Road Scholar is the nonprofit world leader in educational travel for older adults. Our mission is to inspire adults to learn, discover, and travel. With thousands of programs across the globe—including in-person, online, and on the water—we believe curiosity is the key to a well-lived life.
At Road Scholar, we are committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and belonging. We believe that by valuing a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we create a stronger, more innovative organization that reflects the communities we serve.
In addition, we are dedicated to being an environmentally sustainable organization. From the way we design our programs to how we operate as a team, we are striving to reduce our environmental impact and create a positive legacy for future generations.
About the role...
The Director of Participant Support provides strategic and compassionate leadership for the Participant Support function, ensuring an inclusive, accessible, and high-quality experience for all participants and a supportive, people-centered environment for staff. This role oversees the Manager of Participant Support, Supervisors of Support, and a team of approximately 15 Senior Coordinators who support participants across a wide range of needs, including those requiring accommodations related to mobility and other limitations.
As a not-for-profit organization rooted in connection and lifelong learning, we lead with empathy and respect, balancing operational excellence with a deep commitment to participants and staff alike. The Director is responsible for driving performance, ensuring compliance with accessibility standards, and fostering a culture of compassion, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Road Scholar offers a remote work environment. The compensation for this exempt level salaried position is $97,750 - $105,000, based on experience.
Key Responsibilities Include:
Strategic & Values-Based Leadership
- Lead the Participant Support organization with a strong commitment to compassion, inclusivity, and service excellence.
- Set strategic direction and performance goals that align with organizational mission, values, and participant-centered priorities.
- Model empathetic leadership, ensuring both participant needs and staff well-being are considered in decision-making.
- Champion an environment where staff feel supported, heard, and empowered to deliver exceptional service.
Performance & Operational Excellence
- Drive performance across the entire Support Team through clear goals, metrics, and accountability frameworks.
- Oversee operational effectiveness, including service levels, productivity, quality, and participant satisfaction.
- Use data and qualitative insights to identify trends, assess risk, and guide continuous improvement initiatives.
- Partner with the Manager of Participant Support to ensure daily operations, including workload distribution, prioritization, and escalation, are handled effectively.
Accessibility, Accommodations & Compliance
- Provide strategic oversight for participant accommodations, ensuring needs related to mobility restrictions and other limitations are addressed with dignity, accuracy, and care.
- Ensure adherence to ADA guidelines within the United States and promote best practices for accessibility in programs outside the U.S., recognizing that international standards may vary.
- Collaborate with internal partners to assess feasibility, manage risk, and communicate accommodation options clearly and compassionately to participants.
Training, Quality & Experience Management
- Oversee the development and maintenance of training content that emphasizes empathy, accessibility awareness, compliance, and service excellence.
- Establish and manage quality assurance programs that evaluate both technical accuracy and the human experience of participant interactions.
- Ensure feedback and coaching processes reinforce compassionate communication and continuous skill development.
- Identify opportunities to improve workflows, tools, and processes to enhance both efficiency and the participant experience.
People Leadership & Development
- Directly manage the Manager of Participant Support, providing coaching, guidance, and accountability for team performance and operational effectiveness.
- Oversee the Supervisors of Support to ensure consistent leadership, engagement, and execution across the Senior Coordinator team.
- Support leadership development, succession planning, and career growth opportunities within the Support organization.
- Foster a culture of engagement, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work cross-functionally with Participant Services, Marketing, Participant Experience, Travel, Programs, and other departments to improve workflows, remove barriers, and enhance the participant journey.
- Serve as a key partner in initiatives that increase enrollment, improve retention, and elevate overall participant satisfaction.
- Represent Participant Support in organizational planning, accessibility discussions, and cross-departmental initiatives.
Operational Oversight
- Provide oversight of daily operational effectiveness through partnership with the Manager of Participant Support, including workload distribution, prioritization, and resource planning.
- Ensure pre-program issues are resolved with accuracy, timeliness, and exceptional customer service.
- Anticipate staffing and resource needs based on seasonal demand, enrollment trends, and organizational priorities.
We're seeking...
- 8+ years of experience in participant support, customer support, or contact center operations —ideally within a nonprofit or mission-driven organization.
- 5+ years managing mangers and/or supervisors.
- Demonstrated ability to lead with empathy while driving performance and accountability.
- Knowledge of ADA guidelines and experience overseeing accommodations or accessibility-related services.
- Strong analytical skills with experience using data to inform strategy and operational improvements.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively across departments and influence at the leadership level.
- Exceptional communication and people leadership skills.
- Practices the principles of mutual respect, kindness, and appreciation of diversity. Deals openly and honestly with others and does so in a true spirit of cooperation and camaraderie.
- High level of proficiency in Microsoft Suite (Excel/Word/PowerPoint).
- Flexibility; open to challenges; skilled at working on several projects simultaneously.
- Must have the ability to work from home with an internet connection and direct connect via Ethernet cable.
- Ability to travel as a representative of Road Scholar as needed; maintain a valid passport to ensure availability.
Why join the Road Scholar Team...
We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package!
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance (with a substantial employee subsidy!)
- 403(b) Retirement Plan with a company match of 5% after 1 year of employment!
- Up to 20 days of PTO annually, accrued every payroll cycle
- Enjoy a paid week off, in addition to your PTO, at the end of December to enjoy the holiday season!
- A generous employee discount on our programs
- As a Road Scholar employee, you can opt-in to receive an IATA membership
- We take professional development seriously which is why we provide LinkedIn Learning access to all employees amongst other professional development opportunities
- That’s right, we’re fully remote!
- To learn more about our benefits offerings, check us out at https://www.roadscholar.org/careers/
Equal Opportunity Employer
Road Scholar supports diversity in our staff, participants, and programs. An Equal Opportunity Employer Road Scholar values and supports individual differences and strives to create an environment that contributes to the success of both the individual and the organization. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, illness, marital or veteran status or disability or any other status protected by applicable law.
Cybersecurity
At Road Scholar, we are committed to cybersecurity and to providing a safe experience for job seekers. All official communication regarding employment opportunities will come exclusively via email from the official Road Scholar domain or from our applicant tracking system URL recruiting.ultipro.com. We never conduct interviews through texting applications or instant messaging platforms. If you receive an employment offer or other correspondence from an individual at Road Scholar you have not met, or from a non-Road Scholar email domain, it may be a phishing attempt.
