How to hire a Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer who fits your business: Noltic’s experience
If you're serious about marketing automation, personalization, and data-driven customer journeys, having the right Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) developer on your team isn't optional anymore.
Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers the tools to manage email, mobile, ads, and customer data in one place. But it takes technical expertise to make these tools actually work for your business. A good SFMC developer helps you build campaigns that perform, connect systems that don’t talk to each other, and turn raw data into useful insights.
And the need is growing. 58% of Salesforce customers are already planning to integrate additional Salesforce Clouds, making Marketing Cloud the connective tissue for unified engagement strategies. For companies scaling their tech stack or looking to finally make sense of their marketing data, hiring an SFMC developer is one of the smartest moves you can make.
In this article, we’ll share the expertise of our recruiters and hiring managers. We will walk you through when to hire, what to look for, how we hire at Noltic, and how a skilled developer can impact your business. Whether you’re a CMO planning your next campaign or a Salesforce admin expanding into Marketing Cloud, this guide is for you.
When do you need to hire a Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer?
Hiring an SFMC developer isn't just about having someone to “send emails.” It’s about building the tech foundation for personalized, automated, and measurable customer engagement. But when is the right time to bring in an expert?
Here are the most common signs:
- You’re launching Marketing Cloud for the first time. Many companies buy the licenses but struggle to get the setup right from connecting Sales Cloud with Marketing Cloud to setting up basic authentication and IP warming.
- You want to move beyond basic campaigns. If your team is manually sending emails and can't support triggered journeys or dynamic content, it's time to bring in development help.
- You need integrations. SFMC doesn’t work in isolation. Developers connect it to CRMs, external systems, and data sources through APIs.
- You’re not getting results. If your email open rates are flat or your journeys fail midway, you likely need someone to review and rebuild your setup.
At Noltic, our Marketing Cloud experts come in when you need more than just campaign execution, when you need structured thinking, clear implementation, and results that can be measured.
What does a Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer actually do?
A Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer builds the technical foundation for marketing teams to run campaigns that are automated, personalized, and scalable. Their job isn’t to write copy or schedule posts; it’s to make sure the systems behind your customer communications actually work.
Here’s what a strong SFMC developer is responsible for:
- Customizing customer journeys. They build and configure journeys in Journey Builder, including setting up entry events, decision splits, and re-entry logic.
- Writing AMPscript and SSJS. These scripting languages allow developers to personalize emails and CloudPages based on data from your CRM or custom fields.
- Managing data. Developers create and maintain data extensions, set up filters, and map the flow of data between Salesforce and Marketing Cloud.
- Integrations. They connect SFMC with external platforms using APIs, and handle Salesforce CRM integration through Marketing Cloud Connect.
- Automation. Using Automation Studio, they build processes that trigger emails, clean data, or sync systems without manual input.
- CloudPages and forms. Developers build landing pages, surveys, and preference centers using CloudPages and HTML.
A developer’s role is not the same as a Marketing Cloud consultant. Consultants typically focus on strategy, data planning, and high-level architecture. Developers implement those ideas and make them work technically.
At Noltic, we always make sure clients understand who they actually need. Sometimes it’s a full cross-functional team of a developer, consultant, and architect; everything depends on the project size and goals.
When do you need to hire a Salesforce Marketing Cloud consultant?
While developers focus on building and coding, Salesforce Marketing Cloud consultants help you figure out what to build in the first place and why. They're your go-to people when you need strategy, planning, and structure, not just execution.
You need to hire Salesforce Marketing Cloud consultants when:
- You’re starting from scratch. If you’ve just purchased Marketing Cloud and don’t know where to begin, from setting up the first data extensions to defining your customer journeys, a consultant can guide the process.
- Your campaigns lack structure. Maybe you have automation in place, but customer journeys are inconsistent, tracking is unclear, or personalization is basic. A consultant helps fix the foundation.
- You need to connect marketing goals with the platform. SFMC is packed with features, but using them in a way that aligns with business KPIs takes experience.
- You’re running multi-cloud projects. For example, syncing Service Cloud case data to drive marketing journeys that kind of cross-cloud thinking requires consulting input.
- You don’t have time to manage delivery. Consultants also help with project planning, documentation, stakeholder communication, and testing oversight.
