Clinical Cohorts Lead

Job Title: Clinical Cohorts Lead

Position Summary:
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research ("the Foundation") is seeking top talent for its Clinical Cohorts Lead position. Reporting to the VP, Head of Clinical Research, this position is responsible for advancing the operational strategy and execution of clinical studies. These studies are critical to the Foundation’s mission to accelerate the development of patient-centered therapies for Parkinson’s disease (“PD”) by generating high-quality data and biospecimen resources for the global research community to drive new research. Success in this role will ensure that the Foundation’s clinical cohort portfolio is implemented effectively, governed responsibly, and positioned to generate resources that are accessible and valuable to the global research community. This role serves as a key operational and governance lead for Foundation-funded clinical cohort studies. This role collaborates with a diverse set of internal stakeholders, including Patient Engagement, Research Operations, and Translational Research. This position also serves as a key liaison between internal stakeholders and external partners (e.g., academic and industry researchers, clinicians, funding partners, vendors) to support study execution, biosample and/or data access, centralized biorepository operations, vendor performance, resource-sharing processes, and continuous improvement of clinical cohort practices.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead operational planning and execution for Foundation-funded clinical cohort studies, including Foundation-managed and externally sponsored models, ensuring alignment with Clinical Research priorities and Research Business Unit objectives

• Manage clinical cohort workstreams and processes related to centralized biorepository operations, biosample governance, data and/or biosample access, vendor management, study operations, and research community resource use

• Serve as a key liaison between internal stakeholders and external partners, including academic investigators, industry researchers, clinicians, clinical operations vendors, biorepository partners, funding partners, and other collaborators

• Lead ongoing refinement and implementation of operational practices for clinical cohort studies, including study governance models, resource access processes, biorepository workflows, vendor oversight practices, and partner communication approaches

• Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the Foundation’s clinical resource access and study governance strategies, including biosample and/or data access models, and provide recommendations to departmental and business unit leadership

• Create executive-level communications, including presentations, reports, dashboards, and decision materials, to articulate clinical cohort progress, risks, resource needs, operational impact, and future direction

• Delegate work to, coach, and review work product of colleagues and project contributors supporting clinical cohort operations, governance, resource access, vendor oversight, and partner management; provide feedback that can inform project execution and performance development

• Support annual and ongoing planning for the Clinical Research team by contributing to prioritization, resource allocation, operational planning, performance assessment, and scoping of clinical cohort-related strategic imperatives

• Maintain awareness of trends, challenges, and opportunities in clinical research operations, cohort study implementation, biosample and data sharing, and Parkinson’s clinical research infrastructure; apply this knowledge to strengthen Foundation-supported studies and resources

• Build strong working relationships across the organizational hierarchy, including anticipating and addressing the needs of Research leadership, Clinical Research colleagues, cross-functional collaborators, and external partners

Qualifications & Skills:

• Proven experience in biopharma, clinical research, or healthcare consulting (preferred), public health, or related field, including previous responsibility for clinical research operations, biorepository operations, cohort study implementation, program management, study governance, or resource-sharing initiatives

• Strong understanding of clinical research operations, cohort study models, study governance, biosample and/or data access processes, vendor oversight, and operational risk management

• Proven ability to manage complex programs, projects, or processes independently with minimal supervision and broad latitude for judgment and decision-making

• Experience leading cross-functional workstreams or project teams, including delegating work, reviewing work product, coordinating contributors, and providing guidance or coaching to colleagues

• Demonstrated ability to identify short- and mid-term operational needs, formulate plans with cross-functional input, efficiently achieve timely decisions and alignment, and organize resources to deliver results

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, including the ability to assess complex operational issues, identify root causes, evaluate tradeoffs, and recommend practical solutions

• Proven ability to influence cross-functionally and drive alignment among internal stakeholders, external partners, peers, and senior leaders without relying on direct reporting authority

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable communicating with internal leaders, external investigators, and strategic partners

• Strong decision-making abilities amidst ambiguity; ability to make judgment calls on difficult issues and own responsibility for recommendations and outcomes

• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in clinical research
  
  
• Some travel may be required on an as-needed basis, up to 10%