How to Write a Salesforce Developer Job Description: Examples and Important Skills

Even though Salesforce has become the world’s most popular Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system — with 150,000 customers — there’s still a shortage of professionals who meet the requirements of a Salesforce developer job description. So as the Salesforce CRM system gains more customers who rely on its products in sales, marketing, analytics and other business areas, this trend will need to change. 

Given the importance of this CRM system, many companies seek dedicated Salesforce developers who understand the ins and outs of the system’s languages and UI frameworks. These Salesforce experts know how to build apps and tailor Salesforce’s offerings to meet the specific needs of a business, demonstrating specialized knowledge that many general developers don’t possess. 

This article will walk you through everything you need to write a great Salesforce developer job description, so you can attract qualified candidates who are able to handle your Salesforce workloads.

What Does a Salesforce Developer Do?

Salesforce Developers are responsible for managing and customizing the technical side of an organization’s Salesforce instance. To do so, they utilize three core technologies:

• Apex: Salesforce’s proprietary programming language. Similar to Java.
• Visualforce: A markup language for creating custom Salesforce pages. Similar to HTML, but can also use a combination of Apex and JavaScript.  
• Lightning Component Framework: A UI development framework. Similar to Angular JS or React.

These tools allow Salesforce Developers to create custom applications and processes within the CRM, customize visual layouts to provide users with the most relevant experience possible, integrate third-party platforms, troubleshoot technical issues and more.

The day-to-day work of a Salesforce developer is highly technical, but the job goes beyond programming. Salesforce developers must collaborate with their colleagues in sales, customer support and marketing in order to translate business needs into effective tools within Salesforce. Once solutions are created, Salesforce developers are also responsible for QA, testing, debugging and developing user documentation.  

The best Salesforce developers combine technical expertise with soft skills, allowing them to provide effective and scalable solutions to a host of problems.

Salesforce Developer Skills and Responsibilities

Because there are many aspects to a Salesforce developer role, those who succeed in this position complement technical expertise with problem-solving skills and extensive education.

Salesforce Developer Day-to-Day Responsibilities

Salesforce developers build applications with Salesforce tools, test products and make fixes. Apex, Visualforce and the Lightning Component framework are the most common features Salesforce developers apply to design software and apps. Developers may also work with Python, JavaScript and other programming languages, depending on the Salesforce product. 

Each company and team has its own pain points, so Salesforce developers must collaborate with stakeholders to determine which Salesforce products best meet their needs. For example, a Salesforce developer may turn to the Marketing Cloud’s customer data platform to help a marketing team reduce its campaign spending by only targeting relevant customers.

Salesforce Developer Skills and Education 

Salesforce developers typically learn programming languages like JavaScript, HTML and Python to enable a smoother transition to Salesforce-specific languages like Apex and Visualforce. Experience building and designing software also prepares developers for the UI aspect of a Salesforce developer job. 

The most well-rounded professionals possess strong problem-solving skills as well. Salesforce developers should feel comfortable communicating with teams to figure out what problems need to be solved. They should then be able to exercise analytical thinking, determining the appropriate Salesforce tools for addressing a client’s needs. 

For those seeking the necessary skills to break into this field, a four-year degree in computer science, engineering or a related field provides a solid foundation. Besides coding bootcamps, developers can sharpen their skills by building apps and earning Salesforce certifications through the online learning platform Trailhead.

Salesforce Developer Salary Information

Even if you find the right candidate with a great Salesforce developer job description, you may still wonder what salary you should offer them. 

The following data provide a regional and national overview of the average Salesforce Developer salary.

• Austin, TX: $107,656
• Chicago, IL: $120,650
• Colorado: $98,600
• Los Angeles, CA: $65,000
• New York, NY: $134,286
• Seattle, WA: $111,650

Cross Market Average Salary for Salesforce Developer: $106,307

 Salesforce Developer Job Description Template

While the exact information will vary by company, seniority of the role and a host of other factors, we can use common themes to create a Salesforce developer job description template. Please note that this template is intended as a jump-off point to get you started. Make sure to customize it to your needs.

Company Bio

Use this section to provide an attention-grabbing overview of your company. Include information about your culture, perks and benefits, career development opportunities and anything else that will get candidates excited about your company.

Job Description

We are looking for a Salesforce Developer who will play a key role in maximizing the efficacy of the CRM. You will be responsible for the design, development, testing and implementation of customizations, applications, extensions and integrations. You will work with a team of fellow engineers and collaborate with our Sales, Customer Success and Marketing teams to translate business needs into effective and scalable products within the CRM. Your contributions will directly impact the growth and future of [Company Name].

