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About the Role

This role builds strong partnerships, aligns diverse stakeholders around a shared vision, and drives the design, innovation, and continuous improvement of a nationwide portfolio of educational programs. Working across the organization, the position leads strategic initiatives that deliver exceptional educational experiences and a consistent standard of quality, safety, and satisfaction. This role partners closely with adjacent functional areas to reduce friction points across the customer journey and create meaningful outcomes for customers.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for a nationwide portfolio of educational programs by developing and executing vision, priorities, and operational strategies that advance operational excellence goals, educational quality, and participant outcomes.
Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing Program Operations team — building new capabilities where needed while strengthening and stabilizing existing team structures.
Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Oversee the end-to-end planning, execution, and evaluation of educational programs, ensuring excellence in curriculum implementation, staffing, logistics, materials, housing, training, communications, site operations, and overall program delivery.
Partner with cross-functional leaders across Sales, Marketing, Product, Finance, Technology/IT, and HR to align organizational priorities and implement innovative solutions that enhance operational effectiveness, scalability, and the participant experience.
Bring a strategic, business-minded lens to discussions with functional area leaders during program development — weighing cost, feasibility, timeline, and quality against long-term organizational priorities, and shaping decisions that support both the customer experience and business goals.
Lead strategic operational improvement initiatives across the portfolio, optimizing operational systems and workflows — including identifying opportunities for automation and AI-enabled process improvement — to enhance scalability and participant outcomes while supporting change adoption.
Monitor program performance through enrollment trends, financial results, operational metrics, quality standards, and key performance indicators; proactively identify risks and opportunities, implement corrective actions, and ensure continuous improvement.
Ensure programs consistently achieve or exceed organizational goals for participant satisfaction, educational quality, customer service, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) while maintaining safe, engaging, and exceptional learning experiences.
Direct workforce planning, recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, and performance management for full-time and seasonal staff to ensure organizational readiness and operational excellence.
Provide financial stewardship and P&L oversight for the cost-of-sales and operating budget through strategic planning, forecasting, contract administration, resource allocation, and fiscal governance to optimize profitability.
Ensure all programs are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with contractual commitments, organizational standards, and established operational objectives.
Establish clear performance expectations, accountability measures, and operational governance to ensure departmental goals, timelines, quality standards, and service commitments are consistently achieved.
Serve as the senior operational leader during complex situations by resolving critical issues, managing emergency response and student crises (including off-hours), providing executive decision-making, and communicating effectively with families, partners, and internal stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required, advanced degree preferred.
Ten or more years of progressive leadership experience in educational program operations, organizational leadership, or a related field (e.g., camps/youth programs, hospitality, large-scale event operations), including responsibility for large, complex, multi-site programs.
Demonstrated success leading high-performing, cross-functional teams and collaborating across departments to develop and execute strategic initiatives that align operational, educational, and business objectives with organizational mission and growth.
Proven experience managing directors, managers, and large seasonal, remote, and geographically dispersed workforces while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Strong business and financial acumen, including strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, program economics, contract and vendor management, resource allocation, and cost optimization — with demonstrated ability to evaluate trade-offs and drive decisions in a for-profit, margin-conscious environment.
Demonstrated experience with duty-of-care responsibilities, including on-call emergency response and crisis management involving the safety and welfare of program participants.
Extensive experience overseeing complex operational logistics, program execution, organizational transformation, and scalable processes in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
Demonstrated expertise in organizational process design, workflow optimization, continuous improvement, and change management, with the ability to lead enterprise-wide operational transformation.
Experience translating operational requirements into technology solutions and partnering with technology teams to implement systems, workflow automation, and process architecture — including familiarity with how AI and emerging technology can improve efficiency, scalability, and customer experience.
Exceptional strategic thinking, organizational leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence diverse stakeholders, drive alignment, and deliver measurable organizational results.
Requires full personal availability and engagement during the peak delivery season (June 1 – July 31), including extensive travel and time away from home.
WorldStrides will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States.
Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1, J-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J or TN, or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire.
Select seasonal roles may consider students on J-1 or F-1 visas.

Skills

Program Operations
Organizational Leadership
Strategic Initiatives
Customer Experience
Collaboration
Innovation
Continuous Improvement
Process Optimization
Change Management
Financial Acumen
Budgeting
Forecasting
Contract Management
Vendor Management
Resource Allocation
Cost Optimization
Duty-of-Care
Emergency Response
Crisis Management
Logistics
Workflow Optimization
AI-enabled process improvement
Strategic Thinking
Communication
Relationship Building
Stakeholder Management

Location

Remote
On-site
Hybrid

Work Type

Full-time

Experience Level

Ten or more years of progressive leadership experience

Education Level

Bachelor's degree
Advanced degree preferred

Benefits

Comprehensive health benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, accident, critical illness, disability insurance, FSA/HSA options with employer HSA contributions
Generous 401(k) match
Generous paid time off including 11 paid company holidays, 25 PTO days the first year (prorated), 1 paid volunteer day, 4 mental health days, and bereavement
Professional development support, including up to $5,250 annually for tuition reimbursement and up to $1,000 for certifications annually
Opportunities for paid and discounted travel
Flexible work schedule providing on-site, remote, and hybrid office opportunities
Encouraged participation in a wide variety of Employee Resource Groups
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and wellness resources, including fitness centers at select locations
Paid parental, caregiver, and disability leave
Team Member Discount Program
Engaging, collaborative, and fun work environment

About the Company

WorldStrides is the global leader in educational travel and experiential learning.
The company was founded in 1967 to provide middle school travel programs to Washington, D.C. and has grown to provide a wide range of programs for more than half a million students annually to over 100 countries around the world.
WorldStrides offers experiential learning programs in educational travel, performing arts, language immersion, career exploration, service-learning, study abroad, and sports.
Each of these experiences helps students to see beyond the classroom and to see the world – and themselves – in new ways.
WorldStrides, a global organization, is committed to educate and serve communities worldwide.
Our commitment is fueled by the passion of our team members and partners to make experiential learning accessible, while also being socially, environmentally, and ethically responsible.
Together, we accomplish this by investing in initiatives to promote inclusion, diversity, and sustainability.

Equal Opportunity

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, WorldStrides is committed to building a diverse workforce, supported by an environment that promotes inclusion and belonging.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.