Job Description

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event.

About Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy and SPARC

Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy advises individuals and foundations on the most strategic ways to ensure their philanthropic investments make an equitable, transformative impact, and offers tools and recommendations for making philanthropy more effective. In addition to in-depth research, we design and build programs including funding initiatives, research collaboratives, large-scale innovation programs, and high-level events.

The SPARC team facilitates investment in scientific and biomedical research in a number of areas that range from oncology, neurodegeneration, mental health disorders, rare diseases, and others. We are looking for an energetic, entrepreneurial professional with excellent communication, organization, and community engagement skills to join our team. Experience building and maintaining strong relationships with external stakeholders, particularly those in the philanthropic community, is critical.

About the Position

The Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy Pillar is looking for a talented community builder and science professional to lead year-round engagement of our Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) Philanthropy Leadership Collective (PLC), an active, biomedical research funder community.

The Science Philanthropy Community Lead will be responsible for cultivating a vibrant community of private science funders who are dedicated to advancing science and health around the world. You will partner with SPARC leadership and the Milken Institute business development team to build an engaged funder community where members exchange ideas, learn from one another, and co-fund initiatives. You will have the opportunity to help science funders define and elevate their role within the broader philanthropic and research ecosystems, while also strengthening relationships and promoting shared goals over time. We envision a leader capable of aligning people, mission, vision, and resources to foster meaningful philanthropic impact.

Responsibilities

Lead engagement efforts to deepen and maintain relationships and foster a collaborative learning environment with our SPARC funders, ecosystem stakeholders and prospective SPARC PLC members
Support activities related to all MI events, including support of the SPARC PLC sessions and developing executive-level materials for members
Assist with stewardship efforts during SPARC events that involve potential or current funders and funding initiatives, as well as help with creating any necessary executive-level materials
Co-develop strategies for engagement with SPARC leadership to support unique member experiences and foster relationships within the PLC and with the SPARC team
Support effective external and internal communication strategies to share news about various health-related projects in our portfolio with our SPARC funders and larger network, including newly published work and events
Work with the SPARC team on any new initiatives to plan for programming, outreach and engagement
Represent the Milken Institute and SPARC within the broader scientific and health communities at various industry-specific events
Contribute to communications efforts to build awareness of key funding opportunities and philanthropy resources for the philanthropic and nonprofit communities
Occasional travel to relevant events, meetings, and conferences; up to 10%
Duties as assigned

Requirements

Masters or Ph.D. in a field of biomedical science with an additional 10+ years of professional experience in community engagement and/or program management
Proven success in cultivating relationships with high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and other organizations
Proven success with development and leadership of community programming and events that foster meaningful connections and participation
Experience with funding mechanisms and nonprofit structures;
Engaging and compelling writer with experience communicating scientific concepts for both technical and lay audiences
Experience in creating and executing a communication strategy for topic-specific member engagement throughout the year
High intellectual capacity with a curiosity for learning new areas of science, technology, and related fields
Experience in navigating scientific literature, scientific conferences, and other biomedical research resources
Personal attitude that includes being outgoing, entrepreneurial, action-oriented, flexible, with a willingness to adapt to changing situations and having a good sense of humor

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to the Washington, DC office location (Tuesday – Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute’s sole discretion.

This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. International along with domestic travel is possible. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world.

Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.

Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone.

Benefits

Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match)
Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
Fertility Support
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
Pet Insurance Discount
Training & Development:
LinkedIn Learning – over 15,000 self-guided classes offered
Annual Mentor Program
Wellness Resources:
Employee Assistance Program
CALM app membership