Project Place Director of Social Enterprise

About Project Place

Project Place promotes a community of hope and opportunity for homeless and low-income individuals by providing the skills, education and resources needed to obtain and sustain employment and housing. For over 50 years, Project Place has been a resource for individuals who are experiencing homelessness in Boston. Through innovative programming, including social enterprises, we facilitate individuals' successful transition to economic self-sufficiency. Comprehensive programming consists of classroom instruction, credentialing, case management services, housing and job placement, retention, and employment services.

About This Role

As Director of Social Enterprise, you will hold one of the most mission-critical roles at Project Place—serving as both a business leader and a champion for client transformation. This position sits at the very heart of our work: creating dignified pathways to employment for individuals facing homelessness and barriers to opportunity. Every day, you will witness firsthand how meaningful work changes lives, as our clients build confidence, develop professional skills, and take steps toward economic stability through our employment social enterprise. .

Your success in this role will directly determine the futures of dozens of individuals each year. You will lead businesses that are not just revenue generators, but transformational spaces where people who have been excluded from the workplace discover their own capability and worth. The relationships you build with corporate and government partners will create opportunities for our clients. The operational decisions you make will ensure quality training experiences. The team you develop will include graduates of our programs who return as mentors and supervisors, embodying the long-term impact of this work.

This is a role for someone who sees business as a vehicle for social change—who understands that financial sustainability and human dignity are not competing priorities, but rather interdependent goals. You will need entrepreneurial skills and business acumen to ensure our enterprises thrive financially. But what will make you successful here is a deep, unshakeable commitment to the belief that every person deserves a chance to experience financial mobility through meaningful work.

You will lead Project Place's entire social enterprise portfolio—overseeing revenue-generating businesses that provide on-the-job training and skill development while contributing to organizational sustainability. Working as a key member of our Senior Leadership Team, you will develop growth strategies, cultivate partnerships, manage operations across multiple business lines, and ensure seamless integration with our education and reentry programs. Your ability to balance our dual bottom line—profitability and participant success—will be fundamental to Project Place's impact and long-term sustainability.

A Note About Leadership Transition

The Director of Social Enterprise will initially report to the Director of Finance and Social Enterprises. Over the coming year, as the current Director transitions toward retirement, you will shift to reporting directly to the Executive Director. This transition period will provide valuable institutional knowledge and relationship continuity while you assume full operational authority from day one.

What You'll Do

Strategic Leadership, Business Development & Sales

• Develop and implement comprehensive multi-year social enterprise growth strategy aligned with Project Place's mission

• Personally drive business development and sales efforts to grow customer base and generate revenue

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with private sector businesses, corporate partners, and institutional customers through direct engagement

• Cultivate and manage relationships with city and state government contacts to secure contracts and expand public sector partnerships

• Identify, evaluate, and launch new social enterprise opportunities that advance both financial sustainability and participant impact with the goal of increasing skills developed and number of clients served

• Represent Project Place at industry conferences, business networking events, and community forums

• Develop compelling sales proposals and presentations that communicate the value proposition of our social enterprises

• Serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, supporting organizational growth aligned with mission, vision, and values

Program and Business Operations

• Oversee daily operations of all social enterprises, ensuring operational efficiency, high-quality service delivery, and financial performance

• Directly supervise Social Enterprise Directors providi