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement and maintain Salesforce customizations, applications, extensions and integrations.
• Develop intuitive UI using Visualforce, JavaScript and JQuery technologies.
• Ensure availability of the Force.com platform and provide on-call support to resolve application issues.
• Participate in the planning/analysis of business requirements for system changes and enhancements.
• Collaborate inter-departmentally to identify business needs and translate them into technical solutions.
• Create testing and implementation plans, including user training and documentation.
• Remain current with Salesforce technologies and best practices.

Requirements  

• Experience with Apex, Visualforce and the Lightning Component Framework.
• Advanced knowledge of Salesforce permissions, roles, reports, dashboards, etc.
• Experience with APIs and integrations.
• Experience working on an Agile development team (if applicable).
• Experience with software development outside of the Salesforce ecosystem.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• [Any additional technical requirements.]
• [Desired level of education.]

5 Salesforce Developer Job Description Examples

Now that you know the basics, let’s take a look at five example Salesforce developer job descriptions. These are real samples we sourced, so we have redacted some information to protect the privacy of the companies that originally posted these job descriptions.

Salesforce Developer Job Description Example 1

[Redacted] is looking to hire an Engineer to work as part of our Performance Services practice on Salesforce.com development, support and enhancement. This person will need to demonstrate an understanding of software engineering concepts and be responsible for working on full lifecycle engineering efforts using Agile methodologies, object-oriented design, and accepted design patterns and practices. Candidates will be working collaboratively with client and project teams as well as working from proposal development to deployment and support. An on-call rotation is associated with this position.

Areas of responsibility:

• Meet with clients to determine business, functional and technical requirements and participate in application design, configuration, testing and deployment
• Perform configuration and customization of the Salesforce.com platform.
• Participate in efforts to develop and execute testing, training and documentation
• Participate in the sales cycle as needed (solution definition, pre-sales, estimating and project planning)
• Willing to be hands-on in producing tangible deliverables (requirements specifications, design deliverables, status reports, project plans)
• Utilize best practices to perform operational support, enhancements, bug fixes as needed to the Salesforce.com platform
• Follow all standard operating procedures (SOP) and maintain updated ticketing for events, incidents, requests, changes, problems, etc.
• Proactively engage on continuous improvement efforts for application design, support, and practice development efforts.
• Provide technical assistance and end user troubleshooting for bug fixes, enhancements, and “how-to” assistance.
• Act as a point of escalation for Service Desk and NOC ticketing for advanced issue resolution.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required - Computer Science, MIS or equivalent
• Excellent organizational, verbal and written communication skills
• Experience working on Salesforce platforms or other CRM software packages (Microsoft CRM, InterAction, SalesLogix, Oracle On-Demand, SAP etc.) preferred
• Direct experience working on CRM projects for middle market and enterprise size companies
• Working knowledge and experience with complex business systems integration as well as object-oriented design patterns and development
• Experience and expertise in core web technologies including HTML5, Javascript and jQuery
• Software engineering skills with Force.com Platform (Apex, VisualForce, SOQL, Unit Testing)
• Software engineering skills with Java SE & EE (Java, JSF, SQL) preferred
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of relational databases, data modeling, and ETL tools
• Experience with Agile development methodologies such as XP/SCRUM
• Experience with web services (REST & SOAP, JSON & XML, etc.)
• A desire to work with the latest tools, technologies, and methodologies (Force.com Platform, Eclipse, Talend Open Studio, Oracle, MySQL, Visual Studio 2012, object relational (O/R) mapping (NHibernate), NUnit)
• A desire to work within a fast-paced, collaborative, and team-based support environment
• Interested in developing their professional network through participation in technology user groups, networking events, and technology organizations.
• Must demonstrate a willingness to put in the extra effort (extended work hours, participate in events outside of standard working hours) for clients, West Monroe Partners and personal growth
• Force.com Certified Developer Certification desired
• ITIL v3 foundations certified preferred
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States without limitation

Salesforce Developer Job Description Example 2

The Salesforce Developer's role is to work with business partners to realize the full capability of the CRM. You'll be responsible for design and development of customizations, extensions, configurations, and integrations. The Salesforce Developer will be in charge of design, development, testing, and change management. Drive highly visible Salesforce initiatives across the organization including building applications on the Force.com platform and supporting integrations with Salesforce.

