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.
The Role
WorldStrides is building its events and partner marketing capability from the ground up — and this role owns it. As Senior Manager of Events & Partner Marketing, you will design and run the events strategy that puts WorldStrides in front of the right educators and school leaders at the right moments, and simultaneously build a partner marketing program that creates scalable, co-branded lead generation through district alliances, association partnerships, and channel relationships. This is a builder role — you will create programs, not manage existing ones.
Key Responsibilities
Events Strategy & Execution
- Own the annual events calendar across K-12 Domestic, International, Sports and Performing Arts — from national education conferences to regional roadshows to hosted educator events
- Design the WorldStrides events experience: booth presence, speaking opportunities, hosted dinners, and student showcases
- Manage event logistics, budget, vendor relationships, and on-site execution from end to end
- Build pre- and post-event nurture programs with Marketing Ops to convert event leads into pipeline
- Track event ROI: MQL contribution, cost-per-lead, and pipeline influence
Partner Marketing
- Identify, develop, and activate strategic marketing partnerships with school districts, education associations (Eg NSTA), , and complementary travel brands
- Build co-marketing programs — co-branded emails, joint events, shared content — that drive qualified leads for WorldStrides
- Manage partner contracts, onboarding, and quarterly performance reviews
- Develop a partner enablement toolkit to scale partner-sourced pipeline efficiently
What Success Looks Like
- Events contribute measurably to MQL and pipeline targets each quarter
- Partner marketing program launched with 10+ active partners in Year 1
- Cost-per-MQL from events and partners competitive with or below digital channels
- Post-event lead nurture sequences converting at or above benchmark rates
Requirements
- 5–7 years of events marketing, field marketing, or partner/channel marketing experience
- Proven ability to run end-to-end event programs — from strategy through day-of execution
- Experience building partnership marketing programs, ideally from scratch
- Strong project management skills with comfort managing multiple simultaneous programs
- Data-driven mindset — you measure everything and optimize relentlessly
Nice to Have
- Experience in K-12 education, study abroad, or mission-driven organizations
- Familiarity with Salesforce or HubSpot marketing automation for lead tracking
- Existing relationships with education associations or school district networks
Work Perks
- Comprehensive health benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, accident, critical illness, disability insurance, FSA/HSA options with employer HSA contributions, and a 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
The salary range listed for this position represents WorldStrides’ good-faith estimate of the base compensation for the role at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as relevant experience, skills and qualifications, geographic location, internal equity, and market conditions. The range does not include other forms of compensation or benefits that may be offered as part of the total rewards package.
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
- 5-7 years of events marketing, field marketing, or partner/channel marketing experience
- Proven ability to run end-to-end event programs from strategy through day-of execution
- Experience building partnership marketing programs, ideally from scratch
- Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple simultaneous programs
- Data-driven mindset with experience measuring and optimizing marketing performance
- Experience in K-12 education, study abroad, or mission-driven organizations
- Familiarity with Salesforce or HubSpot marketing automation for lead tracking
- Existing relationships with education associations or school district networks
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.
