Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Salesforce Developer

🎯 Role Definition

Are you a passionate Salesforce Developer looking to make a tangible impact? We are searching for a talented and driven individual to join our dynamic technology team. In this role, you will be the technical powerhouse behind our Salesforce ecosystem, responsible for designing, developing, testing, and deploying custom solutions that empower our sales, service, and marketing teams. You will collaborate closely with business analysts, administrators, and stakeholders to translate complex business needs into elegant, scalable, and robust technical realities. This is a chance to work on challenging projects, from custom application development with Lightning Web Components to complex API integrations, all while adhering to best practices and pushing the boundaries of the Salesforce platform.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Salesforce Developer
Salesforce Administrator (with coding aptitude)
Software Developer (e.g., Java, .NET) transitioning to Salesforce

Advancement To:

Senior Salesforce Developer
Salesforce Technical Architect
Salesforce Development Team Lead or Manager

Lateral Moves:

Salesforce Consultant (Technical)
Salesforce Business Analyst
DevOps Engineer (Salesforce specialization)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, develop, and deploy high-quality, scalable custom applications on the Salesforce platform using Apex, Lightning Web Components (LWC), and Aura to meet specific business requirements.
Translate complex business requirements and user stories into well-architected, functional, and efficient technical solutions.
Develop and maintain robust server-side logic using Apex triggers, batch classes, and schedulable jobs while respecting Salesforce governor limits.
Build intuitive and responsive user interfaces using Lightning Web Components, Aura, Visualforce, and SLDS to deliver an exceptional user experience.
Implement and manage complex integrations between Salesforce and external systems using REST/SOAP APIs, middleware platforms (like MuleSoft), and platform events.
Write comprehensive and effective unit tests for all custom code, ensuring a minimum of 85% code coverage and adherence to quality standards.
Customize and configure Salesforce declarative tools, including Flows, Process Builder, validation rules, and custom objects, to build foundational functionality.
Design and manage the data model, including relationships between objects, data migration strategies, and data quality enforcement.
Perform detailed code reviews for fellow developers, providing constructive feedback to ensure code quality, performance, and adherence to best practices.
Troubleshoot and debug complex issues in our Salesforce instance, identifying root causes and implementing effective, long-term solutions.
Manage the full development lifecycle from development to deployment, utilizing CI/CD pipelines and tools like Salesforce DX, Git, Gearset, or Copado.
Optimize and refactor existing code to improve performance, scalability, and maintainability of the application.
Develop and execute data migration plans for moving data between Salesforce environments or from legacy systems.
Create and maintain detailed technical documentation for all custom development and integrations to ensure knowledge transfer and future support.
Collaborate with Salesforce Administrators to package and deploy changes from sandbox environments to production.
Ensure all Salesforce development efforts align with security best practices, including profile/permission set management and secure coding standards.
Evaluate and recommend new Salesforce technologies, AppExchange packages, and third-party tools to enhance the platform's capabilities.
Implement platform security measures including sharing rules, field-level security, and role hierarchies to protect sensitive data.
Develop complex SOQL and SOSL queries to efficiently retrieve and manipulate data required for custom components and business logic.
Participate in the design and execution of end-to-end system testing and user acceptance testing (UAT) to ensure solutions are bug-free and meet business needs.

Secondary Functions

Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and support to junior developers and Salesforce administrators.
Stay current with new Salesforce releases, features, and functionality, and provide recommendations for process improvements and system enhancements.
Support ad-hoc data requests and perform exploratory data analysis to provide insights to business stakeholders.
Contribute to the organization's CRM strategy and technical roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate their data and functionality needs into clear engineering requirements.
Participate actively in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and other Agile ceremonies within the development team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Apex Development: Deep expertise in writing clean, scalable, and bulkified Apex code (Triggers, Controllers, Batch, Schedulable).
Lightning Framework: Proficiency in building custom UIs with Lightning Web Components (LWC) and a strong understanding of the Aura framework.
Integration: Hands-on experience with Salesforce APIs (REST, SOAP, Bulk, Streaming) and integrating with third-party systems.
SOQL & SOSL: Advanced skills in writing complex and efficient Salesforce Object Query Language and Salesforce Object Search Language queries.
Declarative Automation: Strong command of Salesforce Flow, Process Builder, and other declarative tools.
DevOps & CI/CD: Experience with source control (Git) and Salesforce-specific CI/CD tools like Salesforce DX, Gearset, or Copado.
Salesforce Clouds: In-depth knowledge of Sales Cloud and Service Cloud; Experience Cloud is a major plus.
Web Technologies: Solid understanding of modern web development standards including JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS.
Testing and Debugging: Mastery of the Apex testing framework and debugging tools like the Apex Debugger and browser developer consoles.
Data Modeling & Management: Proven ability to design data models, manage large data volumes, and perform data migrations.

Soft Skills

Analytical Problem-Solving: Ability to deconstruct complex technical and business problems and devise effective solutions.
Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Collaboration & Teamwork: A strong team player who thrives in a collaborative environment, working effectively with BAs, Admins, and PMs.
Attention to Detail: Meticulous and detail-oriented, with a passion for delivering high-quality, polished work.
Adaptability: Ability to learn quickly and adapt to new technologies, platform updates, and changing business priorities.
Ownership: Proactive and self-motivated with a strong sense of ownership and responsibility for deliverables.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent practical experience in software development.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Computer Science
Information Technology
Software Engineering
Business Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

4-7 years of professional experience focused on Salesforce custom development.

Preferred:

Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I and Platform Developer II certifications are highly desirable.
Demonstrable experience in at least two end-to-end Salesforce implementation projects.
Proven track record of developing and maintaining integrations with enterprise systems.
Prior experience working within an Agile/Scrum development framework.