- Unlike developers, consultants don’t usually write AMPscript or set up API calls. But they work closely with developers, marketers, and CRM admins to make sure the technical setup supports your business goals.
At Noltic, we often bring consultants into projects to:
- Run stakeholder workshops;
- Define data models and campaign architecture;
- Map out reporting and attribution logic;
- Plan go-to-market timelines with internal and external teams.
Hiring a developer without a clear plan often leads to rework and delays. If you're not sure what your Marketing Cloud setup should look like or you're migrating from another system, start with a consultant.
What to look for in a strong SFMC developer
Hiring the right Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer isn’t just about checking for certifications or seeing “Journey Builder” on a resume. A strong candidate can prove their experience with real examples, understands the platform’s architecture, and knows how to solve business problems — not just technical ones
Based on our experience at Noltic, here’s what to focus on:
Specific, hands-on project experience
Look for candidates who can describe what they built, why it mattered, and what the outcome was. General statements like “built automations” or “worked with campaigns” aren’t enough.
Instead, top developers mention things like:
- Building triggered journeys using Journey Builder;
- Writing AMPscript to personalize emails based on CRM data;
- Setting up data extensions and SQL queries to manage audience segmentation;
- Connecting Marketing Cloud to Sales Cloud using Marketing Cloud Connect;
- Creating interactive forms and custom preference centers in CloudPages.
During screening, we ask candidates to specify which modules they’ve worked with directly and what they built using each.
Clarity over buzzwords
Vague language is a red flag. A strong developer avoids inflated titles and instead focuses on specific deliverables and technologies. Certifications can help, but they’re not proof of hands-on experience without context.
As our recruiter Mariia explained: “Many applicants exaggerate their experience. Some call themselves ‘Marketing Cloud Consultants’ even if they’ve only configured email campaigns in a basic way. A common red flag is when resumes include broad responsibilities but lack specifics or measurable results.”
Understanding the whole process
The best developers know how different parts of Marketing Cloud fit together and can walk you through a full implementation, even if they weren’t involved in every step. They understand both technical setups (e.g., SAP, IP warming, MC Connect) and how the data flows from CRM to the customer touchpoints.
Strong developers stay current with platform updates and can confidently communicate using the correct terminology to avoid confusion when working with teams or clients.
Problem-solving and communication
Technical skills are just one side of the job. A good SFMC developer can explain their thinking clearly, work well with marketers, and adjust when business goals change. In interviews at Noltic, we always ask candidates to walk through a typical client request and explain their approach. This reveals their mindset and how they apply their skills in real-life projects.
“We ask the candidate to walk us through a case like: A client just bought Marketing Cloud and wants to get started. Their answer shows whether they understand the setup process, including MC Connect, Dedicated/Shared IP, SAP, SSL, and so on,” — Svitlana, Salesforce Marketing Cloud Specialist at Noltic.
Soft skills matter too
While hard skills are critical, at Noltic we’ve learned that soft skills often determine long-term success. We look for people who are:
- Independent and self-managed;
- Open to feedback and transparent in communication;
- Comfortable working without micromanagement;
- Mature enough to handle distributed teams and dynamic requirements.
“Our team values freedom, maturity, trust, and transparency. A great developer is not only technically skilled, but also reliable and easy to work with,” explains Mariia, Noltic's recruiter.
Red flags to watch for if you want to hire Salesforce Marketing Cloud developers
Not every candidate who lists Salesforce Marketing Cloud on their resume is ready to deliver real results. At Noltic, we’ve interviewed hundreds of applicants, and many don’t meet even the basic expectations for hands-on project experience.
Here are the most common red flags we look out for, and you should too:
1. Inflated job titles
Candidates often label themselves as “consultants” or “solution architects” when they’ve only used Email Studio to send newsletters. Titles like “Marketing Cloud Lead” or “Consultant” should raise questions unless backed by real consulting or architecture work like leading discovery sessions, building implementation roadmaps, or managing stakeholder communication.
Many candidates confuse a technical SFMC developer role with a general email marketing or content production job. If a resume emphasizes campaign planning or design tools but lacks hands-on experience with scripting, segmentation, or automations—that’s a red flag.
