Manager, University Relations & Venue Operations

Company Introduction

World Strides 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. World Strides 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 Manager, University Relations & Venue Operations leads strategic relationships with university and venue partners that support World Strides programs. This role owns partnership development, venue sourcing, negotiation, operational decision-making, risk escalation, and the overall performance of the K-12 Individual Programs & Events university portfolio. The Manager also supervises the Mexico-based University & Venue Operations Coordinator and establishes the systems, priorities, and service standards that enable reliable execution across contracts, housing, space assignments, invoices, shipments, and other venue deliverables.

• Serve as the primary relationship owner for assigned universities, colleges, schools, and other host venues.
• Build and maintain collaborative, year-around partnerships with campus event teams, housing and dining departments, facilities, academic contacts, and senior venue stakeholders.
• Lead renewal conversations, partnership reviews, and strategic planning discussions to strengthen long-term relationships and support program growth.
• Represent World Strides during site visits, campus meetings, industry conferences, and other partner engagements.
• Address sensitive relationship matters, venue performance concerns, and escalations that require judgment or negotiation.

• Identify and evaluate prospective host venues based on program requirements, geography, capacity, housing, classroom and meeting space, dining, accessibility, participant experience, risk, and cost.
• Lead site visits and coordinate cross-functional evaluation of prospective and existing venues.
• Negotiate pricing, space allocations, housing commitments, meals, operational terms, concessions, and other partnership requirements.
• Partner with Legal, Marketing, Admissions, Finance, Risk Management, and program leadership throughout contract development, review, approval, and renewal.
• Recommend venue selection, renewal, expansion, contingency, or replacement decisions based on performance and business needs.

• Develop and maintain an annual university and venue strategy aligned with enrollment, program calendars, budget, regional needs, and operational capacity.
• Identify capacity gaps, conflicting space needs, staffing concerns, and other operational risks; develop mitigation and contingency plans.
• Evaluate and approve requests involving over-enrollment, additional space, operational changes, or nonstandard venue requirements.
• Resolve complex issues involving housing, classroom assignments, room setups, shipping, staffing, contract interpretation, or venue service delivery.
• Provide leadership with clear recommendations, status updates, and risk assessments.

• Manage, coach, and develop the University & Venue Operations Coordinator based in Merida, Mexico.
• Set priorities, performance expectations, service standards, and escalation protocols for venue administration and operational support.
• Establish standardized processes, templates, checklists, training resources, and documentation to reduce dependence on individual institutional knowledge.
• Review dashboards, exception reports, and performance indicators rather than serving as the routine processor or reviewer of every transaction.
• Lead regular portfolio reviews and ensure responsibilities are clearly assigned across the venue team and internal stakeholders.
• Cross-train appropriate backup resources and promote continuity of operations during peak periods, absences, and transitions.

• Support venue budgets, forecasts, cost comparisons, and variance analysis in partnership with Finance and program leadership.
• Review and approve material invoice discrepancies, nonstandard charges, and financial exceptions.
• Monitor partnership health, contract status, capacity, operational readiness, cost trends, and venue performance.
• Use data and stakeholder feedback to identify process improvements and strengthen service delivery.
• Maintain awareness of university operations trends, industry practices, regional venue changes, and emerging partnership opportunities.

• Proven experience in university relations, venue management, event…