Director, Policy

## Salary Range
$150,000.00 to $175,000.00 Annually

## 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 FasterCures
FasterCures is a Center of the Milken Institute, a global non-profit organization. Today, there are approximately 10,000 known diseases affecting our world; we have treatments for about 500 of them. The current system to discover and develop those treatments is complex, siloed, imperfect, and not aligned with the needs and wants of patients. Much of the inefficiency is entrenched.

At FasterCures, we envision a system that is run effectively and driven by patient needs. We envision a system where the potential of transformative science is fully realized through the right incentives, bringing better and faster treatments to the people who need them.

We define and map current and emerging barriers that slow medical treatments, finding the areas of challenge, and proposing more patient-serving solutions. We address the following types of barriers to an optimal biomedical system: policy barriers, market disincentives, and areas where lack of leadership slows progress. Finally, because we know we cannot do this alone, we engage and catalyze our network to take on these important challenges.

## About the Position
The Director position requires deep expertise in the federal policy landscape (including key government health agencies and Congress) that affects the delivery of treatments and cures to patients. Working in close partnership with senior leadership and program directors, this role will help translate strategic priorities into actionable policy work.

## Responsibilities
– Partner with FasterCures’ senior leadership and program directors to track, prioritize, and respond to policy developments and activities that relate to FasterCures’ programmatic areas.
– Monitor and advise on federal policies as well as notable state or international policies that affect the delivery of treatments and cures to patients from research to regulatory to access.
– Serve as FasterCures’ internal and external subject matter expert on policy developments and trends related to NIH, ARPA-H, FDA, CMS, and key Congressional committees.
– Engage with policymakers and staff in Congress and the agencies to advance FasterCures’ key policy priorities, build and maintain relationships, and represent FasterCures’ positions through meetings, briefings, and written testimony, in coordination with the Milken Institute’s Government Affairs team.
– Coordinate internal teams to align perspectives and messaging on cross-cutting policy issues.
– Serve as a key point of contact for external stakeholders, including FasterCures’ Advisory Board and Business Council, to communicate priorities, gather insight, and strengthen partnerships.
– Maintain an active network of peers across the field to surface emerging trends and identify opportunities for alignment.
– Contribute to the development of programmatic outputs, including convenings, reports, and summaries.
– Represent FasterCures at conferences, meetings, and workshops.
– Manage and contribute to the professional development of direct and indirect reports, with responsibility for staff supervision and development.
– Engage cross-functionally including with Business Development, Government Affairs, and Communications.
– Duties as assigned.

## Qualifications
– Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in a health-related field preferred.
– 8–12 years of relevant work experience.
– Deep experience with drugs and/or medical devices policy.
– Prior experience in a policy and/or government affairs role with direct engagement with Congress or federal agencies preferred.
– Deep understanding of the stakeholders in the biomedical research ecosystem, their challenges, and drivers.
– Demonstrated ability to build trust and collaborate effectively across a wide range of levels and working styles.
– Demonstrated experience representing organizations with senior external stakeholders and serving as a trusted partner to executive leadership.
– Demonstrated experience driving work forward in matrixed environments without direct authority over all contributors.
– Strong written and oral communication skills.
– Ability to prioritize multiple work streams and manage project teams.
– Ability to be flexible and quickly take on new program areas and adapt to external environment.
– Comfortable with public speaking, either in small meeting settings or for large audiences.
– Availability for overnight travel approximately 3–5 times per year.

## 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. 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 and 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. 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 a resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. 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 – 403(b) (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

Learn more here