Associate Director, Government Relations

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 $1.5 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 200 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:
MJFF takes a holistic approach to investing in PD research, providing both intellectual and financial capital to accelerate drug development. As part of this strategy, MJFF is seeking to expand its activities in the public policy arena supporting efforts to raise awareness and inform policymakers of the need to increase federal funding for Parkinson’s research and drug development.

The Associate Director, Government Relations will play a critical role in the strategic development and implementation of MJFF’s policy agenda at the federal level focused on federal appropriations for health research. The job requires the ability to closely work with colleagues, members of the patient and scientific community, health and human-service organizations, advocacy groups and government stakeholders as well as the ability to develop and manage team priority projects, inserting strategic input and oversight.  The Associate Director, Government Relations position will be based in the greater Washington, DC area, and is expected to join, manage and lead virtual and in person meetings with congressional offices and federal agencies. The MJFF Policy department does not currently maintain office space and team members will continue to work remotely in 2023. The Associate Director, Government Relations will report to the Director of Government Relations.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Constituent Management: Create open channels of communication to ensure advocacy engagement from the PD patient, caregiver, researcher and healthcare worker community on federal appropriations and develop strategies for grassroots and grass-tops advocates to lobby federal lawmakers in their home states and districts.
• Legislative Affairs: Build and maintain strong relationships with members of Congress and their staffs on legislative priorities, including, but not limited to, federal appropriations dedicated to health research for Parkinson’s. Monitor relevant healthcare, including military veterans’ affairs, legislation and recommend organizational public policy positions; draft testimony, letters, advocacy alerts, policy updates and comments as necessary. Track MJFF grant awards and inform federal lawmakers when institutions in their districts or states receive funding for Parkinson’s research projects.
• Regulatory Affairs: Contribute to the development of MJFF’s regulatory strategy to engage more with federal agencies on policy issues important to PD patients, caregivers, researchers, and healthcare professionals, and impact the research continuum. Monitor action by federal agencies on issues related to PD research and recommend MJFF’s engagement on relevant issues; drafting comments as necessary.
• Coalition Engagement: Create a broad-based coalition of PD patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and allied organizations to support and increase federal appropriations for Parkinson’s research. Support the development of, and leverage support from, MJFF’s grassroots and grass-tops programs. Maintain strong relationships with other research, healthcare and patient organizations, and human-service advocacy coalitions. As assigned, serve as MJFF’s representative in various coalitions and work groups.

• Occasional overnight or day travel to NYC office, local events, and events around the country; occasional evening/weekend work.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Minimum 5 to 7 years of experience successfully navigating federal appropriations, disease, federal research, healthcare delivery and regulatory engagement through the legislative process.
• Expertise in public policy issue-campaign management through collaboration with other relevant organizations.
• Knowledge about the congressional appropriations process and federal health agencies such as DOD, HHS, NIH, NIEHS, CDC, CMS, FDA, VA.
• Analytical skills – ability to assess and report on legislative or regulatory proposals and make informed recommendations.
• Ability to register as a federal lobbyist.
• History of effective interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills evidenced in part through successful presentations.

Salary and Benefits: 
The salary range for this position is $95,000 - $120,000.  In addition to salary, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) 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; 1 Floating Holiday; summer Fridays (office closure at 2pm) and a summer holiday week over July 4.   

Employees are also eligible for a discretionary bonus on an annual basis. MJFF provides staff and leadership cultivation through regular training courses and events. The Foundation values workplace flexibility, with staff and leadership working together to determine when, where and how programs and projects get done. 

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.