Do you understand what it takes to walk alongside women who are rebuilding their lives after incarceration— not as a fixer, but as a guide? Can you hold space for the complexity of trauma, recovery, and self-determination without losing sight of structure, accountability, and organizational mission? Are you someone who has either navigated the criminal legal system yourself, watched a loved one navigate it, or devoted your career to working alongside those who have? Do you bring both the empathy to honor each woman's journey and the operational discipline to build, refine, and sustain the systems that make that journey possible? If so, Arise Collective is looking for you.
Arise Collective is a Raleigh, NC-based 501(c)(3) with a mission to equip women with the tools and support they need to heal, grow, and thrive — both in prison and in the communities to which they return. Founded in 1980, Arise Collective is now in its 46th year and serves more than 500 women annually through chaplaincy services, transition education, reentry support, and community engagement. Since 2020, we have operated a residential reentry program offering trauma-informed, evidence-based case management; non-medical clinical support; peer support from professionals with shared lived experience; educational and employment support; community chaplaincy; and more. The program serves 30–35 women annually through seven transitional homes across Wake County and from our program base, The Arise Center, on the border of Raleigh and Cary. A growing nonresidential reentry program complements this work for women who do not require residential housing. Visit www.arise-collective.org to learn more.
Arise Collective serves women at one of the most vulnerable inflection points of their lives. The research is clear that the first 12–18 months after release are the window in which much is decided — whether a woman reconnects with her children, finds stable housing and employment, avoids returning to patterns that led to incarceration, and builds something new. The Senior Director of Reentry leads Arise Collective's response within that window — across both our residential and nonresidential service models, and within the continuum that connects them.
The reentry team that the Senior Director works most closely with is intentionally interdisciplinary with a breadth of experience that offers one of the program's greatest strengths and one of its most complex leadership challenges. The Senior Director must honor the power of lived experience — across the criminal legal, recovery, mental health, and child welfare systems, in particular — and integrate the perspectives of multiple disciplines and frameworks into a coherent whole.
The Senior Director of Reentry leads Arise Collective's full reentry portfolio as a member of the Executive Team and holds oversight of the organization's holistic approach to reentry. This is a new position, redesigned from an earlier role to span the full residential and nonresidential continuum. This role is for a leader ready to refine and systematize what exists while shaping what comes next within domains including but not limited to peer services, clinical services, safe and supportive housing, transition education programming, and an emerging nonresidential service model. This position will directly supervise the Interim Director of Nonresidential and Education Programs, the Clinical Services Manager, the Peer Services Manager, the Housing Manager, and the part-time Volunteer Reentry Chaplain, and — if and when the position is created — a Director of Residential Reentry.
Program Operations & Leadership (30%): Provide day-to-day strategic and operational leadership across the residential and nonresidential reentry portfolios. The reentry team is strong in the direct-service work itself; this role's central contribution is the structure around it. Establish the standards of performance and decision-making frameworks — spanning client care, accountability for both participants and staff, and the everyday rhythms that keep a program running, such as prioritizing and scheduling — that allow staff to act consistently and well.
These standards exist to serve one end: stronger, more durable outcomes for the women Arise Collective serves. Bring perspective to competing demands, hold the program's many moving pieces together, and serve as the decision-maker of last resort when the right path is genuinely unclear.
Ensure that residential environments are safe, supportive, dignified, and healing-centered, and that programming across both service lines is comprehensive, responsive, and participant-centered.
Navigate the operational and regulatory distinctions between reentry and recovery housing. Model the organization's "middle way" — balancing compassion with accountability — and provide hands-on triage when complex participant or program situations require it.
Build on Arise Collective's strong existing relationships with service partners, and manage program budgets in partnership with the Senior Director of Operations.
Staff Development and Team Culture (20%): Balance day-to-day management of a skilled and passionate team of experienced professionals within the context of senior director-level strategic oversight and alignment. Foster a team culture where lived experience is valued as a professional asset. Deliver and support trainings in trauma-informed practice, professional boundaries, and self-care. Facilitate reflective supervision and professional development that strengthens individual and collective capacity. Lead the work of building a healthy, sustainable, mission-aligned reentry team across both clinical and peer tracks.
Program Refinement, Systematization & Quality (15%): Implement and continuously improve the policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that govern both program lines. Lead the effort to codify and refine the residential reentry operations built over the past five years — completing comprehensive SOPs across admissions, case management, peer support, housing, crisis intervention, discharge, and aftercare — and build the equivalent infrastructure for the growing nonresidential program. Establish a program evaluation framework that surfaces the program's strengths, identifies where practice is falling short, and turns those findings into concrete improvements. Put in place the quality assurance measures, fidelity standards, and outcome metrics that let Arise Collective demonstrate — credibly and consistently — that its model works across the full continuum.
Executive Leadership and External Representation (10%): Serve as a member of the Executive Team, contributing to organizational strategy beyond the reentry portfolio. Support the CEO and Board on reentry-related strategic matters. Represent Arise Collective at reentry coalitions, sector convenings, and stakeholder meetings related to reentry, housing, and women's services. Serve as a liaison to government agencies (including NCDAC), reentry providers, and sector funders. Support reentry-specific grant development, reporting, and funder stewardship.
