Scientific 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 (MJFF) is seeking top talent for its Scientific Project Manager positions.  These positions are responsible for supporting diverse programmatic approaches for the Translational Research department.  These roles actively contribute to the end-to-end oversight of high-impact funding and non-funding programs to advance a robust preclinical pipeline.  These positions collaborate with diverse internal stakeholders across the Research Business Unit and offer exposure to multiple scientific staff activities across the Foundation.

MJFF is hiring two Scientific Project Managers to join the team.  

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Support scientific staff in collecting, maintaining and synthesizing information for the Foundation’s initiatives.
• Manage projects as needed within a portfolio – participate in check-in calls, take notes, disseminate information to the team, support review process, grants contracting and milestone management, troubleshooting and problem-solving during execution.
• Maintain intelligence on the preclinical R&D/biomarker pipeline across Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related disorders.
• Create and manage Foundation project committees, working groups, multi-partner consortia and workshops/meetings by working closely with internal and external collaborators to develop agendas, prepare materials for discussion, circulate minutes and support execution of next steps.
• Work alongside team members to develop program impact metrics and support program evaluation during and post-grant period.
• Assist in synthesizing and writing grant portfolio summaries around promising therapeutic targets and biomarkers that the Foundation is funding to be shared with diverse internal and external audiences.
• Help to shape the Foundation’s programmatic strategy through intelligence tracking and dissemination.
• Update and collate resources for the Foundation’s Translational research activities.
• Educate self and team on current key scientific advances and challenges relevant to PD.

Qualifications and Skills:

• PhD degree in neuroscience preferred.
• Knowledge in effectively communicating and presenting complex scientific information to a variety of audiences.
• Knowledge in scientific writing, including the ability to describe data, methodologies, and extract key scientific insights.
• Ability to distill information into high-impact presentations with informative slides.
• Track record of successfully completing scientific projects independently, with minimal supervision.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks, and meeting deadlines with minimal oversight following an initial training period.
• Capable of synthesizing large volumes of scientific data and research, summarizing key insights for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to understand and articulate how specific details fit into the broader context of a project or research area.

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $75,000 - $90,000.  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.