Senior Writer (Donor Communications)

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 Senior Writer (Donor Communications) position. The Foundation is looking for a strategic writer to lead high-impact storytelling that advances the Foundation’s mission and fuels donor engagement. This individual has experience translating scientific concepts to pitch donors and prospects and will use these skills to spearhead fundraising content creation, including direct mail, digital campaigns, executive communications and special events.

As a senior member of the Communications team and a close partner to the Development team, this writer will be instrumental in crafting compelling communications for donors and prospective donors, remarks and high-touch materials that help raise transformative philanthropic support toward our $2.5-billion campaign to cure Parkinson’s disease.

Reporting to the Director of Communications, this position works cross-functionally with colleagues in Development and Marketing — including direct engagement with executive leadership — to develop persuasive, mission-driven content for high-capacity donors and prospects, as well as the broader community of stakeholders.

This position may be hybrid-flex with the opportunity to work out of the Foundation’s office in New York City or based remotely within the U.S.  Please include two writing samples with your job application.  Final candidates will be asked to complete a writing test.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Serve as the Foundation’s lead writer for executive communications, developing remarks, talking points, op-eds and ghostwritten pieces for the CEO and senior leadership
• Support the Foundation’s special events by developing run-of-show content, scripts, talking points and remarks for internal and external speakers, ensuring content meets the event’s tone and goals and has consistency and clarity of messaging
• Translate complex scientific and programmatic content into clear, compelling language
• Lead the Foundation’s direct mail content strategy in collaboration with Development and external agency partners, overseeing copy development, testing and final review
• Write and edit fundraising content across formats — email appeals, web content, newsletters, stewardship materials — ensuring alignment with Foundation voice and strategy
• Conduct interviews with internal subject matter experts and external community members to ensure messaging accuracy and resonance
• Contribute editorial content to publications, blogs and donor-facing collateral that illustrates the urgency, impact and promise of the Foundation’s work
• Act as an editorial advisor and quality control lead for development communications, reviewing and editing team-wide content for clarity, consistency and tone
• Maintain deep familiarity with the Foundation’s research strategy, milestones and evolving priorities, translating them into donor-facing narratives.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Relevant writing and communications experience, ideally mission-driven, scientific or nonprofit sectors
• Relevant experience speechwriting, crafting executive communications and donor materials
• Relevant experience working within or alongside fundraising teams, especially in development communications or donor engagement
• Strong grasp of direct response best practices, especially in direct mail and email
• Superior storytelling, editing, and strategic messaging skills; ability to translate technical subject matter into accessible and persuasive narratives
• Ability to interact comfortably and credibly with executives and VIPs
• Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple priorities, work under tight deadlines and collaborate cross-functionally with professionalism and discretion
• A strong sense of initiative, intellectual curiosity and commitment to the Foundation’s mission
• Experience working with external agencies and creative vendors is preferred
• Familiarity with fundraising analytics and CRM systems is preferred
• Please include two writing samples with your job application.  Final candidates will be asked to complete a writing test

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $115,000.  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.