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AI Product Specialist

Backroads
Full-time
On-site
Berkeley 801 Cedar United States of America

About the Department: Product

The Technology Team is a team consisting of dedicated professionals deeply committed to enhancing the digital tools for Backroads guests and employees alike. They bring a passion for continuous improvement and a collaborative spirit.

The department is comprised of several teams, which include the below:

  • Product: The team creates innovative solutions that delight users and drive business growth by turning insights into impactful products.

  • Data: The Data team ensures accuracy, consistency, and reliability across Backroads’ digital ecosystem. They manage integrations between applications, safeguard data integrity, and build scalable pipelines that enable efficient operations and data-driven decision-making.

  • Project Management (PMO): The PMO drives strategic alignment and execution excellence, empowering teams to deliver projects on time, within scope, and with maximum impact.

  • Business Intelligence: The team transforms data into actionable insights and ensures a robust, scalable foundation for smarter, data-driven decisions across the organization.

  • Infrastructure: The team ensures Backroads’ digital foundation is reliable, secure, and scalable. They manage the systems, networks, and cloud services that power our applications, enabling seamless operations for employees and exceptional digital experiences for our guests

By joining the Technology 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:

As the AI Product Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in shaping how AI is leveraged across Backroads to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. Acting as the primary point of contact for AI initiatives, you’ll manage the intake and evaluation of proposals, ensuring alignment with business priorities and the product roadmap. You’ll have the opportunity to partner closely with cross-functional teams to uncover opportunities for automation, design user-centered solutions, and translate complex business needs into actionable requirements. From wireframes and workflow diagrams to workshops and stakeholder engagement, you’ll guide projects from concept through implementation, ensuring each solution delivers measurable value.

The ideal candidate is both technically curious and business-minded, with the ability to bridge product strategy, business operations, and AI innovation by transforming insights into structured, scalable solutions. Success in this role is defined not only by the delivery of effective AI products, but also by the development of the knowledge base, governance processes, and long-term roadmap that make AI adoption sustainable across Backroads.

What you’ll be doing:

  • You’ll serve as the primary point of contact for all AI-related inquiries evaluating proposals for feasibility, objectives, and alignment with the product roadmap, assuring a structured intake and prioritization process.
  • Facilitate workshops and interviews to uncover business needs and automation potential, translating insights into clear functional requirements, user stories, and solution designs.
  • Document AI use cases, create AI model requirements and data assumptions, and compliance considerations (regulatory, ethical, and legal).
  • Collaborate with developers throughout design and build cycles to scope solutions, ensure data readiness, and iterate on features to align with expectations.
  • Oversee implementation by coordinating build cycles, leading UAT, validating outputs, and managing feedback, issues, and enhancements.
  • Maintain a centralized knowledge base of AI tools, systems, and resources to ensure accessibility and transparency.
  • Co-host monthly AI Steering Committee meetings with the Director of Product, preparing materials (slide decks, dashboards, KPIs), engaging SMEs and executive sponsors, and ensuring decisions and action items are tracked to completion.
  • Provide regular updates to the Director of Product on project status, risks, and impact.
  • Design and maintain performance dashboards to monitor and analyze AI system behavior.
  • Support the creation of internal communications, demos, or training materials on new AI capabilities.
  • Track AI trends and contribute to the long-term AI roadmap and adoption strategy at Backroads.

What you’ll need to be successful:

  • 3+ years of experience in a product, business analyst role, ideally in a software or wellness-focused company.
  • Experience with tools like Jira, Confluence, Figma, or similar is a plus.
  • Experience mapping complex process flows to uncover opportunities for optimization and business growth
  • Experience working within agile software development processes in collaboration with developers and engineering teams
  • Familiarity with AI/ML concepts or tools (e.g., LLMs, NLP, prompt engineering) is a bonus, not a requirement.
  • Strong interest in artificial intelligence and its applications in business settings.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Experience writing functional specs or user stories.
  • Detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple projects concurrently.

Work Environment:

  • On-site Berkeley, CA
  • 4 days in-office, 1 remote workday

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 - $115,000.00

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.

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.