Junior Salesforce Developer
at American Association for Cancer Research

Overview

AACR operates a complex, multi-cloud Salesforce environment that serves as the operational backbone of the organization. Our platform spans Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud (NPC) for fundraising and membership, Salesforce Marketing Cloud for communications and campaign management, Salesforce Data Cloud for audience segmentation, and a sophisticated integration layer connecting Salesforce to our data warehouse, finance systems, identity management (Auth0), and event platforms.

The Junior Salesforce Developer is a hands-on, growth-oriented role focused on building custom solutions on our Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud org. Reporting to and mentored by the Salesforce Administrator/Developer, you will build functionality with Flow, Apex, Lightning Web Components, and off-platform solutions from defined requirements, while developing the judgment that distinguishes a thoughtful developer: knowing when a problem is better solved with configuration than with code.

We are looking for someone who reaches for code when it is genuinely the right tool and has the discipline to build declaratively when that is easier to maintain. Much of the work involves translating the needs of non-technical stakeholders into working solutions, so clear communication and patience matter as much as technical skill.

This role is designed for someone early in their development career who is motivated by the mission behind the platform. It is an opportunity to grow into a strong programmatic contributor in a mission-driven organization where your work directly supports the global fight against cancer.

Finally, this role serves as an IT advocate to the business by supporting approved projects and evangelizing the use of new technologies to solve business problems.

Responsibilities

Development and Configuration

1. Build custom functionality using a mix of declarative and programmatic solutions — including Flows, Lightning pages, Apex classes, and Lightning Web Components — from defined requirements, with code review and mentorship from the Salesforce Administrator/Developer
2. Write and maintain Apex test classes, meet code coverage and quality standards, and document work thoroughly along the way
3. Perform declarative customization of objects, fields, record types, page layouts, validation rules, and flows to support business requirements
4. Grow into progressively more complex development assignments as skills and platform familiarity increase

Version Control, Testing, and Release

1. Use Git and follow the team's version control using preferred tools (i.e. Gearset), branching, and deployment workflow for all code
2. Test thoroughly in sandbox environments and deploy through the team's established release and change management process
3. Support quality assurance efforts alongside the QA Engineer, with a focus on regression testing during release cycles
4. Participate in code reviews, incorporating feedback from the Salesforce Administrator/Developer to strengthen technical practice

Requirements and Collaboration

1. Work directly with non-technical stakeholders to translate their needs into working solutions
2. Partner with the Business Analyst to ensure requirements are well-defined before development begins, and ask clarifying questions when requirements are ambiguous
3. Collaborate with technical teams outside the Salesforce ecosystem across AACR as needed to deliver integrated solutions

Professional Growth

1. Grow technical skills through mentorship, Trailhead, and hands-on assignments of increasing complexity
2. Stay current with Salesforce platform capabilities and release features relevant to the org

IT Administration and Collaboration

1. Maintain up-to-date technical documentation for the solutions you build, including configuration and code-level decisions
2. Coordinate with the Project Manager to track and document all work using JIRA and Confluence
3. Provide regular status updates on open work and assignments to the Salesforce Administrator/Developer
4. Contribute to the broader IT professional services function, supporting departments as an internal technology partner
5. Perform other duties as assigned

Job Tasks:

 Performs all tasks related to the major functions and responsibilities of the position.

1. Application Development
2. System Configuration
3. Testing and Release Support
4. Requirements Collaboration and Stakeholder Support
5. Other duties as assigned

Core Competencies:

1. Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
2. Effective problem solving and troubleshooting ability required.
3. Ability to explain policies and procedures and establish effective working relationships required.
4. Ability to organize work, prioritize tasks and meet deadlines required.
5. Ability to think innovatively.
6. Ability to analyze data, communicate with stakeholders, and develop recommendations for solving problems while exhibiting realistic understanding of issues.
7. Ability to recommend professional best practices in information technology for non-profits and associations.
8. Excellent analytical, organizational, and time management skills.
9. Demonstrate accountability and sense of urgency to deliver results, meeting timelines and performance commitments.

Qualifications

1. 1-3 years of hands-on experience working with Salesforce as a developer, administrator, or analyst
2. Hold current certification as a Salesforce Platform Administrator and/or Platform App Builder
3. Foundational programming ability, with the capacity to write and debug Apex and build Lightning Web Components (JavaScript, HTML, CSS), even if early in one's career
4. Declarative configuration skills, including custom metadata, flow, validation rules, page layouts, and permission sets
5. Experience using Git/GitHub and a deployment tool such as Gearset or change sets, ideally as part of a modern SDLC
6. Familiarity with sandbox management and the deployment lifecycle
7. Willingness to collaborate with technical teams outside the Salesforce ecosystem across AACR
8. Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and related tools
9. Experience with agile project management, including the Atlassian platform
10. Genuine interest in nonprofit work and the AACR mission

Strongly Preferred:

1. Actively working toward, or holding, Salesforce Platform Developer I certification
2. Nonprofit sector experience, ideally on Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud (NPC), with familiarity with fundraising and membership operations
3. Familiarity with integration concepts and REST APIs
4. Experience with non-Salesforce tools used for data warehousing (such as Snowflake) or identity management (such as Auth0)
5. Familiarity with AI tools and a practical sense of their strengths and limitations — where they add real leverage and where their output needs verification
6. Exposure to any of the following: Marketing Cloud, Data Cloud, Apsona, DocuSign, or payment platforms such as FinDock

Education Requirements:

1. Associate's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Management of Information Systems, or a related field required; Bachelor's degree (B.A./B.S.) preferred

EOE