What are the responsibilities and job description for the Performance Marketing Senior Specialist position at Backroads?
About the Marketing Department:
The Marketing team drives brand awareness, customer engagement, and trip bookings through strategic campaigns, compelling content, and data-driven insights. They manage digital and traditional marketing channels, optimize customer outreach, and enhance the brand’s presence to inspire travelers and grow the business.
The department is comprised of several teams, which include the below:
- Direct Mail & CRM: Engages past and prospective guests through targeted email campaigns and personalized direct mail, leveraging data to drive bookings and loyalty.
- PR & Partnership: Builds brand awareness and credibility through media outreach, strategic partnerships, and influencer collaborations to expand Backroads’ reach.
- Website Management: Oversees the website’s content, functionality, and user experience to ensure seamless navigation, accurate information, and optimized conversion.
- Brand, Content, Community: Responsible for the creative design, content and social media presence for the Backroads brand.
By joining the Marketing team at Backroads, you’ll be part of a group that values building innovative people processes and fostering a positive, inclusive employee experience.
About the Role:
The Performance Marketing Senior Specialist is a key member of the Performance Marketing team at Backroads. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and executing strategies to drive high-quality traffic and maximize return on investment (ROI) through paid digital advertising. This includes managing pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, optimizing bidding strategies, making creative recommendations, analyzing performance data, and continuously refining tactics to improve efficiency and support business growth objectives. You will be a great fit for this position if you have at least four years of digital advertising experience in an established brand, are results-oriented, data-driven, eager to learn, and always looking for innovative solutions to stay ahead.
What you'll be doing:
- Develop, manage, and optimize paid search campaigns across diverse platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Meta, and Display, including budget allocation, A/B testing, ad optimization, and bid strategies.
- Conduct thorough keyword research to determine which terms target in paid advertising campaigns, considering user intent and search volume.
- Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, cost per lead (CPL), and cost per booking (CPB), using multiple data sources and a consolidated dashboard to measure campaign effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
- Understand tracking protocols and ensure that all parameters are consistent and accurate; flag and resolve errors with urgency.
- Monitor industry and competitor performance marketing strategies and identify opportunities to reach our target guest audience.
- Work collaboratively within and outside of marketing to share your expertise and recommendations for paid digital advertising in support of business goals.
- Keep abreast of the latest technologies and best practices to maintain optimal performance.
- Other duties as necessary
What you'll need to be successful:
- 4 years of experience working in Performance Marketing, having strong skills in full-funnel SEM, Meta and Display advertising.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in PPC ad platforms (Google Ads, Microsoft Ads), Meta, Criteo, and web analytics platforms (GA4, Power BI). Knowledge of Salesforce, PowerBI, Jira and HTML a plus. Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
- Data Analysis: Ability to interpret complex data to identify trends and make informed decisions; Ability to think creatively while being analytical.
- Marketing Strategy: Understanding of overall marketing goals and how search marketing aligns with broader marketing initiatives. Proven experience in managing successful PPC campaigns.
- Communication Skills: Effective written and verbal communication to collaborate with cross-functional teams and present findings to stakeholders. Able to distill technical content into simple and easy-to-understand messaging.
- Project Management: Skilled at planning, project management, time management, and decision-making. Able to manage multiple projects at once, resolving competing priorities, working swiftly under pressure, and meeting project deadlines.
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, digital marketing, or related field.
- Familiarity with travel industries and target audiences.
Work Environment:
- Berkeley, CA
- On-site, 4 days in in office
Interview Process:
- Recruiter Screen (30 min)
- Hiring Manager Interview (30 min)
- Panel Interview (in-person 90 min)
About Backroads:
At Backroads we’re passionate about connecting our guests with so many of the most beautiful places in the world. We use our four-plus decades of expertise to create exceptional biking, hiking, and multi-adventure trips in over 50 countries for people wanting a deeper and richer travel experience. We travel on land as well as by small luxury ships on active river and ocean cruises. Our trips are for all ages – including dedicated itineraries just for families. We are known for our unwavering attention to quality. We have a dynamic work environment and a strong company culture.
Why Backroads:
At Backroads, we value every single member of our staff, and we’re proud to offer a dynamic work environment that enables growth. Your colleagues will be some of the most dedicated, competent, active, and fun people you will ever meet. A job at Backroads is unlike any other job you will ever have – you will be challenged, you will be inspired, and you will be gratified. No matter what you do here, you will be part of something that makes us all proud – delivering authentic, enriching, and often profoundly life-changing experiences. On top of all that, we have some pretty great benefits and perks! For example our US office employees receive:
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match, flex plan, and parental leave
- Generous paid time off, 8 paid holidays, and additional time off to go on Backroads trips!
- Complimentary trips and trip discounts for employees, and trip discounts for employees’ friends and family!
- Outdoor industry discounts and deals
- Alternative commuter incentives for biking, walking, carpooling, or using public transportation to get to work
- Wellness programs and regular lunchtime bike rides and yoga
Backroads is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Salary Ranges:
$95,000.00 - $115,000.00At Backroads, we uphold a commitment to transparency and fairness within our hiring process, particularly regarding compensation. The salary range posted for each role applies to both employment offers and employees actively working in the role.
New hires are typically offered a starting salary between the minimum and midpoint of the range to ensure there is continued opportunity for salary progression during your employment at Backroads, reflecting our commitment to rewarding ongoing dedication, high performance, and significant contributions to our team. This approach not only supports our budgeting strategy but also our intention to foster an environment that encourages long-term growth and strong relationships between Backroads and our valued employees.
Our office roles are onsite in our Berkeley headquarters, unless specifically noted as 'available for remote'. We do allow one work-from-home day a week, as well as one work-from-anywhere week per year. This pay range is intended for in-person work in our Berkeley, CA headquarters. Pay ranges for remote-eligible roles will be subject to adjustment based on the geolocation of the employee.
Salary : $95,000 - $115,000
