Associate Director, Research Alliances

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 (MJFF) is seeking top talent for its Associate Director, Research Alliances position. This position will play a critical role in cultivating partnerships and developing programs designed to increase the Foundation’s engagement with new and existing partners. This role will enable you to collaborate cross-functionally with diverse internal colleagues, members of the scientific community, government, non-profit and industry sectors. The position will provide opportunities to develop and manage partnership programs with a focus on aligning novel projects with MJFF’s mission and inserting strategic business input and oversight. This role will report to the Vice President of Research Alliances and enjoy frequent, direct interactions with senior leadership across MJFF and leading healthcare companies globally.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of relationships with corporate partners (e.g., pharmaceutical, biotech, health-tech) and other research and healthcare funders (government funders, PD non-profit organizations and other donor and venture capital funders) invested in Parkinson’s with a focus on relationship stewardship – deepening alliances with existing partners and cultivating new collaborations and contacts (individuals and organizations).
• Function as external partner’s liaison and consistent point of contact at MJFF; facilitate handoffs with technical experts and sub-teams across MJFF departments to accelerate collaborative research and educational programs.
• Evaluate industry, non-profit, government and venture capital sectors’ R&D portfolios using primary and secondary research to provide objective, in-depth understanding of the PD drug development landscape, players and challenges in order to prioritize MJFF’s internal intellectual and financial partner engagement tactics.
• Provide insights, analyses and strategic recommendations to C-Suite management at MJFF to support dynamic partnership cultivation based on key sector challenges for PD therapeutic development.
• Identify synergies between individual organization needs and MJFF-scientific and educational priorities to develop and pitch proposals for partnership and/or sponsorship; provide recommendations to align MJFF engagement strategies and initiatives with key sector practices.
• Function as a strategic internal spokesperson to frame and address key programmatic research questions with the goal of identifying partnership opportunities that advance MJFF’s mission. 
• Communicate MJFF research, policy and educational activities across relevant internal and external forums (e.g., industry-relevant conferences, workshops, partnering meetings); share information and broadly inform key decision makers; embed a holistic MJFF point-of-view into investments in partnership opportunities. 

Qualifications and Skills:

• History of proven success managing a portfolio comprised of complex multi-party projects and/or relationships. 
• Possess the ability to balance multiple initiatives and prioritize activities. 
• Ability to think big picture and strategically, while maintaining excellent attention to detail. 
• Sophisticated project and relationship management skills. 
• External relationship management focused with strong networking capabilities and integration with individuals from all levels of an organization; ability to understand individual stakeholder goals and objectives. 
• Exceptional communication skills – can readily align his/her interpersonal style with the individual needs of internal and external partners; can understand, translate, and distill complex, technical findings into clear and simple information that enables decision making.  
• Experience leading and achieving results through matrixed organizations. 
• Commitment to teamwork; ability to collaborate and manage projects with and through others; ability to influence action without direct authority. 
• Non-compensated leadership experience (community outreach, committee involvement, etc.) 
• Willingness to adapt when necessary; comfortable with ambiguity and flexible to changing business dynamics and priorities. 

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $80,000 - $95,000.  In addition to salary, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 15+ options for medical insurance (with MJFF 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 days Paid Time Off (PTO); 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. MJFF provides staff and leadership cultivation through regular training courses and events. 

Vaccine Statement: 
At The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), the health and safety of our team and our community is a priority. MJFF has made the decision to require all staff receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment. Successful applicants for this position must be fully vaccinated by date of hire and proof of vaccine is required. Full vaccination is defined as two weeks after both doses of two-dose vaccine or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine has been administered. Anyone unable to be vaccinated, because of medical or religious reasons, can request a reasonable accommodation for consideration.

How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter describing their specific qualifications and interest in the position.

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.