Alliances Manager (Preclinical and Clinical Industry)

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 300 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 Alliances Manager positions.  Reporting to the Director of Research Alliances, these roles steward prospective partners by aligning external partners’ needs to the Foundation’s mission and directing them to relevant resources and partnership opportunities that the organization has to offer. These positions assist with the team’s cultivation of priority partnerships and programs designed to increase the Foundation’s engagement with the industry, particularly with companies in clinical stages of Parkinson’s disease (PD) therapeutic development. These roles collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams, members of the scientific community, technical experts and emerging drug development companies globally.

The Foundation is hiring two Alliances Managers.  One role will be focused on partnerships and programs in translational/preclinical therapeutics and the other role will be focused on partnerships and programs in the clinical stages of the PD therapeutic development.

These positions may be hybrid-flex with the opportunity to work from the Foundation’s office in NYC or based remotely from anywhere within the U.S.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Function as external partner’s liaison and a point of contact for all inbound inquiries; facilitate handoffs with technical experts and sub-teams across departments to accelerate collaborative research and educational programs
• Manage a portfolio of high-volume, emerging relationships with companies (e.g., pharmaceutical, biotech, health-tech) invested in Parkinson’s, directing them to relevant resources and partnership offerings that the Foundation has readily available
• Support department leaders in business development and stewardship activities (e.g., crafting proposals for partnership and/or sponsorship, tracking partnership deliverables), towards helping to drive revenue for the organization
• Serve as the team’s representative in select internal standing meetings across the broader Research team, voicing the priorities and perspectives of the business unit and reporting back on key planning updates and program developments
• Project manage the Foundations’ annual Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference, which brings together research and business development professionals from academia and industry, and showcases the most exciting and innovative research from the research portfolio
• Support the team’s work with internal departments, including responsibilities spanning sponsorship proposal development, opportunities to drive awareness of initiatives and/or resources, and other ad hoc opportunities as new business needs arise 

Qualifications and Skills:

• Knowledge in sales or business development, customer/client management, healthcare consulting with measurable success and achievement.  Knowledge in life sciences, healthcare, or biotech is strongly preferred
• Sophisticated customer service and/or client management skills
• External relationship management focus 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, and can 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
• Commitment to teamwork; ability to collaborate and manage projects with and through others; ability to influence action without direct authority
• 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 $75,000 to $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 2 p.m.) 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.