VP, Head of Business Management (Research Programs & Partnerships)

Job Title: VP, Head of Business Management (Research Programs & Partnerships) 

Position Summary: 
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (“the Foundation”) is seeking top talent for its VP, Head of Business Management (Research Programs & Partnerships).  Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, this position leads portfolio planning, resource management, and performance oversight for the Research Programs & Partnerships (RPP) business unit, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities and operating processes. This role translates strategic priorities into measurable operating plans and provides the governance, analysis, and reporting needed to support prioritization, capacity planning, funding decisions, and organizational performance. 

Serving as the business management counterpart to research executive leadership, this role drives integrated planning across programs, finance, systems, and operations to clarify trade-offs, optimize resource deployment, and support achievement of RPP and organizational objective key results (OKRs), and key performance indicators (KPIs). The VP partners closely with the CPO, SVP, Head of Research Operations, and other organizational leaders to align business unit plans with enterprise goals. 

Brought in to build and lead a team, this leader will first onboard and assess the existing RPP function and enterprise workflows, then make recommendations for an optimal team structure.  This position oversees business planning, portfolio governance, performance reporting, and resource management across the RPP business unit. This role evaluates organizational capabilities, operating models, and workflows; identifies opportunities to improve effectiveness and scalability; and develops recommendations that strengthen transparency, accountability, and operational performance. This position also leads and develops a team responsible for business management functions and builds the capabilities required to support the long-term needs of the business unit. 

This position may be hybrid-flex with the opportunity to work out of the Foundation’s office in New York City or based remotely within the Eastern region of the United States. 

 
Key Responsibilities:  
Planning, Integration & Coordination:  

• Lead RPP annual planning processes in partnership with the Chief Program Officer and the Office of the CEO that translates RPP priorities into coordinated operating plans, portfolio roadmaps, and measurable objectives  

• Maintain portfolio visibility across initiatives, dependencies, risks, and trade-offs to support timely RPP and enterprise leadership decisions  

• Prepare prioritization and sequence recommendations for review by Research Operations and business unit leadership and ensure coordination across other organization Business Units  

• Continuously improve planning, reporting, and governance processes to increase clarity, consistency, and operational effectiveness  

• Partner with the Chief Program Officer and Office of the CEO to set, monitor, and review business unit OKRs and KPIs  

• Partner with the Chief Program Officer and leaders within the business unit to develop business cases for new initiatives  

• Serve as a central integrator between RPP and other teams, facilitating alignment, removing barriers, and ensuring leadership has clear visibility into progress and trade-offs  

Capacity & Resource Alignment:  

• Develop and maintain capacity views that align staffing, support, and operational demand across RPP  

• Identify resource constraints, conflicts, and bottlenecks, and propose options to improve utilization and execution readiness  

• Support leadership in making explicit resource allocation decisions based on priority, feasibility, and impact  

 Budget & Financial Alignment:  

• Partner with the Chief Program Officer, Finance, Office of the CEO and Research Operations to align forecasts, funding pace, and budget decisions with execution capacity  

• Provide clear analysis of financial performance, budget risks, and operational trade-offs that may affect delivery  

• Support development of decision-ready materials for budget planning, reforecasting, and in-year adjustments  

 Business Intelligence:  

• Define and track OKRs, KPIs, dashboards, and reporting that provide visibility into portfolio performance, operational health, and progress against plan  

• Deliver executive- and Board-ready reporting and insights in partnership with the Chief Program Officer and the Office of the CEO to support strategic decision-making  

• Continuously evaluate initiative outcomes and enterprise processes, identifying opportunities to improve effectiveness, scalability, and return on investment  

 Cross-Functional Partnership on Business Development Opportunities:  

• Coordinate the development, tracking, and internal communication of scientific partnership pitches to allow opportunities to move forward with clarity and momentum  

• Help accelerate the Foundation’s most promising scientific endeavors by aligning partnership efforts with portfolio priorities and resourcing  

• Facilitate the integration of emerging research opportunities with cross-functional partner teams by aligning decisions, surfacing risks and tradeoffs, and maintaining shared visibility  

  
Team Leadership:  

• Assess the existing RPP function and enterprise workflows, then make recommendations for an optimal team structure, including developing the long-term talent plans required to execute the strategy 

• Manage and develop a high-performing team by setting clear goals and performance expectations, providing ongoing coaching and feedback, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement  

• Oversee workforce planning, organizational design, and resource allocation for the function, ensuring the appropriate talent, skills, and capacity are in place to meet current and future business needs  

• Serve as a member of the RPP leadership team, contributing to business unit strategy, organizational effectiveness, and cross-functional decision-making while building leadership capability and succession strength within the team 

Qualifications and Skills:  

• Proven experience in business management, strategic planning, budget management, and project management 

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret financial data and make data-driven decisions 

• Excellent organizational and leadership skills with experience in leading and influencing cross-functional teams; demonstrates an enterprise mindset 

• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information clearly to diverse audiences 

• Proven experience leading and motivating teams is strongly preferred 

• Proficiency in project management software and financial management tools 

• Familiarity with non-profit/programmatic organizations, processes, systems, and terminology 

• Strong service-orientation 

• Skilled at balancing competing priorities and stakeholder needs 

• Experience in life sciences, healthcare research, consulting or related industry is a plus