Junior Salesforce Developer

American Association for Cancer Research•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

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.

Requirements

1-3 years of hands-on experience working with Salesforce as a developer, administrator, or analyst
Hold current certification as a Salesforce Platform Administrator and/or Platform App Builder
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
Declarative configuration skills, including custom metadata, flow, validation rules, page layouts, and permission sets
Experience using Git/GitHub and a deployment tool such as Gearset or change sets, ideally as part of a modern SDLC
Familiarity with sandbox management and the deployment lifecycle
Willingness to collaborate with technical teams outside the Salesforce ecosystem across AACR
Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and related tools
Experience with agile project management, including the Atlassian platform
Genuine interest in nonprofit work and the AACR mission
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Effective problem solving and troubleshooting ability required.
Ability to explain policies and procedures and establish effective working relationships required.
Ability to organize work, prioritize tasks and meet deadlines required.
Ability to think innovatively.
Ability to analyze data, communicate with stakeholders, and develop recommendations for solving problems while exhibiting realistic understanding of issues.
Ability to recommend professional best practices in information technology for non-profits and associations.
Excellent analytical, organizational, and time management skills.
Demonstrate accountability and sense of urgency to deliver results, meeting timelines and performance commitments.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

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
Write and maintain Apex test classes, meet code coverage and quality standards, and document work thoroughly along the way
Perform declarative customization of objects, fields, record types, page layouts, validation rules, and flows to support business requirements
Grow into progressively more complex development assignments as skills and platform familiarity increase
Use Git and follow the team's version control using preferred tools (i.e. Gearset), branching, and deployment workflow for all code
Test thoroughly in sandbox environments and deploy through the team's established release and change management process
Support quality assurance efforts alongside the QA Engineer, with a focus on regression testing during release cycles
Participate in code reviews, incorporating feedback from the Salesforce Administrator/Developer to strengthen technical practice
Work directly with non-technical stakeholders to translate their needs into working solutions
Partner with the Business Analyst to ensure requirements are well-defined before development begins, and ask clarifying questions when requirements are ambiguous
Collaborate with technical teams outside the Salesforce ecosystem across AACR as needed to deliver integrated solutions
Grow technical skills through mentorship, Trailhead, and hands-on assignments of increasing complexity
Stay current with Salesforce platform capabilities and release features relevant to the org
Maintain up-to-date technical documentation for the solutions you build, including configuration and code-level decisions
Coordinate with the Project Manager to track and document all work using JIRA and Confluence
Provide regular status updates on open work and assignments to the Salesforce Administrator/Developer
Contribute to the broader IT professional services function, supporting departments as an internal technology partner
Perform other duties as assigned
Performs all tasks related to the major functions and responsibilities of the position.
System Configuration
Testing and Release Support
Requirements Collaboration and Stakeholder Support
Other duties as assigned