Grants Assistant

About Us

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson-s Research (MJFF) was founded in 2000 with one clear objective: finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease in our lifetime. 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 (PD) research worldwide, having funded more than $800 million in research projects in academic and industry labs worldwide. We exist to put ourselves out of business, so we deliberately hold no endowment but instead spend what we raise quickly and efficiently; 88 cents of every dollar spent goes directly to research programs. 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 treatment ideas and tools in the hopes of building a robust pipeline of new treatments for patients. Today, the Foundation has about 145 full-time employees.

Within MJFF, Research Programs helps support the Foundation’s mission of developing new and improved Parkinson’s therapies through its focus on five key research funding approach:  1) basic disease and translational science to identify and characterize PD biology; 2) identification and validation of biomarker candidates and tests to measure Parkinson’s pathology and symptoms; 3) transform promising early-stage ideas into practical therapies with tangible patient benefit; 4) assemble cohorts of people of interest to PD research and drug development (e.g., prodromal, genetic, newly diagnosed); and; 5) creating and distributing critical Parkinson’s research tools (e.g., antibodies, assays, animal models).

Position Summary:

The Research Programs team, made up of Ph.D. and MD neuroscientists paired with business-trained project managers, manages the Foundation's research portfolio of approximately 250 active grants.

Working closely with Program Officers and Scientific Leads, the Grants Assistant provides grant administration support within a given portfolio. It is a fast-paced position and one that requires you be meticulous, organized, flexible, and willing to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. This position must ensure that the activities are well coordinated across the team, other departments, and external stakeholders.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Own grant administration processes throughout the grant lifecycle, including but not limited to:
• performing administrative reviews of grant applications
• tracking and updating grant records and information in the grants management system
• setting up and tracking grant application reviews
• shepherding new grants through development and approval processes
• developing contracts and memos from templates
• scheduling, reviewing, and tracking grant payments; troubleshooting payment issues; reaching out to grantees to request grant or payment documentation or to confirm payment details
• Work with Program Officers to stay up to date on grant needs and developments; provide support in assessing evolving operational needs of grants and determine appropriate actions, working within established parameters.
• Support and initiate efforts to train other team members on grant-related processes.
• Assist with additional Research Programs team initiatives, meeting needs, and special projects as required.

Qualifications and Skills:

• 0-2 years of experience.
• Experience and/or demonstrated interest in grant management or non-profit operations.
• Keen eye for detail and an interest in creating efficiencies.
• Proven ability and interest in learning new systems, software, and processes.
• Strong computer skills with excellent command of Microsoft Office.
• Must be a professional who is creative, proactive, self-directed, detail-oriented, and organized.
• Ability to prioritize and multitask.
• Must possess strong interpersonal skills, the capacity to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team, and excellent oral and written communication skills.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter. We ask that you do not contact our staff directly and no phone inquiries please. Applicants who best match the position needs will be contacted. Submissions without cover letters will not be considered.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.