About RTW Foundation

RTW Foundation (RTWF) was founded in 2018 as the philanthropic arm of RTW Investments, LP, a biotech investment firm. Through our three impact areas – rare disease, health equity, and STEM education – we power community initiatives and scientific research to improve the health of underserved populations.

At RTW Foundation, we build partnerships with local organizations to advance health equity in New York City. One way that we support local health organizations is through our annual health equity grant cycle. We support partners beyond funding through co-created Days of Action, personalized capacity-building opportunities, and meaningful network connections. Our overall goal in community health is to strengthen the local health ecosystem in New York City. 

The Role

The grants manager will facilitate the annual community health grant cycle, supporting the team and our partners to navigate through the full life cycle of a grant. Responsibilities will include:

• Create all grant cycle materials including updated webpage, clear guidelines, LOI form, application form, reviewer materials, site visit guidelines, budget templates, fliers, social media content, etc.
• Facilitate outreach to all potential applicants that align with set grant cycle focus and selection criteria. Research new community health organizations and create a landscape analysis of all key players in the NYC health ecosystem including CBOs, FQHCs, mid-sized nonprofits, large health systems, and peers funding organizations.
• Field all applicant questions and requests. Support applicants and partners through the LOI and application process. Communicate criteria, scope, process, etc. Respond to applicant requests and questions in a timely, professional, and relational way.
• Develop new grant cycle mechanisms like multi-year grants, streamlined renewal applications, more effective data management systems, etc.
• Schedule and conduct partner site visits with key stakeholders.
• Prepare and facilitate annual grant review committee meetings and review meetings with relevant Foundation leaders. Prepare recommendations for the Board of Directors.
• Communicate approvals and denials with clear feedback, transparency, and kindness.
• Communicate reporting expectations, follow up with partners, review all reports, summarize impact, and support partners with challenges that arise.
• Maintain up to date comprehensive impact data.
• Maintain up to date record of all key grant documents and information in Salesforce.
• Effectively communicate partners’ impact.
• Identify key disparities in health affecting underserved populations in New York City. Develop data-driven recommendations for grant cycle focus areas annually.
• The listed responsibilities are not comprehensive, and additional tasks may be assigned as required.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master of Public Health or related field required
• 3-5 years of experience in grants management and/or public health
• 2-3 years of data management experience
• Very organized and detail oriented
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with diverse stakeholders
• Ability to collaborate successfully across teams internally and externally
• Solution-oriented, proactive. Someone who takes initiative.
• Mission-driven
• Positive attitude. Flexible and adaptive to the needs and capacity of community partners and collaborators.
• Experience with Salesforce preferred.

Salary and Benefits

The base salary for this New York-based position ranges from $90,000 - $110,000, depending on experience, skills, and responsibilities. Actual salary may vary based on qualifications and the level at which the role is hired. In addition to the base salary, the role includes a discretionary incentive compensation program, and a full benefits package, including medical and life insurance, retirement plans, tax-free savings options, and access to other healthcare programs.

Hybrid work policy offering one day work from home. Some community events will require a commitment outside of typical working hours, for example we co-create quarterly Days of Action with community partners on Saturdays.

About RTW Foundation (RTWF)

RTW Foundation (RTWF) was founded in 2018 as the philanthropic arm of RTW Investments, LP a biotech investment firm. RTWF has two major focuses: improving health equity in New York City and advancing ultra-rare disease research. Our overarching goal is to improve the health of underserved communities, whether that be from historically underinvested communities in New York City (including communities of color and migrant populations) to patients and families facing ultra-rare diseases. Our rare disease initiatives focus on conditions often overlooked due to small patient populations and limited commercial incentives, working directly with patient-led foundations to move science toward the clinic.

Role Overview

The Research Scientist, Rare Disease is a senior scientific role within RTWF’s Rare Disease Advising Program (RDAP). This position leverages deep training in biomedical science and translational research to guide rare disease foundations through complex research, therapeutic development, and strategic decision-making landscapes.

The Research Scientist conducts in-depth literature reviews, analyzes preclinical and clinical data, and synthesizes insights into disease concept models, therapeutic hypotheses, and actionable research roadmaps. In parallel, this role plays a critical leadership function, managing and mentoring interns and junior researchers, standardizing research processes, and scaling RDAP’s disease review pipeline.

