VBT Bicycling Vacations
Country Walkers
Join Our Team!
VBT is always looking for new and exciting talent, in our home office, overseas and on the road. We positively impact people’s lives through active travel experiences! Take a look at our openings and see if we have the right fit for you.
We are hiring for the following positions:
VBT leaders come from a variety of nations and backgrounds. Each year we seek a few qualified individuals to add to our professional and fun-loving team. We hope you may be one of them. Please review the following guidelines to see if you may qualify:
What we look for in a potential Tour Leader:
• Superb people and customer service skills: outgoing, confident, and fun personality; being at ease when speaking to groups and being a spirited conversationalist.
• Intimate knowledge about and expertise in your region whether it be natural history, art, architecture, food, wine, cultural and political history, geology, music, folklore, or local flora and fauna.
• Residence in or near the region in which you lead.
• English and local language fluency.
• Experience in handling multiple logistics; ability to problem solve.
• Ability to communicate well with local vendors including hotels, restaurants, and transportation companies.
• Passion for cycling and the outdoors.
• Basic bike mechanical skills.
• Physical fitness: able to bike up to 60 miles per day in all weather and able to lift and carry luggage and bicycles up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to work in a team and connect with a co-leader; including sharing a room on tour with a leader of the same gender.
• Attention to detail and safety awareness.
• Ability to handle and manage a tour budget.
• First aid skills and CPR (or equivalent) certification.
• Valid driver’s license, clean driving record.
• Ability to drive a passenger van with a trailer; willingness to obtain a special driver’s license prior to leading VBT Tours.
• Prior leading experience is a plus but not required.
When and how to apply:
We recruit leaders on a year-round basis, however, most of the hiring and training is done in winter and early spring for the following season.
Leading for VBT:
• Leaders are paid a daily rate. All tour-related expenses are covered by VBT. Leaders may lead anywhere from 2-14 trips per year. Leaders are NOT able to work full-time, year-round with us due to the limited biking season in each region.
A leader’s primary role is to ensure our guests experience an excellent vacation with VBT and support our mission of ‘positively impacting people’s lives through active travel experiences.
Job Description:
-Access client-facing documents from VBT’s on-line web portal
-Bike handling: pre-trip: prep bikes at bike operator storage and post-trip: clean & return to storage
-Get bikes to/from VBT storage to starting hotel
-Conduct welcome meeting/bike fitting/Ride with GPS intro (~90 mins) w/ clients on day 1
-Provide “on-call phone support” to guests for required number of days (varies by destination)
-Handle emergencies by phone, and or in extreme circumstances in person (usually rare, compensation provided)
Qualifications:
-Enjoys meeting people
-Regional knowledge
-Energy, enthusiasm, attention to detail
-Valid driver’s license, clean driving record
-Able to lift and carry bicycles up to 50 lbs
-Basic bike maintenance skills or cyclist knowledge helpful but not required
Details:
-4-day to 7-day programs with up to 12 dates throughout the season
-One full-day in-person commitment you are compensated for being “on-call” by telephone, and in-person only for high-level emergency
-Paid training provided
-Own transportation required
-Weekly payment depends on the number of clients per departure. Range from approximately $350 to $720 (client numbers range from 2 to 12).