Tip: Ask them to describe what “consulting” meant in their role, what exact tools they used in Salesforce Marketing Cloud and what technical tasks they handled themselves. If the answer focuses on building emails or running reports, it’s likely a mismatch.
2. Vague resumes with no depth
Strong candidates explain what tools they’ve used, what problems they solved, and what results they achieved. Weak resumes are full of generic phrases like:
- “Created campaigns and automations”
- “Worked with Salesforce Marketing Cloud”
- “Experienced in Journey Builder and Email Studio”
But there’s no mention of how they used those tools or what changed as a result.
Tip: Ask for one concrete example of a journey they built, what triggered it, what logic it followed, what data was used, and what the outcome was.
3. No mention of metrics or results
If someone says they’ve built 20 journeys or “optimized” email campaigns, they should be able to back that up with numbers:
- Did open rates improve?
- Was there a reduction in manual work?
- How many emails were sent per month?
No metrics often means no ownership or no visibility into actual performance.
4. Certifications without context
Certifications are valuable, but they’re not proof of real experience. We’ve seen candidates list every Marketing Cloud cert available, but they can’t explain how Contact Builder or MC Connect works in practice.
Tip: Ask how they used what they learned in a real project. For example: “After getting certified, how did you apply those concepts in your work?”
5. Misunderstanding of core Marketing Cloud concepts
A strong developer doesn’t need to know everything, but they should have a solid grip on fundamentals. If they can’t explain the difference between:
- Contact Data vs. Journey Data
- Shared vs. Dedicated IP
- MC Connect vs. API-based integration
...then they’re likely not ready for a mid- or senior-level role.
As Svitlana, our leading Salesforce Marketing Cloud Specialist, shared: “If someone comes in for a middle-level role but can’t explain core concepts like IP types or how MC Connect works, it usually means they’ve overestimated their experience. That’s a red flag for us.”
Hire a Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer offshore vs in-house
One of the most common questions we hear from clients is whether to hire a Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer in-house or work with an external partner like Noltic. The answer depends on your goals, internal resources, and the complexity of your marketing operations.
Here’s a breakdown to help you decide.
Hiring in-house: when it works
Pros:
- Full-time focus on your brand and campaigns;
- Easier collaboration with internal marketing and CRM teams;
- Direct control over priorities and schedules.
Cons:
- Finding strong SFMC developers is hard — the talent pool is limited;
- One hire rarely covers everything (AMPscript, SQL, APIs, CloudPages, deliverability);
- If your roadmap isn’t clear, you may end up underutilizing a full-time hire;
- Ramp-up time is longer and more expensive if the hire doesn’t work out.
Hiring a remote SFMC developer: pros and cons
Whether you hire in-house or work with a partner, another option is going fully remote. At Noltic, many of our Marketing Cloud experts work remotely across Europe, supporting clients worldwide.
Here’s why remote hiring often works better than local-only searches:
Pros of hire Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer remote:
- Larger talent pool. You're not limited to your city or region. This is especially important with SFMC, where experienced developers are hard to find.
- Faster hiring. You can skip long notice periods and relocation challenges.
- Cost flexibility. Depending on location, you can find high-quality developers at a more reasonable cost without sacrificing skills.
- Time zone coverage. Remote teams can give you wider working-hour coverage, useful for fast-changing campaign needs or urgent fixes.
- Proven collaboration tools. With Slack, Zoom, Jira, and shared sandboxes, there’s no productivity loss when working with a distributed team.
Possible challenges:
- Communication gaps. If the developer lacks experience working remotely or with international teams, misalignment can happen.
- Security and compliance. Make sure your remote setup includes clear data handling and access controls, especially if you're working in regulated industries.
At Noltic, our remote Salesforce Marketing Cloud developers are used to working in secure, collaborative client environments. We operate across time zones, integrate with client teams, and maintain full transparency, whether it’s a 2-week fix or a year-long project.
Final checklist to hire a Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer
Use this checklist from Noltic’s recruiters and hiring managers to evaluate candidates or partners when you're looking for someone to set up, optimize, or scale your Marketing Cloud implementation. Each point helps you separate strong developers from those with limited or surface-level experience.
