Salesforce Functional Lead

About AbsoluteLabsAbsoluteLabs is a specialist business and technology consulting firm with deep expertise in retail, consumer goods and other consumer industries. We combine industry advisory, process transformation and technology delivery to help clients  achieve measurable commercial outcomes.The RoleRole purposeAs a Salesforce Functional Lead, you will own the end-to-end functional solution for complex Salesforce transformation programmes spanning Agentforce Sales, Service and other Salesforce platforms.You will provide functional and delivery leadership from discovery and solution definition through design, implementation, testing, deployment and adoption. Working closely with customer stakeholders and multidisciplinary delivery teams, you will ensure that business objectives are translated into scalable, practical and user-centred Salesforce solutions.This is a delivery-focused leadership role rather than a hands-on configuration or development position. You will lead customer workshops, shape business processes and functional solutions, provide direction to business analysts and solution teams, and maintain alignment between business requirements, solution design and delivery throughout the  programme.Key ResponsibilitiesFunctional solution ownership● Own the functional solution across Salesforce programmes, including Agentforce Sales, Service, Loyalty, Data 360 and Field Service.● Lead discovery, process design and solution definition workshops with senior business and technology stakeholders.● Translate business objectives, operational requirements and user needs into clear, scalable Salesforce processes and functional solutions.● Shape and challenge business requirements, applying Salesforce capabilities, industry practices and process simplification to achieve the targeted business outcomes.● Provide functional thought leadership across sales, customer service, omnichannel customer experience, AIenabled processes and operational optimisation.Delivery leadership● Lead functional delivery across the full project lifecycle, from mobilisation and discovery through design, build, testing, deployment, handover and adoption.● Provide direction and oversight to multidisciplinary teams including Business Analysts, Solution Architects, Developers, UX specialists and QA team● Ensure consistency between business requirements, functional design, technical solution and delivered capability. ● Identify functional dependencies, risks and design decisions early and work with programme and technical leadership to resolve them. ● Act as a trusted functional counterpart to customer stakeholders, maintaining alignment between business priorities and delivery throughout the engagement.Agile delivery and quality● Provide functional leadership within Agile delivery, including backlog definition and prioritisation, sprint planning, refinement, demonstrations and retrospectives.● Ensure user stories, acceptance criteria and functional designs are sufficiently clear and complete for development and testing.● Work with client and internal QA teams to define appropriate functional testing and UAT approaches.● Support sprint validation, defect triage and resolution, ensuring delivered functionality meets agreed business requirements and acceptance criteria.● Support business readiness, knowledge transfer and adoption to enable successful transition into live operations.Candidate ProfileEssential experience and capabilities● 10+ years of Salesforce experience, with proven leadership as a Functional Lead, Delivery Lead, Programme Lead or equivalent on complex Salesforce transformation programmes.● Strong functional leadership skills, with the ability to bridge business and technical teams and translate strategic, operational and user needs into scalable Salesforce solutions.● Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams across the full functional delivery lifecycle, from discovery and process design through requirements, build, testing, deployment and continuous improvement.● Strong business analysis and solution design capabilities, including process mapping, functional requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, system/process flows and test planning.● Experience working in Agile delivery environments, including backlog management, prioritisation and facilitation of key Agile ceremonies.● Strong working knowledge of Salesforce multi-cloud capabilities, ideally spanning Sales, Service, Data 360 and Agentforce.● Relevant Salesforce certifications, with certifications across Sales, Service, Data 360 and Agentforce highly desirable.Desirable experience● Experience supporting or leading pre-sales solutioning.● Exposure to Loyalty Cloud, Field Service or B2B Commerce would be an advantage.What's on Offer● Competitive, fair and rewarding compensation and benefits.● Hybrid working based in London.● Exposure to diverse Salesforce projects across multiple industries.● Career growth and development within an established, global Salesforce consultancy.● A people-first, flexible culture that supports work-life balance.