Can't really offer much of an inside track.
You might have your buddy check out
Mazu Networks. The CEO is a former executive officer of the company I worked for before being acquired (Guardent Inc.). Should be your typical start up company which will have a pretty good work enviroment. A friend of mine might also be hired on soon into an HR position there. If she does take the job, I'll ask her about open positions and post anything I find in this thread.
If your buddy doesn't mind a drive, I'd also recommend checking for positions at Verisign in Providence. They're constantly hiring developers. Although I believe their strategy is to bring them in initially as contractors. It's about an hour comute from Cambridge but there are several people to car pool with. If he finds a position he's well suited for here, I may be able to help out a little. At least for the next month or so.