Scrum Master

General Description 

• We are looking for an experienced Scrum Master to facilitate and support our agile development teams in delivering high-quality products and services. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of agile methodologies, particularly Scrum, and will be responsible for guiding and coaching teams to maximize their potential and achieve their objectives. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Act as a leader for one or more agile development teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. 

• Facilitate all Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives, ensuring their effectiveness and adherence to agile principles. 

• Coach and mentor team members on agile best practices, helping them understand and embrace their roles and responsibilities within the Scrum framework. 

• Remove impediments and obstacles that hinder the team's progress, working closely with stakeholders to resolve issues and mitigate risks. 

• Collaborate with product owners to prioritize and refine the product backlog, ensuring that it reflects the vision and goals of the product. 

• Track and report key agile metrics, such as sprint velocity, burndown charts, and team performance, to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement. 

• Promote a culture of continuous learning and adaptation, encouraging experimentation and innovation within the team. 

• Act as a change agent within the organization, advocating for agile principles and practices and driving the adoption of agile methodologies. 

• Facilitate Scrum Events: 

• Conduct sprint planning meetings to define the sprint goal and select user stories for the sprint backlog. 

• Facilitate daily stand-up meetings to keep the team aligned and focused on achieving the sprint goal. 

• Organize sprint review meetings to demonstrate the completed work to stakeholders and gather feedback. 

• Lead sprint retrospective meetings to reflect on the sprint and identify opportunities for improvement. 

• Remove Impediments: 

• Identify and remove impediments or obstacles that are hindering the team's progress. 

• Work with stakeholders to address issues related to resources, dependencies, or external factors. 

• Proactively anticipate potential impediments and take preventive actions to mitigate risks. 

• Support Team Collaboration: 

• Foster a collaborative and supportive environment where team members feel empowered to contribute their best work. 

• Encourage open communication and transparency within the team, promoting trust and accountability. 

• Coach and Mentor the Team: 

• Provide guidance and support to the team on Scrum practices, roles, and responsibilities. 

• Help the team to understand and embrace agile principles and values, encouraging self-organization and continuous improvement. 

• Offer constructive feedback and facilitate discussions to resolve conflicts and improve team dynamics. 

• Facilitate Product Backlog Management: 

• Collaborate with the Product Owners to maintain and prioritize the product backlog, ensuring it is visible, transparent, and well-groomed. 

• Assist the Product Owner in refining user stories, estimating effort, and defining acceptance criteria. 

• Track and Monitor Progress: 

• Monitor and track key agile metrics, such as sprint velocity, burndown charts, and team performance. 

• Use metrics to identify trends, diagnose issues, and make data-driven decisions to improve the team's effectiveness. 

• Continuous Improvement: 

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement within the team, encouraging experimentation, learning, and adaptation. 

• Facilitate retrospective meetings to reflect on the team's process and identify actionable improvements for the next sprint. 

• Collaborate with Stakeholders: 

• Act as a liaison between the team and stakeholders, facilitating communication and managing expectations. 

• Engage with stakeholders to gather feedback, share progress updates, and address any concerns or issues. 

• By effectively fulfilling these roles and tasks, a Scrum Master can help empower their team to deliver high-quality products and services with speed, efficiency, and adaptability. 

• Other duties as assigned 

Professional Qualities 

• Detail-minded with excellent critical thinking ability 

• Flexible, adaptable personality, open to change 

• Strong written, oral and verbal communication skills 

• Organized 

• Professional demeanor 

• Solid and practical understanding of technology, web-based applications and relational databases 

• Strong PC skills (MS Excel, MS Access, SQL, Gmail, Google Apps, web-based programs, Visio and Salesforce.com experience strongly preferred) 

Preferred Experience 

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience). 

• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or equivalent agile certification preferred. 

• Minimum of 3 years of experience as a Scrum Master or agile coach, preferably in a software development environment. 

• Strong understanding of agile principles and methodologies, particularly Scrum, and their application in real-world scenarios. 

• Excellent facilitation and communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization. 

• Proven track record of coaching and mentoring agile teams to improve their performance and deliver value to customers. 

• Experience with agile tools and frameworks, such as Jira, Confluence, and Kanban, preferred. 

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, with a passion for driving change and continuous improvement. 

Physical Requirements 

• Requires the ability to sit or stand for long periods of time, occasional stooping, and reaching; May require lifting up to 25 pounds; requires normal range of vision and hearing with or without accommodations. 

Additional Information 

• Cleared Background Check Required 

Employment Information 

• Position is available remote 

• Benefits include health plan, dental, vision, paid time off 

• Flex time 

• 401k with up to 4% match