Senior Grant Operations Specialist (Pre-Award)

Job Title:  Senior Grant Operations Specialist (Pre-Award) 

Position Summary:

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (“the Foundation”) is seeking top talent for its Senior Grant Operations Specialist position.  Reporting to the Director of Grantmaking Operations, this role plays a vital part in supporting the Foundation's grantmaking activities as a member of the Research Operations department. Working closely with internal stakeholders, this position serves as the operational project lead for assigned pre-award funding opportunities and other grantmaking project management aligned with the Foundation's mission. 

The Senior Grant Operations Specialist is responsible for coordinating the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of pre-award grantmaking activities, including Requests for Applications (RFAs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and related funding initiatives. Using strong project management and cross-functional coordination skills, this role translates programmatic funding strategies into well-executed operational plans while ensuring a high-quality applicant and reviewer experience.   The position manages complex funding opportunities from planning through funding recommendations, consistently implements policies and practices, and contributes to efforts to improve and strengthen Foundational grantmaking activities each year. 

This is a hybrid-flex position that will require in-person attendance at the Foundation’s office in New York City.

Key Responsibilities:

Grantmaking Operations  

• Coordinate operational planning and execution for assigned funding opportunities, including RFAs, RFPs, targeted funding opportunities, and other grant mechanisms 

• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, track timelines and dependencies, escalate risks, and ensure milestone completion 

• Coordinate all operational aspects of the pre-award lifecycle, including application launch and intake, scientific review, and funding recommendation activities 

• Develop and/or maintain comprehensive documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), templates, checklists and operational resources in partnership with department leadership 

• Partner with scientific staff to operationalize funding strategies into executable operational plans and grantmaking workflows 
  
• Serve as a primary operational point of contact for applicants, reviewers, advisors, and other external stakeholders across assigned funding opportunities Apply established processes and service models consistently across funding opportunities while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, and user experience 

Cross-functional Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement  

• Coordinate cross-functional teams throughout the pre-award grantmaking process, ensuring alignment across scientific, finance, technology, communications, and grants operations functions 

• Coordinate reviewer recruitment, conflict of interest management, meeting logistics & materials, scoring workflows, communications, and post-review documentation for scientific review activities 

• Ensure a consistent, responsive, and high-quality applicant and reviewer experience through clear communications, issue resolution, and operational excellence 
• Serve as a primary operational point of contact for applicants, reviewers, advisors, and other external stakeholders across assigned funding opportunities 

Monitoring, Evaluation & Continuous Improvement  

• Track operational metrics related to funding opportunities, including application processing, reviewer engagement, and project milestones 

• Participate in annual operational planning activities by contributing lessons learned and recommendations for improving future funding cycles 
• Support implementation and optimization of grants management systems and other operational technologies 

General  

• Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of the Foundation's Strategic Research Agenda, grantmaking priorities, funding mechanisms, operational policies, and grants management system 

• Provide backup operational support during high-volume funding cycles and/or short-term absences 

• Facilitate onboarding and training related to grants operations processes, systems, and best practices 

• Participate in Foundation-wide initiatives, committees, and/or cross-functional operational projects as appropriate 

Qualifications & Skills:

• Relevant experience serving as a project manager or operational lead for complex funding programs, scientific review processes, or comparable cross-functional initiatives 

• Experience coordinating RFAs, RFPs, grant competitions, peer review, scientific assessment meetings, or similar funding processes 

• Demonstrated experience applying project management methodologies to organize work, manage timelines, mitigate risks, and deliver high-quality outcomes 

• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent funding opportunities and competing priorities while maintaining exceptional attention to detail 

• Strong communication, meeting facilitation, and relationship management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across scientific, operational, and administrative teams 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify operational challenges and recommend practical solutions 

• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and adapt effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced grantmaking environment 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, grants management systems (SmartSimple preferred), project management tools, and related technologies