CRM & Lifecycle Marketing Specialist

Backroads; West Virginia; On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Backroads is seeking a highly technical CRM & Lifecycle Marketing Specialist to design, execute and optimize automated nurture campaigns across the guest journey. You’ll build journeys in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, manage segmentation and personalization, and ensure data quality and testing disciplines are applied to every deployment.

You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive engagement, conversions and repeat travel through timely, relevant communications, leveraging your strong

Qualifications

• 4+ years of CRM, lifecycle marketing, email marketing, or digital engagement experience, preferably in a DTC environment.
• Hands-on Salesforce Marketing Cloud expertise: Journey Builder, Email Studio, Automation Studio, Content Builder.
• Strong understanding of CRM data, segmentation, personalization, and journey orchestration.
• Experience building and optimizing automated lifecycle programs (lead nurture, post-trip, loyalty, re-engagement).
• Technical proficiency in HTML/CSS, AMPscript, SQL and data flows for campaigns.
• Familiarity with testing, QA, deliverability and governance best practices.

Responsibilities

• Build, execute and maintain automated nurture campaigns across guest lifecycle.
• Develop multi-step journeys in Salesforce Marketing Cloud: entry criteria, segmentation, decision splits, wait steps, suppression rules.
• Translate briefs into audience strategy and campaign logic using CRM data and signals.
• Execute campaigns from build to deployment with versioning, approvals, scheduling and QA.
• Implement personalization and dynamic content using data-driven logic across segments.
• Own QA, testing and optimization, validating audience logic and tracking; conduct A/B and multivariate tests.
• Collaborate with marketing, analytics, CRM and technical teams to ensure data integration and flow.
• Maintain campaign docs, deployment procedures, data quality standards and governance.

Skills

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Journey Builder

Email Studio

Automation Studio

AMPscript

SQL

Data Extensions

HTML/CSS

Campaign QA

Audience Segmentation

Testing

Tools

AMPscript

SQL

HTML/CSS

Content Builder

Job description

About the Role:

Backroads is looking for a highly technical, detail-oriented CRM & Lifecycle Marketing Specialist to support the development, execution and optimization of nurture campaigns across our guest journey. This role will be especially focused on building and maintaining automated email journeys, managing campaign logic, supporting segmentation and personalization, and ensuring a high level of technical quality across every deployment. This is a hands-on execution role for someone who enjoys working inside marketing automation platforms, translating lifecycle strategy into well-built campaigns, and making sure the data, audience logic, testing, QA and deployment details are accurate. You will play an important role in helping Backroads nurture prospective guests, deepen engagement, improve conversion and support repeat travel through timely, relevant and personalized communications. The ideal candidate is comfortable working in Salesforce Marketing Cloud or a similar enterprise marketing automation platform, understands how CRM data powers email and journey orchestration, and brings strong technical fluency in email production, audience segmentation, dynamic content, testing and campaign troubleshooting.

What you'll be doing:

• Build, execute and maintain automated nurture campaigns that support lead engagement, trip discovery, inquiry conversion, booking consideration, re-engagement and repeat travel across the guest lifecycle.
• Develop and optimize multi-step journeys in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, including audience entry criteria, segmentation, decision splits, wait steps, suppression logic, personalization rules and exit criteria.
• Translate campaign briefs and business requirements into audience strategy and campaign logic, leveraging CRM attributes, behavioral signals, guest history, trip interests, engagement data and suppression rules.
• Execute email campaigns from build through deployment, including template assembly, version management, stakeholder approvals, scheduling, targeting validation and on-time launch execution.
• Implement personalization and dynamic content using data-driven logic to deliver tailored subject lines, content modules, trip recommendations, and conditional messaging experiences across audience segments.
• Apply technical email production expertise to build, edit and troubleshoot email templates and content blocks, utilizing HTML, CSS, AMPscript (or similar scripting languages) and modular email design principles.
• Own campaign QA, testing and optimization, validating audience logic, personalization, dynamic content, rendering, links, tracking, suppression rules and overall campaign accuracy while executing A/B and multivariate tests to improve performance.
• Partner with marketing, analytics, CRM and technical teams to ensure accurate data integration and flow between Salesforce Sales Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Cloud and related systems.
• Maintain campaign documentation and operational excellence, including journey maps, segmentation rules, QA processes, naming conventions, deployment procedures, data quality standards, audience governance, deliverability best practices and compliance requirements.
• Monitor campaign and journey performance, analyze key metrics and identify opportunities to improve engagement, conversion, journey progression and overall nurture effectiveness through cross-functional collaboration.

What you'll need to be successful:

• Must have 4+ years of experience in CRM, lifecycle marketing, email marketing, marketing automation or digital engagement, preferably within a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business environment.
• Must have hands-on Salesforce Marketing Cloud expertise, including Journey Builder, Email Studio, Automation Studio, Content Builder, and automated journey development.
• Working knowledge of Salesforce Sales Cloud, CRM integrations and customer data ecosystems, including how customer attributes, engagement signals, behavioral data and customer status inform segmentation, personalization and campaign orchestration.
• Experience building and managing lifecycle marketing programs, including lead nurture, inquiry nurture, abandoned browse, re‑engagement, post-trip, repeat purchase, loyalty, referral and other automated customer journeys.
• Strong understanding of lifecycle marketing strategy, including audience segmentation, personalization, customer journey orchestration and translating business requirements into campaign logic, audience rules and deployment plans.
• Strong technical proficiency in email development and marketing automation, including HTML, CSS, AMPscript, SQL, data extensions, dynamic content, automation workflows and related technologies.
• Experience working with preference centers, consent management practices, audience suppression strategies and email deliverability best practices, with an understanding of compliance requirements and sender reputation management.
• Demonstrated expertise in campaign QA and troubleshooting, with the ability to validate audience targeting, personalization, rendering, links, tracking, suppression logic and overall campaign functionality before deployment.
• Experience analyzing campaign performance and test results, including engagement, conversion and journey metrics, and using insights to improve campaign effectiveness.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel or similar tools for segmentation validation, data analysis, list review and campaign quality assurance.

Work environment:

On-Site, Berkeley, CA 4 days in-office, 1 day work from home (Wednesdays)

About the Department:

The Backroads Marketing team is powered by strong collaborators, visionaries and creative minds who bring decades of knowledge and experience to showcase the fun-filled seamless adventures our guests love. You’ll be bringing your imagination, strong work ethic and critical eye for detail to a dedicated group of team members who are passionate about sharing the joys of active travel with both returning guests and brand-new audiences. 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.

I can't imagine a better way to travel the world than under your own power and in the company of like-minded adventurers. Sure, Backroads provides superb accommodations and meals, amazing Trip Leaders and unforgettable local encounters. But whether you’re sticking with the group or breaking off on your own, all of our planning and support are ultimately aimed at one simple thing: giving you the flexibility you need to discover the world on your own terms.

Tom Hale, Founder & President