What you’ll do:

• Ensure service level availability of the Force.com platform and integration applications and provide on-call support for break/fix/enhancement activities to resolve application issues.
• Implement customer-based solutions and develop products on the Force.com platform using Apex and Visual Force
• Assist with the planning of application changes, development, and installation of upgrades and new releases.
• Integrate multiple systems with Salesforce, including internal proprietary and third party applications
• Lead customer-driven solutions utilizing strong technical design skills and strong working relationships with internal groups
• Guide users in formulating requirements, advise on alternatives and on the implications of new or revised processing analysis.
• Develop, document and enforce application standards and procedures

What we’re looking for:

• 2+ year’s experience with Force.com developer toolkit - Apex, VisualForce, Force.com IDE, Force.com Migration Tool, Web Services/SOA & Metadata APIs
• Familiarity with Services Oriented Design Principles (SOA) and Web Services
• Prior experience with data migration and ETL/integration tools a plus
• Experience with Marketo & Zuora applications a strong plus
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage priorities judiciously
• Excellent Communication skills
• Strong commitment to customer service, employee efficiency, and company growth
• Superior analytical and problem-solving abilities

Salesforce Developer Job Description Example 3

The Salesforce Developer will be responsible for all types of standard Salesforce Development and customization. This includes coding, unit testing, building applications, and creating and modifying existing applications. This position will work alongside Salesforce Administrators and other business analysts in the Information Systems team.

Key Responsibilities

• Build Salesforce applications using Apex and Visualforce and leverage the full capabilities of the Salesforce platform to support the company’s programs.
• Create/modify existing controllers, controller extensions, and triggers across all platforms.
• Develop highly interactive UI using Visualforce, JavaScript and JQuery technologies.
• Develop custom applications using Salesforce. com and integrating salesforce.com with other systems
• Apply best practices and design patterns of best-of-breed applications developed on the Salesforce. com platform
• Create and execute unit, integration and user acceptance test plans, including use cases and test data
• Gather, analyze and document functional and technical requirements for new projects, enhancements to existing solutions and production issues reported by end users

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related technical field
• Proficiency with Salesforce.com development including modification of standard objects and fields and creation of custom objects and fields
• Apex and Visualforce development, design, configuration, testing and deployment of Salesforce.com solutions
• Experience in customization, configuration, Eclipse IDE, Apex, Visualforce pages with JavaScript and tools like Apex Data loader, Workbench, MavensMate and SoupUI
• In depth knowledge of REST/SOAP APIs and experience building integrations with Salesforce.com.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.

Salesforce Developer Job Description Example 4

We’re looking for our first [Redacted]-based Salesforce Developer to join our local team of 12 fantastic people. You’d be part of a growing global Salesforce and Heroku professional services practice with offices in [Redacted].

Responsibilities

• Translate business requirements into well-architected solutions that best leverage the Salesforce platform and products
• Provide detailed level of effort estimates for proposed solutions. Articulate the benefits and risks to a solution’s feasibility and functionality
• Develop, test, and document working custom development, integrations, and data migration elements of a Salesforce implementation
• Follow and understand Salesforce product and technical capabilities resulting from product releases and acquisitions
• Coach and mentor junior technical and functional team members
• Communicate effectively with a globally distributed team

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• 3+ years of Salesforce Developer experience
• Current Salesforce certifications (e.g. App Builder, Platform Developer I.  Platform Developer II a bonus)
• Excellent client-facing written and oral communication skills
• Experience developing Javascript front-end apps (Lightning, Angular, React, Ember)
• Experience working with source control and continuous integration
• Comfortable working with a Unix terminal

A Great Candidate Will...

• Inject your own creativity into your work
• Participate in the local Salesforce community (e.g., user groups)
• Demonstrate thought leadership through publishing, public speaking and client presentations
• Have experience in software development outside of the Salesforce ecosystem
• Have hands-on experience with Salesforce Lightning
• Have experience designing APIs and integration
• Have worked within an Agile development team

Salesforce Developer Job Description Example 5

We’re looking for a Salesforce Developer to join [Redacted]! You will play a key role in building the software foundation of our global advertising team. Working from our [Redacted] headquarters, you'll collaborate with internal teams to develop custom solutions to fit business goals across various organizations including Sales, Finance, Ad Operations, IT, and Revenue Operations.

What you’ll do:

• Implement and maintain Salesforce customizations such as custom fields and objects, layouts, workflows, process builder, and validation rules
• Participate in the planning and analysis of business requirements for system changes and enhancements
• Translate business requirements into creative and effective technical designs
• Build customized solutions that support business requirements and drive important business decisions by developing in Visualforce, Apex, Java, and AJAX
• Work cross-functionally with Revenue Operations, Sales Finance, Engineering, and other key stakeholders

What we’re looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field
• 3+ years of experience in administration and development of Salesforce’s Sales Cloud Functionality
• Knowledge of Salesforce permissions, roles, reports, dashboards, and logical formulas
• Experience in developing custom APEX and Visualforce components
• Experience in migrating data and customizations across Salesforce environments
• Strong attention to detail, and the ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks
• Excellent troubleshooting skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Knowledge of software development processes and best practices
• Willingness to travel (25% and up)
• A passion for [Redacted] and creativity!