Grants Manager

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 Grants Manager positions.  The Grants Managers are focused on supporting the core business of grantmaking and grants administration and play a critical role in the Research Operations department.  The department has a unique vantage point across the organization as we partner with programmatic teams and collaborate closely with finance, technology, and various other departments to facilitate grantmaking, project and program management in support of the Foundation’s mission.

These roles oversee and manage a portfolio of grants and projects, acting as a primary liaison between internal staff and external stakeholders including researchers, universities, private-public partnerships, and multi-partner consortia. These positions are central to ensure high quality user experiences for the Foundation’s research community and efficient/effective grants and project administration.

The Foundation is hiring two Grants Managers to join the team.  These are hybrid-flex positions that will require in-person attendance on a semi-regular basis at MJFF’s office in New York City.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:
Grants Management:

• Manage the lifecycle of a grant, including award administration, reporting, modifications, terminations and/or closures.
• Prepare all grant-related correspondence including agreements, payment schedules and/or reporting requirements.
• Provide compliance-based review of budgets, financial statements and expense and progress reports to ensure adherence to policies and procedures related to grantmaking.
• Maintain the integrity of systems of record to accurately track and communicate award progress in real-time (e.g. grants management system, internal fileshare, etc.).

Grantmaking:

• Coordinate all pre-award activities associated with grantmaking, including (but not limited to) program launch, application submission, peer review and public announcement(s) of funding decisions.
• Steward and support scientific and/or programmatic staff in the development and execution of the Foundation’s funding programs, including troubleshooting and problem-solving.

Project Management:

• Ensure the Foundation’s best practices and rigorous project management methods are employed in designing, developing and/or executing internal projects.
• Leverage project management experience to support complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of the Foundation’s Strategic Research Agenda and related programs/respective portfolios.
• Coordinate and manage the Foundation's committees, working groups, and multi-partner consortia by working closely with internal and external collaborators to develop agendas, coordinate logistics, prepare materials for discussions, circulate minutes, chair meetings as needed and support execution of follow-up items/next steps.

Customer Service:

• Proactively communicate foundation processes and procedures to grantees, applicants and other external stakeholders.
• Liaise between internal and external stakeholders to ensure smooth operational management of research grants and projects.

General:

• Serve as educator, trainer and partner for new hires and existing colleagues.
• Routinely review and recommend best practices to improve workflow and systems efficiency.
• Contribute to operational planning discussions and annual planning processes.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Knowledge of grants management and managing a diverse grant portfolio.
• Knowledge of project management, operations, grants administration or combination thereof.
• Knowledge of grant management systems, comfortable utilizing multiple communication/collaboration tools, platforms and project management software applications.
• Excellent time and meeting management skills, ability to prioritize work and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Exhibit exceptional attention to detail, considering how each detail contributes to the broader picture.
• Strong interpersonal and people management skills.
• Demonstrate the capability to work efficiently both autonomously and collaboratively as a valuable team member, including reporting to cross-functional managers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Willingness to adapt when necessary; comfortable with ambiguity and flexible to changing business dynamics and priorities.  
• Proficient with MS Office and other related tools.
   

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $70,000 - $80,000.  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 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.