Assistant to the Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman at Michael J. Fox Fou...

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. We believe that to find a cure for PD as quickly as possible, our capital needs to push research forward today—we therefore deliberately have no endowment or reserve. We instead start our fundraising from zero each year and seek to deploy funds raised as quickly and wisely as possible.

Since inception, MJFF has quickly grown into the largest global funder of Parkinson’s disease research outside the U. S. federal government, having funded over $313 million in research projects in both academic and industry labs worldwide. Today, the Foundation has approximately 70 full-time employees who are based in New York City.
 

Position Description:

The Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) oversees the Foundation’s fundraising, communications and digital strategy teams, serving as a senior advisor on strategic and programmatic direction. The Assistant to the Co-Founder and EVC position therefore offers a unique opportunity for a dedicated, highly organized, customer service oriented professional who is able to effectively work across departments at a fast-paced, innovative organization.

Given the Foundation’s commitment to running a lean organization, it can be expected that the Assistant’s learning curve and responsibilities will develop and deepen in a relatively short timeframe. While the Assistant’s primary focus will be to support to the Co-Founder and EVC, s/he will be asked to provide modest administrative support to the Vice President of Development, as needed.  

Position Responsibilities:

The Assistant supports all aspects of the Co-Founder’s daily functioning including answering phones, managing an extensive calendar and list of contacts/relationships, arranging travel, fielding requests, and drafting correspondence.  The Assistant interacts daily with colleagues across departments as well as with external constituents (including donors and members of MJFF’s Board of Directors and Patient Council) and as such, must exhibit confidence, competence and calm.  An ideal candidate will be an approachable problem-solver who confers a sense of urgency and customer service with constituents, teammates, and colleagues.  

An outstanding Assistant is extremely organized and detail-oriented, exhibits excellent judgment, and possesses strong written and verbal communication skills. In addition to a demonstrated ability to navigate macro and micro challenges simultaneously in day-to-day work, key qualities of an Assistant include strong time management skills as well as an innate sense of pace and nuance. 

Primary roles and responsibilities include:

• Anticipate the needs and expectations of the Co-Founder and EVC and VP, Development and provide support in all aspects of calendar coordination, including management of  extensive meeting and travel logistics
• Detailed entry of all constituent interactions, updated information, and relevant relationship data into the CRM in support of the Co-Founder & EVC’s relationship management efforts
• Maintain strong relationships with key constituents including the MJFF Board of Directors, Founders’ Council, Leadership Council, Patient Council, and principal donors
• Support the Co-Founder and EVC’s outreach and stewardship efforts, including drafting and facilitating mail and email correspondence to key constituents
• Provide extensive administrative support around specific meetings/events as needed, including for MJFF Patient Council and Board of Directors’ meetings.  Lead phone coverage for Co-Founder & EVC, support coverage for CEO and senior leadership as needed
• Prepare monthly expense reports and regular reimbursement reports for the                Co-Founder and EVC and the VP, Development

Qualifications

• Motivated, proactive, self-directed problem solver; must be comfortable with shifting roles and responsibilities – someone who does what it takes to get the job done
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with an ability to communicate confidently and with empathy, both within the Foundation and externally
• At home in a team environment, possessing a collaborative, interactive work style with an ability to manage and be managed
• Extremely organized and able to think big picture while maintaining excellent attention to detail
• Experience in managing travel itineraries with attention to effective cost management
• Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook, as well as with internet search
• Experience and thorough understanding of Salesforce.com and Convio CRM platforms a plus
• Undergraduate degree required
• 1-3  years relevant work experience

How to Apply:

• Interested candidates should send a resume and thoughtful cover letter describing your specific qualifications and interest in the position.
• Please, no telephone inquiries. Applicants who best match the position needs will be contacted.
• The Michael J. Fox Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.