Senior Associate, SPARC en Milken Institute

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event.  

About MI Philanthropy And SPARC

MI Philanthropy advises individuals and foundations on the most strategic ways to ensure their philanthropic investments make an equitable, transformative impact, and offers tools and recommendations for making philanthropy more effective. In addition to in-depth research, we design and build programs including funding initiatives, research collaboratives, large-scale innovation programs, and high-level events. 

Within MI Philanthropy our SPARC program facilitates investment in a number of areas that range from oncology, neurodegeneration, mental health disorders, rare diseases, immunology and others. We are looking for an expert in the biomedical research ecosystem who will move core initiatives forward in medical research philanthropy in collaboration with Milken teams and partner organizations. 

About the Position

The Milken Institute Philanthropy Pillar is looking for a talented scientific or biomedical research professional to join the research and strategy team for the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team. We are looking for an energetic, detail-oriented professional with excellent research, synthesis, and organizational skills to join our team. 

This team member will work with private foundations to develop funding strategies and disburse philanthropic dollars to SPARC-managed research initiatives. Recent areas of focus have included: Sarcoidosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal dementia, ALS, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and community-based health interventions. Successful team members are able to dive deep into the science of a research field, engage with the community, and synthesize and summarize emerging themes and opportunities for executive level partners. 

Responsibilities 

• Contribute to due diligence efforts for various biomedical research related projects in our portfolio.
• Lead state of the science and state of the system analysis for various health projects, which can include landscaping of latest scientific research, experimental therapies, industry pipelines, key research players, drug development models, key nonprofit and advocacy stakeholders, etc.
• Support program planning, strategy and coordination efforts, including stakeholder management
• Support activities related to scientific advisory board management for implementation projects, including coordinating meetings, preparing materials, note-taking, conducting specific analysis as requested, etc.
• Support development of executive-level literature and presentations to communicate findings for philanthropists, researchers, clinicians, people with lived experience, advisors, etc. 
• Represent the Milken Institute within the broader biomedical and clinical research community throughout the due diligence process and at various industry-specific events; and
• Contribute to communications efforts to build awareness of key funding opportunities, philanthropy resources, and overall opportunities to engage with the Milken Institute amongst the philanthropic and nonprofit communities.
• Duties as assigned. 

Requirements

• Ph.D./ MPH or other advanced degree in a field related to biomedicine, clinical practice or public health with at least 2 years of experience beyond academic studies; scientific program management (within nonprofit or government organizations) and/or management consulting experience recommended.   
• Demonstrated effective knowledge of project management or formal certification. Experience with all aspects of project management in a scientific or health-related field. 
• Scientific writing experience for both technical and lay audiences.
• High intellectual capacity and curiosity that can be and has been applied to learning new areas of science and technology and related fields.
• Facility in navigating scientific literature, scientific conferences, and other biomedical and clinical research resources.
• Familiarity with scientific grant evaluation and peer review processes. 
• Understanding of the clinical and research funding landscape around the world, especially the role of philanthropy.
• Personal attitude that includes being outgoing, entrepreneurial, action-oriented, flexible, with a willingness to adapt to changing situations and have a good sense of humor.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to the Washington, DC office location (Tuesday – Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute’s sole discretion. 

This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. International along with domestic travel is possible. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world. 

Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer. 

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran. 

Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone. 

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