Alliances Portfolio Lead

About Us:
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) was founded in 2000 with one clear objective: accelerating meaningful therapeutic advances and, ultimately, a cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The Foundation applies extraordinary scientific, business and media assets to this singular focus—thus creating a unique and dynamic organization. Since inception, MJFF has quickly grown into the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s disease research, having funded over $2 billion in research projects in both academic and industry labs worldwide.

Core to our philosophy is how we think of our capital and its risk profile relative to other stakeholders in the drug development pipeline. We work aggressively to de-risk various therapeutic strategies and tools in the hopes of building a robust pipeline of new treatments for patients. In order to achieve our mission of finding a cure for PD it is critical that we engage with, and bring together, members of the PD community including researchers, physicians, health professionals and most important, people with Parkinson's and their families.

We believe that to find a cure for PD as quickly as possible, our capital needs to push research forward today—we therefore deliberately hold no endowment or excessive reserves. We instead seek to deploy funds raised as quickly and wisely as possible. MJFF raises over $100 million annually. Today, the Foundation has approximately 250 full-time employees. We offer a collegial and collaborative environment where optimistic problem-solvers and entrepreneurial, resourceful individuals can thrive and make a tangible difference for millions of people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Position Summary:
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (“the Foundation”) is seeking top talent for its Alliances Portfolio Lead position.  This role cultivates partnerships and develops programs designed to increase the Foundation’s engagement with new and existing partners. This position collaborates cross-functionally with diverse internal colleagues including Research leadership, members of the scientific community, government, non-profit and leading global healthcare companies. This role provides opportunities to develop and manage partnership programs with a focus on aligning novel projects with the Foundation’s mission and inserting strategic business input and oversight.

This position may be hybrid-flex with the opportunity to work from the Foundation’s office in NYC or based remotely from anywhere within the U.S.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of high-priority relationships with organizations invested in Parkinson’s disease diagnostics, biomarkers, or measurement tools, directing them to relevant resources and partnership offerings that the Foundation has to offer based on company needs and priorities
• Develop prioritization framework and portfolio value structure for the landscape of organizations working to develop diagnostics, biomarkers, or measurement tools for Parkinson’s disease and related disorders to inform stakeholder engagement strategy
• Drive alignment across biomarker and therapeutic strategies at the Foundation and with external partners in the Parkinson’s disease pipeline, including participation in conversations with industry about biomarker strategies in drug development
• Support rigorous landscape due diligence on promising researchers, companies, coalitions, or tools that may inform the Foundation’s evolving biomarker strategy or programmatic priorities
• Support partnership strategy on several large-scale initiatives (e.g., Quantitative Biomarkers, Imaging Consortium, Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative), collaborating with relevant program leads and departments to understand intelligence and engagement needs 
• Collaborate with individuals across Research and other business units to track, synthesize, and communicate key learnings about the ‘state of the field’ of Parkinson’s biomarker research for internal and external dissemination

Qualifications and Skills:

• Proven experience in diagnostic and/or biomarker research and development, preferably in the neuroscience space
• Proven experience in the life sciences or healthcare industry, such as strategic alliances, business development, corporate strategy, or consulting, with measurable success and achievement
• Exceptional relationship management skills, with ability to align interpersonal style with the individual needs of internal and external partners
• Excellent analytical and communication skills, with ability to understand, translate, and distill complex, technical findings into clear and simple information that enables decision-making
• Proven track record in shaping processes and guiding priorities in a complex landscape
• Demonstrated success in a leadership role, with experience managing upward and working productively with a range of senior leaders

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $115,000 - $130,000.  In addition to salary, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 15+ options for medical insurance (with the Foundation paying 90 percent of the premiums)
• Competitive dental and vision plans
• 401(k) plan with 6 percent employer contribution
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employer paid life and disability insurance
• 18 Vacation Days; 12 Well-Being (Sick) Days; 2 Personal Days; summer Fridays (office closure at 2pm) and a summer holiday week over July 4
• Two ways of working: hybrid-flex, or remote work.  We trust all employees to work closely with their manager and colleagues to determine when, where and how programs and projects get done. 

Employees are also eligible for a discretionary bonus on an annual basis. The Foundation provides staff and leadership cultivation through regular training courses and events. 

How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter describing through examples, their specific qualifications and interest in the position. If you think that your skills are transferable and can add value to this role, please apply. Applicants who best match the position’s needs will be contacted.

MJFF is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from individuals who will contribute to our efforts to build and support a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. Diversity may refer to characteristics including, but not limited to, race, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic circumstance, geographic background, ability and disability, political ideology and age.