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.
Job Description:
Reporting to the Director/Sr Dir of Account Management, the Academic Programs Specialist serves as the primary liaison to university partners, ensuring all experiential programs align with academic goals, learning outcomes, and faculty expectations. This role owns the academic vision and curriculum alignment for faculty-led programs.
Responsibilities:
Academic Leadership
- Gather and translate course objectives, learning outcomes, and academic goals into program design
- Act as a trusted advisor to faculty, providing recommendations on program structure, themes, and content
- Lead client calls relating to program planning discussions, and academic briefings
Program Design & Quality - Design high-quality experiential learning programs aligned to curriculum and learning objectives
- Ensure all engagements (company visits, panels, projects) support defined academic outcomes
- Align strategy challenges, deliverables, and educational content with course requirements
- Maintain oversight of program quality, ensuring academic rigor and consistency
Client Engagement & Relationship Management - Build strong, long-term relationships with university partners
- Manage client expectations, timelines, and deliverables to meet service level agreements
- Address client concerns proactively and escalates when needed
- Ensure a seamless and high-touch client experience
Cross-Functional Collaboration - Partner closely with Sales and Account Management to support program proposals and positioning
- Collaborate with Global Partnerships team to translate academic needs into company engagement briefs
- Provide input on program feasibility, trends, and academic innovation
Market Expertise & Thought Leadership - Stay informed on global trends, higher education needs, and emerging academic topics
- Develop destination briefings and program materials incorporating relevant global context
- Position yourself as a strategic partner for faculty seeking meaningful global experiences
Operational Execution - Manage multiple programs simultaneously and ensure deadlines are met
- Track progress and maintain accurate records in CRM (Dynamics) and internal tools
Qualifications:
- Strong communication, interpersonal, relationship-building and organizational skills
- Highly self-driven sense of motivation and perseverance
- Adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity, while being able to prioritize and meet deadlines
- Demonstrated strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to overcome objections and facilitate negotiations
- Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively with diverse groups including faculty, community partners and internal stakeholders
- Ability to exercise professional/ethical judgment, manage time and prioritize competing deadlines with acute attention to detail
- Positive and forward-thinking attitude with a strong work ethic
- Understanding of global markets including languages, currencies, and world events is helpful but can also be learned if you have the desire
- Flexible as needed with work hours to accommodate international time differences and client schedules
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally
- Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 including Dynamics, SharePoint and OneNote
- Bachelor’s degree required
- 3+ years of experience in higher education, international education, experiential learning, faculty engagement, academic partnerships, or client relationship management
- Experience with CRM systems
- Experience utilizing virtual collaboration platforms (Teams, Zoom)
- Strong communication, relationship management, and consultative skills
- High attention to detail with strong project management capabilities
- Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Strong presentation and facilitation skills; experience communicating effectively with executives, faculty and academic stakeholders
- Conflict resolution and negation skills
- Must be able to work a flexible schedule when needed
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint
- Experience working with faculty or academic programming
- Experience supporting study abroad, global education, experiential learning programs, or faculty-led travel programs
- Knowledge of experiential learning principles
- Experience with curriculum design and learning outcome assessments
Work Perks:
- Fun & driven environment.
- Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage, life, accidental death and dismemberment, accident, critical illness, and disability insurance, FSA healthcare, FSA dependent care, HSA with employer contribution, and generous 401k match.
- 11 paid floating corporate holidays, 1 paid volunteer day & up to 25 PTO days to start – accrue up to 28 over 3 years, 4 mental health days, and 5 bereavement days.
- Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250 annually
- $1,000 towards professional certifications annually
- Opportunities for paid and discounted travel.
- Flexible work schedule providing on-site, remote, and virtual office opportunities.
- Encouraged participation in our Employee Resource Groups and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion council.
- Fitness Center and café onsite at select locations.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Paid Parental, Caregiver, and Disability leave.
- Team Member Discount Program
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.
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.
WorldStrides will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States. This is not a position for which sponsorship will be provided. 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 Required
- Bachelor's degree
- 3+ years experience in higher education, international education, experiential learning, faculty engagement, academic partnerships, or client relationship management
- Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 (Excel, PowerPoint)
- Proficient with Dynamics, SharePoint and OneNote
- Experience with CRM systems
- Experience utilizing virtual collaboration platforms (Teams, Zoom)
- Experience working with faculty or academic programming and supporting study abroad/global education or faculty-led travel programs
- Experience with curriculum design and learning outcome assessments
- Strong communication, interpersonal, relationship-building and organizational skills
- Strong presentation and facilitation skills; experience communicating with executives, faculty and academic stakeholders
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally
- Ability to work a flexible schedule to accommodate international time differences and client schedules
- Demonstrated critical thinking, problem-solving, conflict resolution and negotiation skills
- Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively with diverse groups
- Understanding of global markets including languages, currencies, and world events
What We Do
WorldStrides provides educational travel and experiences to more than 530,000 students a year. Founded in 1967 by a middle school social studies teacher from Chicago, the company has since grown to become a leader in experiential learning for students of all ages throughout their lifetime learning journey. In addition to domestic and international travel and study abroad programs, WorldStrides offerings include performing arts, sports, language immersion, career exploration, and service-learning. Each of these experiences helps students to see beyond the classroom and to see the world – and themselves – in new ways. Our global team is 1,500+ strong, united by a passion for what we do. We work with students, parents, and teachers, and behind the scenes too, to deliver experiences that transform lives. Let's get out there - together! Community Guidelines We are happy to address questions you may have, but in order to foster a vibrant and useful online community, we’ve outlined a few guidelines to be followed when posting on the WorldStrides and affiliated brands' social channels . Any comments that are in violation of the guidelines will be removed, and repeat offenders may be blocked. Comments will be removed if they contain: • Profane, inappropriate, threatening or offensive language; • Violations of copyright or intellectual property rights; • Purposefully untrue or misleading statements; • Comments that are meant to derail or hijack constructive conversations; • Personal information of community members or WorldStrides employees; • Posts that link to potentially harmful sites.
