SVP, Head of Business Operations

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 a motivated and adaptable leader to advise and support the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) as SVP, Head of Business Operations (SVP). The SVP will act as a key thought partner and deputy, brainstorming and identifying solutions to challenges. From day one, the SVP will have an immediate impact on operational excellence, strategic initiatives, and communicating key priorities between departments and across the enterprise. 
 
The SVP oversees strategic planning and management, budget and resource allocation and key enterprise initiatives for the CFO’s business unit that includes Finance, Technology, and Facilities. The SVP is pivotal in driving progress on strategic initiatives that align with the organization's North Star Objective Key Results (OKRs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as well as the business unit’s OKRs/KPIs. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, this role manages a team and partners closely with various internal stakeholders within the business unit and across the organization to drive alignment around OKRs and ensure resources are used effectively to achieve desired outcomes.

This SVP must have not only strategic foresight, financial acumen, and outstanding interpersonal skills but also a deep commitment to the Foundation’s mission to end Parkinson’s disease. The SVP will need to navigate complexities and drive results in a dynamic, mission-driven environment, embodying optimism, boldness, tenacity, adaptability, curiosity and collaboration. 

This position can be hybrid-flex or remote with monthly travel to the Foundation’s office in New York City. 

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:
Strategic Planning and Leadership: 

• Partners with the CFO, business unit leaders, and Office of the CEO to develop the business case, monitor, and review business unit transformative OKRs and KPIs.  
• Facilitates the implementation of cross-functional strategic initiatives to advance the Foundation’s North Star OKRs.  
• Provides oversight and guidance to projects of high importance, including enterprise initiatives and budget development.
• Organizes and prioritizes critical issues and required information to facilitate efficient decision making, ensuring analytic rigor and managing deadlines.
• Leads the development of new business unit processes, reporting and business practices, ensuring alignment with other Foundation initiatives.
• Manages strategic communications, ensuring high quality deliverables for the Executive Team and Board. Also drafts emails, reports, presentations and internal and external communications.

Organizational Integration and Coordination: 

• Acts as a point of contact with senior leaders and stakeholders, representing the business unit in cross-organizational processes and meetings.  
• Ensures integration of strategic planning, budget management, resource allocation and project management functions.  
• Fosters cross-functional collaboration to streamline processes and improve efficiency across business units, as well as within the business unit.
• Provides comprehensive reports and analyses on business unit performance, budget adherence, resource utilization and project outcomes.  

Budget Management and Resource Allocation

• Partners with the Chief Financial Officer and Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team to forecast business unit financial needs and analyze budgetary and resource requirements to support business unit activities and strategic initiatives.  
• Creates and manages annual business unit budgets, ensuring alignment with business unit and organizational objectives, providing regular financial performance reports to the Chief Financial Officer.  
• Approves and reviews significant expenditures, ensuring compliance with budgetary constraints.  
• Allocates resources efficiently and effectively among various projects and operational areas based on priority, manages conflicts to avoid bottlenecks and delays, and adjusts allocations as necessary to meet strategic goals.

Change and Project Management: 

• Partners with the Office of the CEO and other teams to develop enterprise standards for initiating, planning, optimizing and monitoring cross-functional projects.  
• Plans, initiates and oversees enterprise-wide projects, defining scopes, objectives, timelines, and deliverables. Ensures tasks are completed on time, within scope and on budget.  
• Identifies, manages and mitigates risks and issues throughout the project lifecycle.  
• Communicates regularly with stakeholders, including team members, partners and senior management.  
• Evaluates project performance, gathers feedback and implements improvements for future projects.

Facilities Management 

• Develop and implement the strategic vision and operational plan for facilities management, aligning with overall organizational goals.
• Oversee daily operations of facilities, ensuring a safe, functional and efficient environment for all users.
• Negotiate and manage high-value contracts including the NYC office lease and associated sub-leases.
• Manage the facilities budget, including forecasting, monitoring expenditures and optimizing resource allocation.
• Ensure that all facilities comply with local, state and federal regulations, health and safety standards, and environmental guidelines.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the facilities management team, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration and professional growth.
• Support space allocation, layout planning and moves to optimize the use of the facilities.

People Management: 

• Leads and motivates teams by demonstrating and coaching core values, setting clear goals and performance expectations, and providing ongoing feedback and talent development.  
• Fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, encouraging professional growth.
• Provides coaching and development opportunities to enhance the skills and capabilities of team members, promoting the pursuit of excellence within the team.
• Promotes a positive and inclusive work environment that encourages innovation and excellence, nurturing a curious and open-minded approach that supports learning and growth.
• Builds a culture of customer service to support the growth of the Foundation.
• Develops long-term plans and optimizing the function and the talent required to execute those strategies.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Experience in progressive management roles that include strategic planning, budget and resource management, people management and cross-functional change leadership.
• Strategic thinker, data-driven and analytical in approach to developing recommendations and solving problems.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication with strong executive presence.
• Excels at building relationships and networks; fosters partnerships with those across the
  organization and influences others to achieve outcomes.
• Systems and process-thinker; ability to create and communicate frameworks.
• Proactive and excels in dynamic, team-oriented settings. Comfortable with ambiguity and adapting to new challenges.
• Ability to manage projects including defining project goals and deadlines and determining how success will be measured and tracked.
• Ability to report up and proactively provide executive level status updates and information enabling leadership success.

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $200,000 - $230,000.  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. 

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.