Job Title: Grants Assistant (Payment Processing)

Position Summary:

The Grants Assistant, Research Operations, supports the Research team and proactively partners with Finance to ensure that grant funding is dispersed to a global network of MJFF-funded researchers to support the acceleration of therapeutic development for Parkinson’s disease. The Grants Assistant will be responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of grant and vendor payments for processing, which includes closely monitoring payment schedules and addressing general payment inquiries. Reporting to the Senior Associate Director of Budget Oversight and Tracking, this role will also provide administrative support in the forecasting of upcoming grant disbursements and relevant performance measures. The role requires working knowledge of grant management with focus on the financial aspect.

This role can be a hybrid-flex position with the ability to work at MJFF's office in Midtown Manhattan. Standard business hours are Monday to Friday from 9 am to5 pm; additional hours may be requested based on department needs.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Grant Management

• Routinely review and process payments, cancellations, and refunds
• Collect and review financial documentation (ex. W8/W9, bank letters, etc.) submitted by payees to facilitate payment processing
• Maintain integrity and accuracy of payment and related business data
• Processes expense reports and invoices
• Assist the Senior Associate Director with quarterly forecasting and related reporting

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with teams across Research to process payments timely and efficiently
• Serve as primary liaison to grantees and external partners for payments, refunds, and cancellation inquiries
• Maintain strong working relationships with finance/accounting counterparts to ensure alignment on process

Other

• Support continuous process improvement and other related projects as needed
• Support and/or participate in onboarding and trainings for new staff members

Qualifications and Skills:

• >2 years of experience in an administrative capacity, payment processing, or grant management
• Direct experience with grants management system(s) is a plus
• Proven ability and interest in learning new systems and processes including but not limited to data entry, database management, accounting software
• Superior organizational and prioritization skills with an ability to successfully balance multiple priorities
• Strong computer skills with excellent command of Microsoft Office, including proficiency with Microsoft Excel
• Action-oriented, solutions-focused, and proven team-advocate
• Impeccable attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Salary and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $50k - $60k. 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; 1 Floating Holiday; summer Fridays (office closure at 2pm) and a summer holiday week over July 4. Employees are also eligible for a discretionary bonus on an annual basis. MJFF provides staff and leadership cultivation through regular training courses and events. The Foundation values workplace flexibility, with staff and leadership working together to determine when, where and how programs and projects get done.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter describing their specific qualifications and interest in the position. Applicants who best match the position's needs will be contacted.

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 $1 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 186 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.

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.

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.