Organizational Overview:
Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's disease. The ADDF is the only public charity solely focused on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimer's, employing a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. The ADDF's leadership and contributions to the field have played a pivotal role in bringing the first Alzheimer's PET scan (Amyvid®) and blood test (PrecivityAD®) to market, as well as fueling the current robust and diverse drug pipeline. Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has awarded more than $370 million to fund 765 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 21 countries.
The path to approved Alzheimer's treatments starts with a better way to diagnose patients. Bill Gates and ADDF Co-Founder Leonard A. Lauder partnered to adopt a new approach that brings together philanthropic capital with a venture mindset to advance bold ideas for easier, more accurate, and earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Launched in July 2018, the Diagnostics Accelerator has mobilized commitments totaling $100 million from Bill Gates, Leonard A. Lauder, Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), Eli Lilly & Company, Biogen, the Shanahan Family Foundation, the Dolby family, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, and others. The Diagnostics Accelerator focuses on translating the knowledge we have gained about the causes of Alzheimer's disease into biomarkers and diagnostics to enable precision medicine. Research funded to date focuses on various methods and targets including blood tests in various stages of development, as well as eye scans and digital tools.
To learn more, please visit: http://www.alzdiscovery.org/.
Position Summary:
The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is seeking a Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA) Analyst to accelerate, deliver, and manage the diagnostics portfolio. This analyst will be expected to take on a technical (scientific and regulatory strength) and commercial feasibility lens to evaluate investment opportunities for the DxA initiative. This includes conducting due diligence on potential investments, actively managing funded researchers and companies, and supporting landscape evaluations to determine future strategic direction for the DxA. The DxA team, in collaboration with our philanthropic partners, interacts with diagnostic companies, academic institutions, venture firms, and other stakeholders from the life sciences industry ecosystem, for evaluation and management of investment opportunities.
Placement: The DxA Analyst will report directly to the Executive Director of Drug Development. This position is for a 9-month contract with potential to be transitioned to a permanent role. This role is positioned in L3 of ADDF’s salary structure. Anticipated Salary: $90,000-$113,000
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Manage programs in the current portfolio including tracking project execution, facilitating collaboration, and proactively flagging potential issues to DxA leadership.
- Work with the DxA team, external consultants and the DxA Joint Steering Committee, to shepherd proposals through the DxA diligence process to investment decision and contracting. The DxA diligence process includes evaluation of the submitted proposal, managing the reviews from external experts, conducting deep due diligence, working with applicants to refine proposals, and presenting projects to the Joint Steering Committee for funding decisions. The analyst will be expected to take on a technical and business perspective when evaluating investment opportunities and provide a business rationale for informing investment decisions for the DxA
- Assist with DxA portfolio evaluation, conduct landscape assessments and support development of data-driven strategy and insights that inform future direction.
- Conduct literature research, attend conferences and events with thought leaders in the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnostics space and conduct proactive outreach / sourcing to identify potential prospective applicants that fit the DxA mandate
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s or more advanced degree in science required.
- 3+ years of work experience in any combination of the following: consulting, pharmaceutical, biotech or diagnostic/device industry. Knowledge of biomarkers (fluid and digital) and translational strategies for neurodegenerative diseases preferred.
- Practical experience in Search & Evaluation, Business Development, venture capital, technology transfer, or other partnering-focused professional functions preferred.
- Experience with scanning peer reviewed literature and deriving critical insights required.
- Demonstrated ability to drive projects to deliver timely results and follow through on internal and external commitments.
- Demonstrated ability to strategize, conceptualize, plan, and analyze projects critically.
- Strong project and time management skills with the ability to efficiently manage multiple priorities on tight timelines.
- Excellent oral communication and writing skills with demonstrated ability to effectively synthesize insights and communicate to both scientific and lay audiences.
- Consistent learning appetite; necessary to get up to speed on projects and to contribute to future directions
- Highest degree of integrity and honesty.
To Apply: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Please state “DxA Analyst” on the subject line. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered. Applicants are directed to reach out to HR; please send a cover letter, resume to jobs@alzdiscovery.org.
ADDF is an equal opportunity employer, committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people. We welcome and encourage applicants for all positions respecting the full spectrum of education, experience, age, race, creed, color, national origin, sex, religion, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ancestry, marital status, veteran status or other military status, or citizenship status, genetic carrier status, genetic information, AIDS or AIDS-related complex or HIV status, being a victim of domestic violence, protected activity (i.e., filing a charge of discrimination, participating in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposing prohibited discrimination), or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.