Director of Clinical Cohorts

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 Director of Clinical Cohorts position.  Reporting to the VP, Head of Clinical Research, this role is responsible for leading the operational strategy and execution of clinical studies. These studies are critical to the Foundation’s mission to accelerate the development of patient-centered therapies for Parkinson’s disease (“PD”) by generating high-quality data and biospecimen resources for the global research community to drive new research. This role leads a team of experienced Clinical Operations staff who oversee Foundation-funded clinical cohort studies. This position is responsible for refining and advancing the Foundation’s strategies for sharing clinical resources (biosamples and/or data) and designing study governances. This role collaborates with a diverse set of internal stakeholders, including Patient Engagement, Research Operations and Translational Research. This position also serves as a key liaison between internal stakeholders and external partners (e.g., academic and industry researchers, clinicians, funding partners) to ensure the Foundation’s clinical cohort studies drive a broad, strategic research agenda that advances therapeutic development for global patient value.

This position 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:

• Manage (including setting individual performance objectives, cultivating talent, and conducting regular performance reviews to support team growth and effectiveness) and coach a team of experienced Clinical Operations staff responsible for:
  • Oversight of the Foundation’s centralized biorepository and biosample governance
  • Vendor management
  • Facilitating research community access to resources
  • Operational execution and oversight of Foundation-supported clinical cohort studies, including both Foundation-managed and externally sponsored models
• Oversee project- and program-level budgets and hold internal and external teams accountable to financial and operational targets
• Serve as point of escalation for issues related to study planning, implementation and governance; ensure timely resolution in collaboration with internal and external partners
• Periodically evaluate the efficacy and impact of the Foundation’s clinical resource (biosamples and/or data) access and study governance strategies, providing informed recommendations to departmental and business unit leadership on strategic shifts as needed
• Ensure appropriate resource (staff and budget) allocation for clinical cohort portfolio, including through cross-functional internal and external planning processes; ensure alignment on major department and business unit initiatives
• Manage operational risks and opportunities across the clinical cohort portfolio and drive continuous improvement in study design, execution, and governance
• Create executive-level communications, including presentations and reports, to articulate the impact, risks and future direction of the Foundation’s clinical cohort efforts
• Foster inclusive research practices and ensure alignment with the Foundation’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals

Qualifications and Skills:

• Relevant experience in biopharma or clinical research (preferred), public health, or related field, with operational leadership or program management responsibilities
• Relevant experience managing a small team, including responsibility for work planning and delegation, coaching and performance development
• Strong understanding of clinical research operations, study governance, or cohort study implementation
• Ability to creatively formulate and oversee iterative implementation of short- and long-term plans with cross-functional input, efficiently achieve timely decisions/alignment, and organize and deploy resources
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills, including team-based problem-solving approaches and the ability to evaluate and balance competing priorities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable communicating with internal leaders, external investigators, and strategic partners
• Strong decision-making abilities amidst ambiguity; ability to make judgment calls on tough issues and own that responsibility
• Ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders across functions and levels
• Financial acumen and experience managing budgets
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in clinical research
• Some travel may be required on an as-needed basis (up to 10 percent)

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $140,000 to $160,000. 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.