Senior Scrum Master

We are seeking a highly experienced and certified Agile professional to fill the role of Senior Scrum Master. This pivotal role involves guiding and coaching multiple Scrum Teams of an Agile Release Train (ART) in adopting and adhering to SAFe guidelines and practices. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of Agile methodologies, exceptional facilitation skills, and proven experience in program management within complex enterprise product development environments. They will foster collaboration, remove impediments, and ensure the smooth delivery of value at scale.

Must Have

• Lead and coach multiple Scrum Teams of an Agile Release Train (ART) in SAFe doctrines and practices.
• Facilitate ART ceremonies, PI Planning, Inspect & Adapt workshops, Scrum of Scrums, and System Demos.
• Coach teams in Lean-Agile practices and mindsets, promoting self-organization and continuous improvement.
• Act as an expert impediment remover, identifying, tracking, and escalating issues and risks.
• Utilize data and metrics to track progress, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Product Owners, and stakeholders for successful program delivery.
• Maintain strong communication channels with all levels of the organization.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in the software industry with Agile roles (Scrum Master, RTE).
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or relevant technical discipline.
• Certified SAFe Agilist (SA), Certified Scrum Master (CSM, PSM I) or equivalent.
• Deep understanding and practical experience in implementing, scaling, and optimizing SAFe.
• Experience with Agile Lifecycle Management (ALM) tools such as Rally, Jira.
• Proven experience in driving, coaching, and facilitating multiple Scrum Teams simultaneously.
• Strong program management and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to collect, assess and interpret data and metrics.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, facilitation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities with a proactive mindset.

Good to Have

• Prior hands-on software development or engineering experience.
• Additional SAFe Certifications (SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM), SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM), or SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE)).
• Familiarity or experience with applications in the Monitoring and Observability domain.
• Experience in Lean-Agile coaching at various organizational levels.

Job Summary:

• We are seeking a highly experienced and certified Agile professional to fill the role of Senior Scrum Master. This pivotal role involves guiding and coaching multiple Scrum Teams of a Agile Release Train (ART) in adopting and adhering to SAFe guidelines and practices. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of Agile methodologies, exceptional facilitation skills, an objective approach to continuous improvement, and proven experience in program management within complex enterprise product development environments. They will be instrumental in fostering collaboration, removing impediments, and ensuring the smooth delivery of value at scale.

Key Responsibilities:

• SAFe Implementation & Guidance: Lead and coach multiple Scrum Teams of an Agile Release Train (ART) in adopting and adhering to SAFe doctrines and practices, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.

• Facilitation & Coordination: Facilitate ART ceremonies, contribute to PI Planning, Inspect & Adapt workshops, Scrum of Scrums, and System Demos. Ensure effective facilitation of all Scrum ceremonies (Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective) across assigned teams.

• Coaching & Mentorship: Coach  teams in Lean-Agile practices and mindsets, promoting self-organization, continuous improvement, and accountability.

• Impediment Removal: Act as an expert impediment remover, proactively identifying, tracking, and escalating issues and risks that cannot be resolved at the team or ART level, and driving their resolution.

• Continuous Improvement: Utilize data and metrics (e.g., velocity, defect density, PI goals) to track progress, identify trends, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and provide transparent reporting on key performance indicators.

• Program Management & Delivery: Collaborate closely with Product Management, Product Owners, and stakeholders to ensure alignment on vision, roadmap, and the successful delivery of program increments. Manage and communicate program-level risks, dependencies, and inter-team coordination. Ensure that processes and tools support an efficient and transparent flow of value.

• Stakeholder Communication: Maintain strong communication channels with all levels of the organization, providing clear, concise, and transparent updates on ART status, risks, and successes.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in the software industry, with a significant and demonstrable track record in Agile roles (Scrum Master, RTE) within reputable product companies.

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a relevant technical discipline from a premier institute.

• Certifications: Certified SAFe Agilist (SA) , Certified Scrum Master (CSM, PSM I) or equivalent

• SAFe Expertise: Deep understanding and practical experience in implementing, scaling, and optimizing the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) in an enterprise environment.

• Agile Tooling: Experience with Agile Lifecycle Management (ALM) tools such as Rally, Jira etc

• Program management: Proven experience in driving, coaching, and facilitating multiple Scrum Teams simultaneously. Strong program management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage complex interdependencies, risks, and stakeholder expectations across a program.

• Data-centric Approach: Demonstrated ability to collect, assess and interpret data and metrics to inform decisions, track progress, and drive continuous improvement.

• Communication & Influence: Exceptional communication, negotiation, facilitation, and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority.

• Problem-Solving: Excellent  problem-solving abilities, with a proactive mindset to anticipate and address potential risks.

Nice to Have / Preferred Skills:

• Development Background: Prior hands-on software development or engineering experience to provide technical empathy, insight, and better understand team challenges.

• Additional SAFe Certifications: SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM), SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM), or SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE) certification.

• Domain Knowledge: Familiarity or experience with applications in the Monitoring and Observability domain.

• Lean-Agile Coaching: Experience in Lean-Agile coaching at various organizational levels beyond just team facilitation.