This role blends hands-on scientific analysis with strategic advising, team leadership, and close engagement with patient-led organizations, clinicians, academic investigators, and industry partners.

Why Join Us?

This role offers a unique opportunity to bridge scientific research, therapeutic development, and strategic advising in the rare disease space. At RTW Foundation, you’ll play a direct role in shaping research strategies that impact patients and families facing ultra-rare diseases. If you're passionate about applying your scientific expertise to drive meaningful change, we encourage you to apply.

Key Responsibilities

Scientific Advising & Research Support:

• Provide expert-level scientific and translational guidance to rare disease foundations through structured advising engagements.
• Conduct and oversee comprehensive literature reviews and landscape analyses spanning disease biology, natural history, therapeutic modality prioritization, potential research collaborators.
• Develop disease concept models and multi-stage research roadmaps to guide foundation strategy and funding decisions.
• Identify knowledge gaps, preclinical or clinical barriers, and drug development opportunities across rare disease areas.
• Track and synthesize trends across therapeutic platforms (e.g., gene therapy, RNA therapeutics, genome editing, biologics, small molecules) to inform up-to-date recommendations.

Research Oversight & Team Management

• Recruit, train, and supervise internal (in-person) and external (virtual) interns, fellows, and volunteers conducting disease-focused research deep-dives.
• Guide and quality-control team-generated research outputs to ensure scientific rigor, clarity, and strategic relevance.
• Standardize templates, workflows, and training materials to support scalable and repeatable disease review processes.
• Balance individual contributor work with primary responsibility for managing and mentoring others.

Grant & Funding Support:

• Participate in the scientific review of research grant proposals for scientific rigor and translational potential.
• Support rare disease foundations in refining funding strategies aligned with therapeutic readiness and impact.
• Contribute to the improvement and scaling of internal grant review, tracking, and reporting systems.

Cross-functional & External Engagements:

• Represent RTW Foundation in scientific meetings, workshops, conferences, and collaborative forums.
• Participate in meetings with patient-led organizations, translating complex science into clear, actionable guidance.
• Collaborate across RTWF programs and with external partners to share insights and inform organizational strategy.

Deliverables

• Regular preparation of disease-specific research slide decks (“deep dives”) summarizing biology, therapeutic landscape, and strategic considerations.
• Development and maintenance of standardized slide and report templates to support RDAP research activities.
• Completion and oversight of a sustained pipeline of disease reviews supporting advising engagements and funding cycles.

Qualifications and Skills

Education & Experience:

• PhD (preferred) in biomedical sciences, genetics, pharmacology, immunology, neuroscience, or related fields us required.
• Post-PhD experience preferred, including Industry experience in drug development (e.g., biotech, pharma, translational research organizations), or Academic experience with leadership in rare disease or translational research.
• Demonstrated understanding of therapeutic development pipelines, including preclinical models, IND-enabling studies, and clinical trial planning.
• Experience mentoring scientists or managing research teams.

Skills & Attributes:

• Deep scientific curiosity with the ability to translate complex research into clear, practical, and actionable recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences, including rare disease families.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented with strong project management capabilities.
• Collaborative, patient-centered mindset aligned with nonprofit mission-driven work.
• Familiarity with research platforms (e.g., PubMed, Scopus), grant management tools (e.g. Salesforce) and productivity software (SharePoint, Outlook).
• Must be able to work from our New York City office (on-site/hybrid).

The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time.

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary for this New York-based position ranges from $120,000 to $150,000, depending on experience, skills, and responsibilities. Actual salary may vary based on qualifications and the level at which the role is hired. In addition to the base salary, the role includes a discretionary incentive compensation program, and a full benefits package, including medical and life insurance, retirement plans, tax-free savings options, and access to other healthcare programs. Hybrid work policy offering one day work from home. Some community events will require a commitment outside of typical working hours, for example our quarterly Days of Action are typically held on Saturdays.

To Apply

Please submit a resume and a personal statement highlighting any previous non-profit or rare disease research experiences that might be relevant to the role outlined above.