Officer, Corporate Communications (Public 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 $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 (MJFF) is seeking top talent for its Officer, Corporate Communications (Public Relations) position. This is a versatile opportunity for a media strategist and storyteller who will support the planning and execution of corporate communications, public relations and crisis communications in service of advancing MJFF’s mission.

This is an early-career role and an excellent opportunity for exposure on a dynamic and robust Marketing and Communications team with the possibility of growth for a persuasive writer who holds sharp judgment in evaluating press, spokesperson appearances and brand requests. The Corporate Communications Officer will sit at the nexus of fundraising, research, policy and other programmatic initiatives and should be a nimble, detailed and unflappable professional who works well in an environment with multiple priorities and deadlines.

The Officer, Corporate Communications (Public Relations) will be expected to have a hybrid-flex work schedule with at least part-time in the MJFF office in midtown New York City. Some travel (10%) will be required.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:
Reporting to the Associate Director of Communications, this role will work with colleagues in communications, marketing, development, research and the C-Suite, as well as with agency teams and external stakeholders (i.e., patients, families and researchers), to support media relations mapped to a wide range of business goals and timelines. In addition, this position is part of a small group of individuals responsible for liaising between The Foundation and Michael J. Fox’s personal team.

Responsibilities include:

Corporate Communications/Media Relations:

• Support media relations efforts, including the development of writing and editing pitches, news releases, media briefers for spokesperson engagement and other materials.
• Coordinate earned media opportunities through the development of strategic messaging and prompt scheduling to support internal spokespeople.
• Collaborate with the marketing and social media teams to share secured media stories, including writing and editing promotional content (blog posts, Foundation social postings and others as needed).
• Engage with internal stakeholders across MJFF to support the creation of the Communication team’s content roadmap plan of priority events, upcoming programs and press milestones.
• Evaluate and respond to media, brand and spokesperson appearance requests in a timely manner. Requires exceptional judgment in evaluating inquiries for the benefit of The Foundation.
• Track and maintain all secured media stories and media lists to compile a summary of clips for MJFF Board members and key stakeholders.
• Maintain and organize brand assets (photo and video) for secured media requests.
• Contribute to the preparation and on-the-ground support of Foundation events where corporate communications and media is required.
• Build relationships with an external roster of diverse key opinion leaders (patients, families, researchers and supporters) and prepare/train external spokespeople for Foundation-related speaking engagements as needed.

Communications Operations

• Support on administrative operations and tasks for corporate communications team, including Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Communications, on the processing of invoices and expense reports, managing vendor relationships and contracts and others as needed.
  • Serve as a key contributor to The Foundation’s project management process, including in relaying corporate communications timelines and emerging needs to partner with key stakeholders.
  • Contribute to general communications writing, proofreading of content, and organizing and tracking Michael J. Fox-specific requests, as needed, across all Communications groups.

Qualifications and Skills:

• History of proven success translating information to necessary audiences in communications and PR roles.
• Strong interest and innate curiosity in health, research and Parkinson’s science, with a specific focus on the media landscape in these areas.
• Writing and strategic messaging experience in a variety of mediums (emails, blogs, social, news releases/pitches).
• Strong attention to detail and organization skills to strategically connect dots across teams.
• Top-notch communicator with proven ability to support the management of relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to produce high-quality written work and plans, working cross-functionally and with urgency across different internal stakeholders and outside partners.
• Ability to demonstrate a strong growth mindset capable of learning from challenges.

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $60,000 - $70,000. 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; 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.