Thursday, June 23, 2011

Program Manager--FasterCures.org

Position: Program Manager
Reporting: Reports to Director of Strategic Initiatives
About FasterCures
FasterCures is not just our name — it’s our mission. We are an “action tank” that works to improve the
medical research system— so that we can speed up the time it takes to get important new medicines
from discovery to patients. FasterCures, the Milken Institute’s Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions,
is nonpartisan and not affiliated with interest groups.
Our mission is to accelerate the progress of discovery and development of new medical solutions for
deadly and debilitating diseases. We are nimble and independent, a “safe place” for key stakeholders of
the medical research enterprise to come together and get things done. Our strategic goals include:
• Increased innovative, cross-sector collaboration among medical research players
• Increased patient engagement in research and optimized use of patient data
• Improved research policy & process to support efficient development and approval of therapies
• Greater access to and more strategic allocation of capital to support medical research
About Philanthropy Advisory Service
The Program Manager will work most directly with the Philanthropy Advisory Service (PAS) program.
Philanthropy is often not invested in a strategic manner, but rather reactively given out in response to
an encounter with a particular disease or a direct request. Although there is a trend in donors wanting
to invest more thoughtfully, there are few resources to help philanthropists identify the characteristics
and practices of a high-performing nonprofit.
PAS is a multi-faceted, forward-thinking program designed to equip philanthropists with tools and
guidance that empower and inform their investment in nonprofit medical research & development
(R&D). PAS is founded in in-depth, objective analysis about therapeutic areas and best practices for
advancing medical research. Key components of PAS include:
• Disease Landscaping - Analyses of the current state of the science for specific diseases that
identifies scientific and infrastructure investment needs.
• Best Practice Assessment – Determination of the practices that underpin high-performing
nonprofits and that result in accelerated medical solutions.
• Giving Smarter Roundtables - Interactive roundtables that orient philanthropists to the R&D
ecosystem and provide due diligence tools for them to use on their own or with their
philanthropy advisors.
Additionally, the Program Manager may be involved in programmatic areas related to new financing
vehicles in medical research and an examination of intellectual property policies in medical research.
Finally, the Program Manager will engage in planning for FasterCures meetings and events. 1101 New York Ave. NW Suite 620, Washington, DC, 20005, 202.336.8900, www.fastercures.org
Responsibilities
The Program Manager’s primary responsibility would be to lead disease landscaping, best practice
assessment, and other relevant analyses. Specific responsibilities include:
• Lead investigation and analysis of selected diseases, which will include review of scientific and
mainstream literature, analysis of publically available data (e.g., funding, clinical trials, etc),
attendance at scientific conferences, etc
• Liaise with the broader biomedical research community, help to manage scientific advisory
boards, and incorporate feedback into disease landscaping
• Compare operations among nonprofits to determine practices that yield more accelerated
medical research
• Develop executive-level literature to communicate findings to philanthropists, financial advisors,
foundations, etc about diseases and nonprofit
• Serve as the biomedical research expert for selected diseases for the greater FasterCures team
The Program Manager may support additional medical philanthropy program needs such as:
• Monitoring strategic philanthropy environment to best position FasterCures in the broader
ecosystem
• Building relationships with key philanthropy players and partners
The Program Manager may also support the Director of Strategic Initiatives with additional
programmatic work streams, as needed. These responsibilities may include:
• Supporting financial innovations program that design, vet, and develop potential investment
and research models that can improve access to and deployment of R&D capital
• Supporting corporate development efforts and integration of the biopharmaceutical industry
into FasterCures events
Qualifications
The Program Manager should have the following qualifications:
• Graduate level degree (MA, MPH, PhD, MD, MBA, JD) - Scientific training/education is a plus
• Knowledge of biomedical research ecosystem
• Experience in conducting due diligence for an investment bank/private equity firm, healthcare
consulting, or leading studies at policy think tanks
• High intellectual capacity that can be and has been applied to learning new areas of science and
technology
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to create and expand a network of biomedical research contacts
To apply, please send cover letter and resume to Lisa Simms at lsimms@fastercures.org.

1101 New York Ave. NW Suite 620, Washington, DC, 20005, 202.336.8900, www.fastercures.org

No comments:

Post a Comment