Research Project 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 Research Project Manager position.  This position is focused on supporting capacity development by playing a critical role in the Research Operations department.  The department partners with programmatic teams and collaborates closely with finance, technology, & various other departments to facilitate grantmaking, project and program management in support of the Foundation’s mission.

This role is responsible for overseeing and managing various aspects of project management, including project planning, coordination, monitoring, reporting, risk management and documentation.  This individual will have a large portion of their portfolio focused on stakeholder and consortium management, project managing the operational activities of the Foundation’s researcher consortium initiative, though project portfolio is subject to change as capacity-related business needs evolve.

This is a hybrid-flex position that will require in-person attendance on a semi-regular basis at the Foundation’s office in New York City.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities: 
Project Management 

• Leverage project management knowledge to support successful scoping, development and implementation of complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives as they emerge and evolve
  • Project Planning:  Develop detailed project plans, including timelines, budgets, resources and risk management strategies
  • Resource Coordination: Coordinate internal resources and third parties/vendors for execution of projects
  • Monitoring: Track project performance, specifically to analyze the successful completion of short-and long-term goals
  • Risk Management:  Provide support in identifying potential risks and assist in developing mitigation strategies to minimize project impact
  • Reporting & Documentation: Develop, coordinate, and effectively communicate project timelines to ensure all project deliverables are completed in a timely manner
• Additional consortium supporting responsibilities may include:
  • Project manage the user experience related needs of a consortium communications platform
  • Manage consortium membership needs including queries or documentation
  • Meeting Facilitation: schedule and lead all relevant project stakeholder meetings for both internal and external stakeholders including weekly high volume research consortium calls
  • Routinely review and recommend best practices to improve project workflow and system efficiencies
  • Engage in the wider Foundation-community on cross-Business Unit (BU) projects and initiatives via implementing project management best practices as well as leading cross-BU communications and project manager activation.

General  

• Serve as backup and short-term absence coverage support for peers
• Engage in the wider Foundation community on staff-driven projects, initiatives, and events
• 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 project management best practices
• Strong time management and organizational skills
• Ability to multitask and shift priorities when needed
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and supporting projects across a variety of departments, teams, and stakeholders
• Knowledge of project management tools such as Asana and or Jira is a plus
• Knowledge of research funding and grant management systems a plus (I.e., Blackbaud or Smart Simple)
• CAPM, PMP or equivalent project management certification is a plus

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $70,000 - $85,000.  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.