Job Title: Senior Legal & Compliance Counsel

Position Summary:

MJFF is seeking a Senior Legal & Compliance Counsel to join the Legal team reporting to our Chief People Officer & General Counsel. The Senior Legal & Compliance Counsel will be responsible for implementing an organization-wide compliance program and keeping the organization up to date on changing laws.  The primary duties include providing front-line support for compliance requirements, developing a system for document retention, performing factual research, data protection and analysis, building and maintaining a compliance program, performing self-audits, and assisting each department with adherence to the compliance requirements. Secondary duties including providing legal advice on employment law, contracts (across the Foundation), disputes, responding to subpoenas, and providing guidance and development opportunities for our Legal & Compliance Officer.

 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Creates and maintains a comprehensive compliance program using best practices to anticipate legal challenges and mitigate risks.
  • Meets with attorneys and Department Heads to maintain Foundation-wide compliance.
  • Arranges compliance training tools to satisfy legal requirements.
  • Researches and analyzes statutes, regulations, legal articles, judicial decisions, and other legal sources.
  • Determines compliance metrics and establishes a system for tracking them.
  • Remains up to date on federal and state laws relating to MJFF and updates policies accordingly.
  • Performs compliance audits to determine whether established protocols are being followed and where they can be improved.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned

 

Qualifications and Skills:

  • At least 7 years of in-house legal experience
  • 5-10 years of legal experience in a compliance role
  • Must have law degree and be admitted to the NY Bar
  • Exemplify strong knowledge of industry protocols and best practices (e.g., GDPR, Document Retention, Conflicts of Interest, etc.)
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
  • Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Ability to function well in a high-paced environment
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality, and to exercise discretion and good judgment
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software
  • Superior attention to detail in order to identify and correct risky practices

 

Salary and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $165k - $185k.  In addition to salary, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) offers a comprehensive benefits package, including 15+ options for medical insurance (with MJFF paying 90 percent of the premiums); competitive dental and vision plans; 401(k) plan with 6 percent employer contribution; flexible spending accounts; employer paid life and disability insurance; 18 days Paid Time Off (PTO); 12 Well-Being (Sick) Days; 1 Floating Holiday; summer Fridays (office closure at 2pm) and a summer holiday week over July 4.  Employees are also eligible for a discretionary bonus on an annual basis. MJFF provides staff and leadership cultivation through regular training courses and events. The Foundation values workplace flexibility, with staff and leadership working together to determine when, where and how programs and projects get done.


How to Apply:  

Interested candidates should submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter describing their specific qualifications and interest in the position. Applicants who best match the position's needs will be contacted.

 

About Us:

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) was founded in 2000 with one clear objective: accelerating meaningful therapeutic advances and, ultimately, a cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The Foundation applies extraordinary scientific, business and media assets to this singular focus—thus creating a unique and dynamic organization. Since inception, MJFF has quickly grown into the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s disease research, having funded over $1 billion in research projects in both academic and industry labs worldwide.

 

Core to our philosophy is how we think of our capital and its risk profile relative to other stakeholders in the drug development pipeline. We work aggressively to de-risk various therapeutic strategies and tools in the hopes of building a robust pipeline of new treatments for patients. In order to achieve our mission of finding a cure for PD it is critical that we engage with, and bring together, members of the PD community including researchers, physicians, health professionals and most important, people with Parkinson's and their families.

 

We believe that to find a cure for PD as quickly as possible, our capital needs to push research forward today—we therefore deliberately hold no endowment or excessive reserves. We instead seek to deploy funds raised as quickly and wisely as possible. MJFF raises over $100 million annually. Today, the Foundation has approximately 186 full-time employees. We offer a collegial and collaborative environment where optimistic problem-solvers and entrepreneurial, resourceful individuals can thrive and make a tangible difference for millions of people living with Parkinson’s disease.

 

Vaccine Statement:

At The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), the health and safety of our team and our community is a priority. MJFF has made the decision to require all staff receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment. Successful applicants for this position must be fully vaccinated by date of hire and proof of vaccine is required. Full vaccination is defined as two weeks after both doses of two-dose vaccine or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine has been administered. Anyone unable to be vaccinated, because of medical or religious reasons, can request a reasonable accommodation for consideration.

MJFF is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from individuals who will contribute to our efforts to build and support a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. Diversity may refer to characteristics including, but not limited to, race, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic circumstance, geographic background, ability and disability, political ideology, and age.

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