Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports the transformation to More efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, for Better production, Better nutrition, a Better environment and a Better life, leaving no one behind. Digital FAO and Agro-informatics Division (CSI) is responsible for all information technology (IT) activities within the Organization. CSI performs, on behalf of the Organization, the following critical roles: defining FAO IT policies and providing strategic advice on IT architecture and standards, governance, policy and operational matters while monitoring organizational compliance; defining the mechanisms for managing FAO’s information and data; protecting FAO’s information assets and ensuring confidentiality, integrity and availability; ensuring provision of IT services that are core for the Organization’s global operations and supporting the information and business processes; coordinating organization-wide IT activities in order to reduce duplication and fragmentation and to increase integration of information data, systems and platforms, mobilizing IT resources from across the Organization. CSI manages the Organizational Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Environment, consisting of multiple systems including Global Resource Management System (GRMS) and Integrated Management Information System (iMIS), and a number of satellite systems, covering all aspects of system management including operation, support and continuous improvement.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has implemented a comprehensive Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and is using Salesforce platform as the core technology to manage stakeholder engagements, resource mobilization, and various business processes across the organization. In addition to traditional CRM functionalities, the CRM platform has been extended to support non-typical CRM use cases across various FAO divisions. Custom components and solutions have been developed to address specific business requirements, such as emergency management, policy issue tracking, and investment centre management information system.
To further strengthen CRM platform capabilities, FAO is seeking a skilled Salesforce Developer. This role offers an exciting opportunity for a proactive, innovative professional to provide essential technical support, with a focus on the growth, integration, and ongoing development of our Salesforce ecosystem. The successful candidate will be instrumental in maintaining and enhancing FAO’s CRM environment, ensuring it continues to meet evolving organizational needs.
This role is home-based with at least 4 hours overlap with CET time zone.
Reporting Lines
The Salesforce Developer will report directly to the Senior Information Technology Officer, with day-to-day activities and coordination overseen by the Senior CRM Consultant.
Technical Focus
This role will be responsible for the support to the existing applications, development, deployments, and continuous enhancement of FAO’s CRM environment. This includes contributing to the planning, design, and development of new capabilities within the organization’s Salesforce applications, such as Salesforce Sales and Service Cloud, Experience Cloud, Pardot, AppExchange apps and other evolving solutions. The Developer will work closely with business teams and the Solution Architect to understand future needs, providing technical solutions and deliverables that align with the business requirements of the CRM Program. Additionally, the role will involve contributing to the architectural and system design of the Salesforce platform.
Tasks and responsibilities
Salesforce Developer tasks include but no limited to:
• Develop and maintain Apex code, Visualforce pages, and Lightning components.
• Implement declarative automation using Flows and Workflow Rules.
• Integrate Salesforce with external systems using APIs (REST/SOAP) or middleware tools (Oracle Integration Cloud).
• Manage data migration and perform bulk operations using tools like Data Loader.
• Write and optimize SOQL/SOSL queries for data manipulation and retrieval.
• Debug and troubleshoot Apex and Lightning issues, providing bug fixes and system enhancements.
• Collaborate with business teams to gather requirements and design scalable Salesforce solutions.
• Create and maintain technical documentation for custom code and configurations.
• Manage deployments across environments using Salesforce DX, Change Sets, or third-party tools.
• Stay updated with Salesforce releases and apply relevant new features.
• Provide technical support and end-user assistance for issues, enhancements, and “how-to” requests.
• Conduct unit and integration testing, ensuring quality coverage through Apex test classes.
• Participate in project teams meetings, contributing to sprints and project planning.
• Help develop Proof of concepts (POC) and / or Feature Demos of potential solutions
• Collaborate with vendors and cross-functional teams to ensure project deliverables align with business goals.
• Assist with code reviews, system architecture, and CI/CD pipeline improvements.
• Other duties as required
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• University degree in Information Technologies is desirable. Salesforce professional certificates and additional 2 years of experience can be considered in lieu of university degree.
• Salesforce Developer Certificate is a must
• 5 years’ experience with Salesforce developer toolkit – Apex, VisualForce, Force.com IDE, Force.com Migration Tool, Web Services/SOA & Metadata APIs
• Working knowledge of English. Knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian) is an asset.
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Proficiency in writing and maintaining custom Apex & VisualForce code
• Experience in building custom Lightning Web Components (LWC) and Aura components.
• Strong skills in configuring Flows, Workflow Rules, and Validation Rules.
• Knowledge of REST/SOAP APIs for integrating Salesforce with external systems.
• Proficiency in Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) and Salesforce Object Search Language (SOSL).
• Ability to write Apex test classes, perform unit testing, and troubleshoot technical issues.
• Ability to incorporate industry and technology best practices in solution development
• Experience with Salesforce DX, Change Sets, or CI/CD tools
• Work experience in building solutions for more than one business areas
• Familiarity with Services Oriented Design Principles (SOA) and Web Services
• Previous experience programming in .NET is a plus
• Prior experience with data migration and ETL/integration tools a plus
• Experience with wide range of Salesforce applications is a strong plus
• Familiarity with Atlassian suite of products for project management and documentation
Selection Criteria
• Other Salesforce Professional certificates are a plus
• Outstanding analytical, business process development skills and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to troubleshoot system, process and data issues; ability to think clearly under pressure.
• Demonstrated and proven ability to provide superior client service in demanding, deadline-driven situations.
• Ability to effectively communicate and coordinate with senior business management and peers.
• Self-motivated and solution oriented with excellent people and project management skills.
• Work in a highly evolving dynamic business use cases