Continuum of Care and Cross-Program Integration (10%): Work closely with Prison-Based Programs staff to ensure seamless warm handoffs from prison-based programming to residential and nonresidential reentry. Provide oversight to the Interim Director of Nonresidential and Education Programs on the integration of education, vocational, and community-based programming within the residential and nonresidential reentry continuum. Collaborate with the Chief of Staff on strategic education and participant retention initiatives.
Organizational Responsibilities (15%):
Attend Arise Collective board meetings, retreats, and committee meetings as relevant. Represent Arise Collective at organizational events, gatherings, and general community functions. Support volunteer, fundraising, and outreach efforts as needed. Participate as needed in weekend and/or holiday on-call rotation. Other responsibilities as assigned.
The Senior Director of Reentry must demonstrate a deep passion for and commitment to Arise Collective's mission, vision, and values, and possess the following:
- Mission Alignment: Deep commitment to racial equity, gender justice, and the dignity of people involved in the criminal legal system. Inclusive, empathetic worldview and demonstrated skill working across lines of difference.
- Experience: A minimum of 12–15 years of progressive leadership experience in reentry, behavioral health, or social services, with at least seven years in a director-level or above role.
- Education & Credentials: Master's degree in social work, counseling, public administration, nonprofit leadership, or a related field is required; doctorate and/or clinical licensure (LCSW, LCMHC, LCAS) strongly preferred.
- Judgment & Critical Thinking: Superb analytical thinking and sound judgment. Able to assess a complex situation — a participant dynamic, a program challenge, a staff issue — identify what is driving it, and respond in ways that balance empathy with rigor.
- Team Leadership & Staff Development: Demonstrated experience leading interdisciplinary teams that include staff with lived experience, with a sophisticated understanding of the dynamics of working within this context. Strong supervisory and people development skills; demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop director-level professionals.
- Program Design, Scaling & Evaluation: Command of the frameworks that guide effective reentry and behavioral health practice — including trauma-informed care, gender-responsive approaches, and evidence-based models — and the judgment to select, adapt, and apply them to Arise Collective's specific population and context. Demonstrated experience refining, systematizing, scaling, and evaluating programs, designing outcome measurement and quality assurance systems, and translating research into practice.
- Communication, Reporting & External Representation: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong report- and grant-writing that produces program data and narratives credible to funders, partners, board members, and community stakeholders.
- Project Management, Systems & Follow-Through: Strong project management skills and follow-through across two program lines, multiple staff, and systems still being built. Proficiency with MS Office Suite, Google Workspace, and program management systems.
- Lived or closely held experience with the criminal legal system — as a participant, family member, or long-term advocate — is a genuine asset and is actively welcomed.
- Familiarity with the Raleigh-area reentry ecosystem: NCDAC, key providers, partners, referral networks, and funders.
- Experience with residential and nonresidential service models for justice-involved and other vulnerable populations; experience navigating the operational and regulatory landscape of transitional housing.
- A drive to maintain ethical and organizational values, norms, and standards — someone who not only follows the rules but understands why they exist.
- Possess valid NC Drivers License, satisfactory driving record and proof of insurance.
- Be able to complete and pass NCDAC-required organizational background checks.
This position requires ordinary ambulatory skills as well as the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and occasionally manipulate (lift, carry, move) light weights; hand-eye-foot coordination; arm, hand and finger dexterity, visual acuity; and the use of auditory senses. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable those with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This position is primarily based at Arise Collective’s main offices in West Raleigh. Occasional local, Triangle, and statewide travel required for organizational programs, events, training, and partner meetings.
At Six Months: The Senior Director has built strong working relationships with the reentry team and organization leadership, assessed the current state of operations across both program lines, identified the highest-priority systems and SOPs to complete, and established a clear plan for the year ahead. Residential reentry operations are stable and supported. Relationships with reentry and service provider partners are being forged. The nonresidential program has a clear development roadmap.
At One Year: The team is delivering consistent outcomes against program benchmarks — employment, therapeutic engagement, housing stability, family reconnection — with the data infrastructure to document it. Comprehensive SOPs are substantially complete across residential reentry. The nonresidential program has documented frameworks, is serving a meaningful cohort, and is producing early outcome data. The reentry team is operating with clarity, mutual respect, and shared purpose. Quality assurance and outcome measurement are in place across the continuum. The Senior Director is operating as a trusted member of the Executive Team.
At Two Years: Outcomes for participants — measured against our results framework — are sustained across cohorts, benchmarked against the field, and credible to funders, partners, and the broader reentry community. The full reentry continuum — residential and nonresidential — operates as a recognized, fundable, scalable model. The organization is positioned to hire a separate Director of Residential Reentry, freeing the Senior Director to operate at the strategic, cross-portfolio level the role envisions. The reentry continuum is recognized as a model in the Raleigh region and across the state.
This is a full-time, exempt position at 40 hours per week. Arise Collective offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience, and a benefits package that reflects our belief in the wellbeing of our staff, because our people cannot sustain the work of transformation if they are not themselves sustained.
The salary for this position is $95,000 - $110,000, commensurate with experience.
Generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision; retirement plan with employer match; pre-tax benefits; paid time and leave; cell phone stipend; professional development opportunities; and other organizational benefits.
To apply, submit a cover letter and resume. The cover letter should speak specifically to why this role and this organization at this moment in your career. The position will remain open until filled; early applications are encouraged. No calls, please.
Arise Collective is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by law. Formerly incarcerated, justice-involved, or justice-impacted individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.
