Who You Are:
Do you love talking to people and have a passion for travel and being active outdoors? Do you have a deep-rooted desire to help others and prepare them for a positive active travel experience of their own? Do you have great attention to detail and you’re comfortable working in a fast-paced environment? If you answered yes to these three questions, we may have an opportunity for you!
About Backroads
Founded in 1979, Backroads is the world’s leading guest-focused travel company, offering active luxury Biking, Walking & Hiking, and Multi-Adventure Trips. But we’re more than a travel company — we’re a dynamic and values-driven global organization investing deeply in our people, our guests, and the future of travel.
With a strong foundation and a focus on long-term, sustainable growth, Backroads has a culture our employees are proud of. One that empowers them to deliver exceptional experiences and to tell our story with pride in their own networks. Guided by a shared commitment to quality, accountability, integrity, and teamwork, we’re building a global culture where adventure and purposeful work go hand in hand.
About the Department:
The People & Culture Team is a dynamic and experienced group of professionals dedicated to fostering a positive and productive work environment. With decades of collective knowledge, the team excels in collaboration and innovation, ensuring that the organization’s culture thrives.

Currently, the department is comprised of two teams:

• People culture & operations: Responsible for the employee lifecycle from recruiting to hiring, onboarding, employee & manager training, professional development, performance reviews, culture, change management, events and companywide communication.

• Payroll: Responsible for the seamless execution of payroll operations, time & attendance tracking, compensation accuracy, and vendor coordination.

  By joining the People & Culture (P&C) 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:
  We’re looking for a passionate and collaborative Recruiting Specialist who has a background in recruiting and an interest in HR to join our People & Culture team in Utrecht. This dual-role opportunity is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and wants to make a meaningful impact across our European offices and global subsidiaries.
  You will partner with the Recruiting Lead in Berkeley, CA to run the full-cycle recruiting process for diverse roles across multiple countries, working closely with hiring managers to attract top-tier talent. In addition to your recruiting responsibilities, you’ll dedicate half of your time to HR projects, including global work visa support, onboarding coordination, and general people operations.
  What You Will Be Doing:

Recruiting (time will vary depending on business need)

• Manage full-cycle recruitment for European and global roles, from sourcing and screening to offer and onboarding hand-off.
• Collaborate with hiring managers to define and refine role requirements and provide regular updates on the status of open positions throughout the hiring process.
• Maintain job postings across platforms and track candidate progress through our ATS, Workday.
• Conduct engaging and structured recruiter screens to assess both skill and cultural fit.
• Champion candidate experience and employer branding across all touchpoints.
• Provide data and insights on pipeline, time-to-fill, and market trends.

HR / People & Culture Support (time will vary depending on business need)

• Coordinate with the Recruiting Lead (USA) and People team to support European work visa processes and ensure legal compliance.
• Coordinate with the Onboarding Lead (USA) to help bridge the gap between recruiting and onboarding for a seamless new hire experience, creating engaging onboarding content, coordinating onboarding schedules and logistics.
• Support the People team on HR initiatives, including internal communications, coordination of performance review cycles and employee training, and employee engagement projects.
• Collaborate on building scalable recruiting and HR practices as we grow internationally.

What You’ll Need to Be Successful:

• 2+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, preferably in an international or multi-market environment.
• Some background or strong interest in HR operations, immigration, or employee experience.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Highly organized, proactive, resourceful, and process focused.
• System savvy and experience with ATS and HRIS systems. Workday knowledge is highly preferred.
• Fluent in English (additional European languages a plus).
• Preferred, but not required: an understanding of EU work authorization and familiarity with international visa processes is a plus.

What Success Looks Like:

• Efficient Support: Provide support to hiring managers throughout the full recruiting process and to the P&C team on the processes around employee’s life cycle.
• Candidate Experience: Contribute to a positive and professional candidate experience.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with stakeholders to align on hiring needs.
• Learning & Growth: Show continuous improvement in recruitment skills and general HR knowledge.

Work Environment:

• Utrecht, Netherlands
• 4-days in the office, 1 day work-from-home

Backroads is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Compensation Range: 43,000 - 54,000 EUR per year, including 8% holiday allowance
At 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.

Interview Process:

• Recruiter Screen (30-minutes)
• Assessment (30-minutes)
• Hiring Manager Interview (30-minutes)
• Panel Interview (60-minutes)
• Reference Check
• Offer

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.

• 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 yog