Background

Since its founding in the early 1990s, the Rainwater Charitable Foundation (RCF or Foundation) has focused on helping vulnerable children in the United States, believing that high-quality education can transform the life trajectories of children and families.  A second major focus area is medical research into neurodegenerative diseases (specifically tauopathies) with the ultimate goal of finding a cure for these diseases.  Employing the same strategies that the late Richard Rainwater used for investing, the Foundation seeks out successful programs around the country with proven, measurable success, strong leadership and the ability to scale for greater impact.

RCF is the largest education funder in the North Texas region and one of the largest foundations in Texas.  Current significant projects being funded include the Tau Consortium, the PSP genetics consortium, the Rainwater Prize program, Tarrant to and Through Partnership (T3), early childhood education, principal preparation and parent education initiatives.

For more information: http://www.rainwatercharitablefoundation.org/

Our Core Values

We support visionary solutions in the areas we work by:

• Approaching our relationships with respect, gratitude, and humility
• Prioritizing visionary and transformative solutions to improve lives
• Striving to be both pragmatic and learning oriented
• Championing meaningful and impactful collaboration
• Seeking to maintain a sense of urgency in our work
• Adhering to high moral and ethical principles
• Valuing equity, empathy and compassion for all
• Embracing teamwork

 The Role

The PA/Med works closely with RCF staff and RCF Trustees to support the foundation’s medical research programs.  The foundation seeks a strong individual with excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.  Ideal candidates will have a minimum of 3 years of experience in a professional setting.  The successful candidate will be a self-starter with attention to detail as well as a collaborative colleague who can work effectively in a small and dynamic office and build great working relationships with outside partners.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing administrative support to the medical research team
  • Scheduling calls and meetings which may involve Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) members, prize committee members, staff and/or trustees
  • Maintaining Medical Research Team’s key dates and events schedule (SAB calls, grant cycle, co-funding project dates, conferences)
  • Collating meeting materials and providing as pre-reads before meeting and calls
  • Organizing weekly team calls and monthly team strategy meetings
  • Taking notes and minutes for meetings and calls as requested
  • Maintaining a contact database
  • Responding to email and requests in a timely manner and routing requests to Medical Research Team
  • Keeping staff updated on project statuses
  • Coordinating special projects as assigned
  • Providing grants management support with Medical Research funding process as needed
  • Maintaining Medical Literature Database (press releases, awards announcements and other key materials)
  • Willing and available to travel to Tau Consortium Investigator Meetings (TCIM), annual retreat and other meetings as requested
  • Filling in for office receptionist as needed
  • Other duties as assigned

• Managing the planning and execution of RCF and Tau Consortium (TC) events, in partnership with event planner and RCF staff. This includes:
  • Annual Tau Consortium Investigator Meetings (TCIM)
  • Annual Rainwater Prize ceremony/reception
  • Annual RCF Medical Research Team retreat
  • Other RCF Medical Research meetings and events
  • Managing preparation of abstract books for TCIM
  • Managing the Fellows program for TC gatherings

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Commitment and passion to the mission and core values of the Rainwater Charitable Foundation
• Excellent organizational skills
• Project management experience
• Ability to prioritize work appropriately among competing tasks
• A proven track record as an effective team member in a professional setting
• Demonstrated sensitivity to confidential matters
• Extensive software skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Outlook, MS Team, Zoom, Monday, Slack, Basecamp, Dropbox)
• Willingness to learn new skills
• Strong communication skills

 To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to resumes@rainwatercf.org, noting “Program Assistant – Medical Research (PA/Med)” in the subject line.