Associate Director, Science Ecosystem
About The Position
The Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy team seeks a talented professional with expertise in biomedical, cross-disciplinary, and health research to lead the development of new strategies, programs, and initiatives within the SPARC portfolio’s science ecosystem programmatic area. We are looking for an individual with deep knowledge and expertise in the biomedical ecosystem to move core initiatives forward in medical research philanthropy in collaboration with Milken Institute teams and partner organizations. We are looking for a thoughtful, collaborative, detail-oriented, and energetic individual with excellent communication, management, organization, and research skills to join our team. The ideal candidate will be passionate about advancing cross-cutting areas of science and strengthening the biomedical ecosystem through strategic philanthropic investment and systems innovation. This team member will work with private foundations and nonprofit organizations to develop strategies to channel philanthropic capital to expand the resources, infrastructure, and talent necessary for systems-level change via SPARC-managed initiatives in close collaboration with our partners. Recent areas of focus have included: computational biology, health equity in science, early-career biomedical workforce, and strategic and organizational planning. Successful team members are able to comfortably dive into broad, cross-cutting health topics while also delving deep into the science of a particular research field. Knowledge and interest in integrating a health equity lens into initiatives are welcome. Applicants should have experience thinking about the breadth of challenges facing the biomedical ecosystem, as well as strategic and operational planning for a variety of organizations. Additionally, team members should be able to thoughtfully engage with stakeholders and communities across a variety of sectors and synthesize and summarize key areas for investment for executive-level philanthropic partners.
Requirements
- Master’s or PhD in a field of biomedical or health sciences with an additional 5+ years of relevant professional experience.
- Candidates with experience in the science/health philanthropy ecosystem, program management (within nonprofit or government organizations), and/or management consulting are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Knowledge of and curiosity across multiple levels of the biomedical ecosystem, including but not limited to high-impact tools and approaches that accelerate scientific progress; infrastructure, talent, and resources needed for systems-level change; and cross-sector and community-based initiatives.
- Experience in navigating the research-to-care landscape for broad, cross-disciplinary science/health topics, including funding mechanisms, grant evaluation and peer review process, nonprofit structures and efforts, industry trends, primary literature, biomedical research resources, and conferences.
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex science and systems-level insights for different audiences, from philanthropists and policymakers to research collaborators and nonprofit leaders.
- Experience with project or program management, ideally in scientific, nonprofit, or health-related settings.
- Engaging and compelling writer with experience communicating science/health concepts for both technical and lay audiences
- High intellectual capacity that can be and has been applied to learning new areas of science, technology, and related fields.
- Personal qualities should include being engaging, proactive, independent, rigorous, curious, action-oriented, flexible, willing to adapt to changing situations, and having a good sense of humor.
Nice To Haves
- Knowledge and interest in integrating a health equity lens into initiatives are welcome.
Responsibilities
- Conduct in-depth due diligence efforts and lead state-of-the-field analysis for various science ecosystem-related projects in our portfolio. This can include diving into cross-cutting health topics (e.g., health equity in science) and conducting a landscape review of the latest research and efforts; cross-sector industry pipelines; funding trends for broad cross-disciplinary and infrastructure topics; key players across health, finance, private, public, and societal sectors; critical regulatory and policy trends; and key philanthropic, nonprofit, and advocacy stakeholders.
- Develop funding strategies and design strategic investment approaches that align with scientific and philanthropic goals. Leverage an understanding of infrastructure and systems-level needs across the biomedical ecosystem, philanthropic funding vehicles, and innovative funding mechanisms and partnerships.
- Produce executive-level written materials and presentations to communicate complex scientific, clinical, and systems insights to diverse stakeholders, including philanthropists, researchers, nonprofit leaders, and others.
- Develop tailored strategic plans and operational implementation guides for individual philanthropists, private foundations, and nonprofits.
- Coordinate and manage advisory boards and expert panels for new science/health initiatives, including organizing meetings, preparing briefing materials, synthesizing input, and integrating feedback into strategy development.
- Contribute to communications efforts to build awareness of key funding opportunities, philanthropy resources, and overall opportunities for MI Strategic Philanthropy to engage with other key players within the philanthropic and nonprofit communities.
- Represent the Milken Institute within the broader health and science communities at various industry-specific events and conferences to build relationships and identify collaborative opportunities.
- Duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match)
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
- Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
- Fertility Support
- Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
- Pet Insurance Discount
- Training & Development: LinkedIn Learning – over 15,000 self-guided classes offered
- Annual Mentor Program
- Wellness Resources: Employee Assistance Program
- CALM app membership
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
