The Salesforce Architect is a high-level professional in the Salesforce hierarchy who works on projects or enterprise-level initiatives rather than narrowly focused features. The architect also enhances and supports Salesforce requests.

In a nutshell, the Salesforce architect is responsible for the following;

• Understanding the organization’s big-picture goals (both medium and long-term)
• Creating a system design for the organization’s Salesforce projects and goals
• Implementing the project design or assemble and manage the team tasked with the implementation
• Taking a leadership role in communicating implementation progress and providing advice to stakeholders across the organization
• Helping define roadmaps for future Salesforce programs and scope for individual programs

You can tell from the above discussion that the architect is a valuable resource for any organization. They possess a depth of knowledge in multiple areas of Salesforce and are the go-to resource whenever the organization needs relevant information or insight.

The architect is technical and business savvy, allowing them to speak to people across the organization. Above all, the architect can see the big picture, which makes him/her a key asset in organization growth.

If it’s a position that appeals to you, you should begin thinking about taking the required courses and attaining the requisite certifications to kick off your architect career. The following is everything you need to know about the Salesforce Architect career path.

Salesforce Architect: Roles and Responsibilities

The Salesforce Architect is a computer engineer with a broad knowledge of both hardware and software. These individuals have experience in many fields (not just Salesforce) and are conversant with many operating systems. They are also experienced in software architecting from the front end and communicating with business stakeholders at the other end to develop solutions that best capture the business needs.

Indeed, many problems that may arise during the software development process and the end product end up being resolved by the architect, who then creates a product that appeals to every stakeholder.

Many architects tend to focus on workflows, applications, and integration, though technical architects who sit at the apex of the Salesforce hierarchy also have other responsibilities. Solutions and application architects, who sit just below technical architect in the hierarchy, don’t have many managerial duties. However, the technical architect must work closely with organizational management to ensure that the end product fits business needs.

A simplified “Roles and Responsibilities” section of a Salesforce technical analyst job position would look as follows;

Roles and Responsibilities

• Designing and developing Salesforce software components
• End to end implementation with the SFDC platform
• Leading design sessions and communicating design options to clients
• Developing bespoke solutions using technologies such as Apex/VF, Java, Ruby, JS, and Angular.js
• Integrating web-based technologies such as Soap and Rest and middleware tools such as Informatica, Jitterbit, and Mulesoft
• Handling security requirements such as single sign-on and data security
• Taking charge of release management, source control, and deployment using concepts and technologies such as ANT, SFDC, Jenkins, and SVN.
• Identifying gaps between current and desired end states and delivering the best solutions

Salesforce Architect: Skills and Educational Requirements

The educational requirements and interpersonal skills needed for Salesforce architect positions depend on the exact position you seek. In general, though, recruiters look for the following;

Interpersonal skills

• Excellent communication skills
• Customer service skills
• Project management skills
• Organizational skills
• Writing skills
• Planning skills
• Management skills

Technical skills

• Salesforce skills
• Object-oriented development
• Knowledge of web applications, databases, and program languages
• System architecture
• API integration
• Application design

Educational Requirements (Technical Architect)

• At least 2-4 years’ experience in an architecture role
• At least a 4-year-experience with integration technologies
• Working knowledge of security concepts such as single sign-on and data security
• Salesforce developer and architecture certifications
• Bachelor’s degree

General Career Outlook and Job Prospects

The architect position has a bright future. In 2018 alone, 11,000 new architect jobs were posted in the US, with many reports projecting a 1,292% annual job growth in the area. The average salary of a Salesforce architect is $105,000-$141,000.

However, keep in mind that Architect positions are incredibly competitive. Candidates with the best education and experience usually get the job.

Many architects go on to higher-level positions within the same organization within just a few years. Some are also “poached” or move to bigger organizations. In the end, though, many open their own contracting or consulting companies, which are very lucrative.

Working Conditions

Salesforce architects need to be good communications because they always work in a team. However, they do most of their work on a computer. In some cases, the individual is required to travel to customer sites. Otherwise, they mostly work from an office.

Ready to Jump In?

Does the Architect position appeal to you? If so, you can start building your architect career right away by getting the necessary degree and certifications – a degree is not optional in many Salesforce architecture positions.