The Ultimate Guide to a Career as a Salesforce Product Owner
If you’re an ambitious individual who wants to take their career to the next level, there is no better place than Salesforce. With competitive salaries, excellent career progression and an ever-changing landscape that will push you to new heights, there is a role in Salesforce to suit all.
Salesforce is a powerful customer relationship management (CRM) platform that has revolutionised the way businesses manage their customer data and interactions. With its wide range of functionalities and endless possibilities, the demand for Salesforce talent is huge.
Depending on your experience and skill set, there is a suitable role for you with Salesforce and we are here to help you find it. We’ll cover what a Salesforce Product Owner is, roles and responsibilities of a Product Owner and skills and qualifications employers look for.
What is a Salesforce Product Owner?
The Salesforce Product Owner role is responsible for managing the backlog of features and enhancements on the Salesforce platform, ensuring that the system is continuously improving and delivering value to the business. A Product Owner needs to understand the details, features and functions of the Salesforce platform and align these items to the strategy of the organisation.
The main focus for the Product Owner is to develop and communicate the product goal, create and effectively communicate the product backlog items, prioritise the product backlog and represent the stakeholders involved with the product delivery. They are the voice for the business and a central point of contact to clarify questions and drive business decisions for the Salesforce product.
What does a Salesforce Product Owner do?
A Salesforce Product Owner works directly with the business to gather project-related knowledge and acts as a voice for the business to ensure that all product value is aligned with customer and business needs. The Product Owner needs to provide a justification to the business to develop certain product features but there is no need for them to understand how this will be technically implemented on the Salesforce Platform.
The main responsibilities of the Salesforce Product Owner role include managing the entire product life-cycle, analysing customers’ needs and maintaining product backlog and roadmap. They will also assist with driving teamwork across development, marketing, sales, client service, support and product management platforms and will work closely with the implementation and technical teams.
While there are some similarities between the Salesforce Product Owner role and the Salesforce Project Manager role, there are key differences. A Product Owner is responsible for supporting the development team by creating user stories and prioritising the product backlogs. A Project Manager, on the other hand, is responsible for managing the overall project, including scope, budget and timelines.
Why is a Salesforce Product Owner role so interesting?
If you’re an ambitious individual and have strong organisational and presentation skills, you’ll find the Salesforce Product Owner role rewarding. The Product Owner is a critical role responsible for ensuring that your business priorities align with your overall vision for your implementation project. They are the go-to person your team can ask questions, report issues or request updates.
How to land a Salesforce Product Owner role?
A successful Salesforce Product Owner requires a combination of skills, tools and techniques. Above all, the ideal candidate should have strong business expertise and technical experience. For this reason, it is common for Salesforce Business Analysts and Salesforce Project Managers to move into the Product Owner role as they will have experience and proficiency in the Salesforce platform.
In addition to having proven experience using the Salesforce platform, employers will also favour candidates with a combination of Salesforce Administrator, Business Analyst and Consultant certifications. Attaining Salesforce Certifications demonstrates your knowledge and allows you to continuously hone your skills and take on new challenges that will help you grow your career in Salesforce and land your dream role as a Salesforce Product Owner.
In terms of desirable soft skills, the Salesforce Product Owner role is best suited to an individual with strong communication skills, organisational skills and presentation skills. They must also be proactive, self-starting and results driven to succeed in this role.
What does progression look like for a Salesforce Product Owner?
The progression of a Salesforce Product Owner can vary depending on the organisation and individual career goals. As we covered earlier, it is common for Salesforce Business Analysts and Salesforce Project Managers to move into Product Owner roles as they have the skills and expertise required to thrive in this position.
There are several career paths a Product Owner may choose to take to progress their career including moving to a more senior Product Owner role where they will take on larger and more complex projects. Alternatively, some Product Owners may choose to specialise in a specific area such as Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud or Service Cloud. It is possible for an individual to do this by completing further Salesforce Certifications which demonstrate their knowledge.
Salary expectations for a Salesforce Product Owner
The salary expectations for a Salesforce Product Owner can vary depending on factors such as expertise of the individual, location and company size. On average in the UK, a Salesforce Product Owner can expect to earn a salary between £60-£75k.