- Understands both business and tech
A strong SFMC developer doesn’t just follow technical specs. They understand how campaigns are supposed to work, what marketing teams care about, and how to align automation with business goals. For example, they should know when to use a transactional send vs a journey-triggered one and why that matters for customer experience and reporting.
- Has hands-on experience with the tools you actually use
Not every project uses the same parts of Marketing Cloud. If you plan to run SMS campaigns, the developer should know Mobile Studio. If you're capturing leads via web forms, they should have worked with CloudPages. Ask directly: “Have you used this tool in production projects?” If they haven’t, there may be a learning curve.
- Can work across scripting, data, and automation
Good SFMC developers know how to use AMPscript and SSJS for dynamic content, write SQL for segmentation and personalization, and build end-to-end automations that trigger emails, clean data, or update records. These are core technical skills that are not optional.
- Understands deliverability best practices
This goes beyond just “sending emails.” A qualified developer understands how technical setup affects deliverability: IP warming, domain alignment, SAP configuration, SSL, bounce handling, and engagement filtering. If they can’t explain how to avoid spam filters or what metrics to monitor, you may run into inbox placement issues later.
- Collaborates well with marketers and CRM teams
SFMC developers rarely work in isolation. They need to align with marketing managers, content creators, and Salesforce admins. Strong candidates ask questions, listen to campaign goals, and help connect data across teams. You want someone who can speak both technical and non-technical language.
- Can explain what they’ve built and what the results were
It’s not enough to say “I built a journey.” Ask: What problem did it solve? What data did it use? How many people entered? What changed after launch? Developers who take ownership of outcomes (like improved open rates or reduced manual effort) are far more valuable than those who just execute instructions.
- Knows the difference between being a developer and a consultant
Many candidates try to be everything, but a developer who understands their role and can collaborate with architects or consultants tends to work faster and more efficiently. They know what’s in their scope and when to ask for help on data modeling, stakeholder planning, or multi-cloud architecture.
- Keeps up with Salesforce updates
A developer should be aware of recent name changes and product rebrands, like Pardot to Account Engagement. Attention to detail helps to avoid confusion in team communication.
Conclusion
Hiring the right Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make if you're serious about building personalized, automated, and scalable marketing programs. A strong developer helps turn strategy into execution, connects your tools and data, and ensures your campaigns don’t just run, they perform.
At Noltic, we’ve built a team of experienced SFMC professionals who know how to deliver fast, work across Salesforce clouds, and focus on real business results. Whether you’re launching Marketing Cloud for the first time or fixing an underperforming setup, we’re ready to help.
FAQs
Can I hire a single Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer to manage everything end-to-end?
It depends on your goals and project scope. A single developer can manage smaller setups, like basic journeys, email campaigns, and integrations. But for more complex needs — like multi-channel automation, advanced data modeling, or reporting strategy — you’ll likely need a mix of roles: developer, consultant, and sometimes architect. One person can’t realistically cover it all at scale.
What certifications should I look for if I want to hire a Salesforce Marketing Cloud consultant or developer?
The most relevant certifications are:
- Marketing Cloud Email Specialist: covers fundamentals like segmentation, email design, and deliverability.
- Marketing Cloud Developer: focuses on AMPscript, APIs, SQL, and data modeling.
- Marketing Cloud Administrator: useful for people managing day-to-day configuration and permissions.
- Certifications are helpful, but treat them as a starting point: not proof of real-world experience. Always ask candidates to explain how they’ve applied what they learned in actual projects.
How long does it typically take for a Salesforce Marketing Cloud developer to become fully productive?
For someone already experienced with SFMC, onboarding usually takes 1 to 2 weeks — mostly to get familiar with your data, processes, and campaign goals. For junior or cross-trained developers, it can take 1 to 2 months to become fully effective. If you’re working with Noltic, our developers can start delivering value in the first few days because they already know the platform.
Is it better to outsource Salesforce Marketing Cloud development or build an internal team?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. If you have a clear long-term roadmap, stable campaign volume, and the budget to support multiple hires, building an internal team might make sense. But if you need fast delivery, expert setup, or support across multiple Salesforce clouds, outsourcing is usually more cost-effective and flexible. Many companies start with a partner like Noltic to launch or optimize Marketing Cloud, then decide later whether to hire in-house for maintenance.
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