experience spanning cybersecurity architecture, engineering, and operational security functions
- Experience building, implementing, or maturing enterprise cybersecurity programs and capabilities
- Experience leading cybersecurity initiatives within regulated environments
- Strong knowledge of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, cybersecurity governance, risk management, and security control implementation
- Experience supporting audits, compliance programs, risk assessments, and remediation activities
- Experience with data protection, access governance, third-party risk, and security controls for cloud, SaaS, endpoint, and enterprise application environments
- Experience managing cybersecurity vendors, managed service providers, and outsourced security services
- Proven ability to communicate effectively with executive leadership and influence organizational decision-making
- Strong presentation, communication, and stakeholder management skills
- CISSP certification required
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life sciences, healthcare, or medical device industries
- Experience supporting GxP-regulated systems, Computer System Validation, Quality Management Systems, and inspection readiness activities
- Experience supporting SOX compliance and IT General Controls
- Familiarity with cloud security, identity and access management, vulnerability management, data protection, cybersecurity operations, and cyber resilience programs
- Experience partnering with Legal and Privacy teams on data protection, privacy-by-design, data classification, access control, and vendor risk considerations
- Experience supporting commercial-stage companies through growth, scale, geographic expansion, or increasing regulatory complexity
- CISM, CRISC, CCSP, GIAC, CISA, or ISO 27001 certifications preferred
Scholar Rock is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
