Playspace Operations and Recruitment Specialist

Our Mission 

Horizons for Homeless Children is a Boston-based non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of young children experiencing homelessness in Massachusetts. We help their families succeed by providing high-quality early education, opportunities for play, and comprehensive family support services. Our advocacy efforts extend our impact and advance our vision of ending homelessness among families with young children. 

The Playspace Program is based on the belief that play is essential for child development. Our Playspace Program ensures that children living in homeless shelters in Massachusetts have the opportunity for developmentally appropriate play.  We build age-appropriate, child-friendly, and educational Playspaces in shelters and stock them with books, developmentally appropriate toys, and art supplies. Playspaces are staffed by trained volunteers, called Playspace Activity Leaders (PALs), who commit two hours weekly for at least six months. In addition to facilitating the play that is crucial for children’s development, PALs enable parents to participate in activities such as parenting groups, budgeting classes, or job searches. 

Summary of Position 

The Playspace Operations and Recruitment Coordinator is primarily responsible for ensuring the statewide operational excellence, compliance, and readiness of Horizons’ Playspace Program. Approximately 65–70% of this role is dedicated to overseeing operational logistics, site readiness, data integrity, and fiscal alignment across all shelter-based Playspaces.   

In addition, this role leads the development and execution of a strategic volunteer recruitment and engagement plan to ensure each Playspace maintains a strong and sustainable volunteer pipeline. While this position does not directly supervise volunteers, it collaborates closely with Regional Playspace Specialists who manage volunteers onsite.  

This role is critical to ensuring children in Massachusetts homeless shelters have consistent access to safe, developmentally appropriate play environments. 

Responsibilities 

• Program Operations Management 

• Ensure all active Playspaces meet safety, design, and supply standards across shelter locations statewide. 

• Oversee operational readiness of new and existing Playspaces, including setup, refreshes, and maintenance coordination. 

• Maintain 100% compliance with certificates of insurance, partnership agreements, and required documentation. 

• Monitor operational expenditures and ensure alignment with approved fiscal year budgets. 

• Utilize QuickBase to maintain accurate shelter records, inventory tracking, and operational data. 

• Provide regular operational updates during Playspace team meetings. 

• Travel to shelter sites as needed to assess readiness, support improvements, and ensure quality standards are met. 

• Facility and Resource Management 

• Ensure that all Playspaces are well-equipped, meet design standards, and are operational; oversee the regular organization and restocking of supplies, and assist with the setup of new Playspaces. 

• Coordinate with regional Playspace Specialists to ensure the timely completion of Playspace Maintenances to ensure design and safety standards. 

• Support the Corporate and Foundation Relations team with events to engage corporate partners in volunteer activities. 

• Manage in-kind donations and storage of Playspace Materials. 

• Data Management and Outreach Coordination 

• Ensure all Playspace operational and volunteer data in QuickBase is current, accurate, and report-ready. 

• Oversee collection and tracking of child and volunteer attendance data. 

• Develop and distribute surveys (parent, shelter liaison, volunteer) to inform program improvements. 

• Support reporting needs related to funding, grants, and internal planning. 

• Volunteer Recruitment, Outreach, Retention:  

• Develop and implement an annual statewide volunteer recruitment strategy aligned with program needs. 

• Analyze volunteer data to identify geographic gaps and growth opportunities. 

• Collaborate with Regional Playspace Specialists to design region-specific recruitment initiatives. 

• Build partnerships with community organizations, faith communities, and educational institutions to expand the volunteer pipeline. 

• Coordinate volunteer trainings and presentations (virtual and in-person) in collaboration with the Playspace team. 

• Oversee training registration and follow-up with prospective volunteers. 

• Contribute to volunteer retention efforts, including: 

• Oversight of PAL newsletters 

• Supporting development of ongoing engagement and training opportunities 

Workspace  

This is a 40-hour per week, full-time position. The work you will perform is somewhat active, taking place at desk, in a cubicle in an office setting working alongside others. You will also travel to the shelters in your region as needed. This position requires that you have a driver’s license as well as a dependable vehicle.  

You can expect to work onsite 4 days in the office and/or traveling to shelters and 1 day remotely. There will be occasional evening or weekend events with advanced planning and notice. There is a large staff room with indoor and outdoor space for breaks as well as a designated quiet room. Our beautiful office space is located:  Edgerley Family Horizons Center at 1785 Columbus Ave, Roxbury, MA. 

This position requires the employee to comply with all applicable federal, state, local and company policy concerning immunizations, employment physical/screening, Background record check and health and safety training.  

Wellbeing and Belonging 

An equitable world has always been at the center of Horizons’ mission, but in the last several years we’ve recommitted to the role Horizons plays in rectifying some of the problems we see and wish to address. Visit our Commitment to Workforce DEI page to learn more about what that looks like at Horizons for Homeless Children. 

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. 

For more information about Horizons, please visit horizonschildren.org. 

Starting salary range, compensation, and benefits  

$62,000-$66,499 is the starting salary range for this specialist role. Your starting salary will fall within that range depending on your competencies, experience, and skillset.  

Your total compensation package includes the following benefits:  

Health coverage options designed to be as comprehensive and affordable for you as possible, with Horizons covering between 70-75% of premiums (a value that ranges from an additional $10,000 –30,000 per year based on your enrollment choices). 

While you have a choice between an HMO and PPO plan for medical coverage, most employees pay $117.77 for individual, $235.54 for 2-person, or $370.44 for family coverage per biweekly paycheck and never pay more than $300 for individual or $600 for 2-person/family toward deductibles. 

Visit The Benefits of Working at Horizons for more details on the rest of our benefits package 

Qualifications 

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Early Childhood Education, Human Services, or a related discipline. 

• A minimum of 1-3 years of related professional experience in program operations, community partnerships, or non-profit program management. Experience in early childhood education or social services setting a plus 

• Proven database skills with proficiency in data entry, maintaining accurate records, and reporting. 

• Previous experience working with at-risk populations and familiarity with the challenges faced by children and families experiencing homelessness is highly preferred. 

• Experience with graphic design and content creation preferred 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Bilingual language capacity in Spanish and/or Haitian Creole are a plus. 

• A valid driver’s license and personal, reliable vehicle is required, as travel to shelters is expected. 

• Availability to travel statewide and flexibility to work weekday evenings and occasional weekends, accommodating the needs of the organization's programs and stakeholders. 

• Comprehensive understanding of early childhood development principles and practices. 

• Excellent organization and communication skills, including public speaking. 

• The ability to build relationships with a wide variety of individuals and communities 

• Team player with the ability to work independently as needed. 

• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in implementing efficient systems to improve workflow and resources. 

• Commitment to continuous improvement and contributing to problem-solving discussions. 

• Excellent communication skills, adept at conveying complex information clearly and compassionately. 

• Enthusiasm and creativity 

• Strong technology and computer skills with proficiency in current Windows operating systems (Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel). 

• Ability to lift 50 lbs. 

• Passionate about advancing Horizons' mission and embodying core values of Collaboration, Inclusivity, Innovation, and Passion.  

• Demonstrates core competencies that are critical to success across Horizons (Communication, Collaboration, Cultural Competency, Growth Mindset, and Mission-Driven Excellence). 

Salary : $62,000 - $66,499