Scrum Master

Techwish - Richmond, VA

Full-time - Mid Level

Richmond, VA

Administrative and Support Services

About the position

The VSP Scrum Master will play a pivotal role in facilitating Agile practices within the organization, ensuring that the Scrum Team operates effectively and efficiently. This position requires a deep understanding of the Agile software development life cycle and hands-on experience working with development teams. The Scrum Master will collaborate closely with various product owners and teams to understand their needs, translating them into actionable requirements that drive project success. In this role, the Scrum Master will coordinate Agile ceremonies, including Sprint Planning, Daily Standups, Retrospectives, Sprint Demos, Story Refinement, and Release Planning. They will work with the team to define a clear vision and create a product roadmap that aligns with this vision. The Scrum Master will also assist the product owner in managing the product backlog, prioritizing tasks based on changing requirements and project timelines. A key responsibility of the Scrum Master is to establish an environment conducive to team effectiveness, helping to remove obstacles and protect the team from outside interruptions. They will ensure a strong relationship between the team and the product owner, as well as with other stakeholders. By exemplifying a Lean-Agile mindset through servant leadership, the Scrum Master will anticipate challenges, identify risks, and recommend solutions to enhance team productivity. They will track and report on team velocity and other project metrics, supporting continuous improvement initiatives that align with VSP Agile standards.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with various product owners and teams to understand and anticipate their needs and translate them into requirements
• Provide collaboration, facilitation, leadership and coaching, supporting the Scrum Team and the scrum process
• Coordinate Agile Ceremonies such as Sprint Planning, Daily Standups, Retrospectives, Sprint Demos, Story Refinement, and Release Planning
• Define the vision for the team, creating the product road map based on this vision
• Aid the product owner in managing the product backlog and prioritizing based on changing requirements and project timelines
• Establish an environment where the teams can be effective and help remove obstacles
• Protect the team from outside interruptions and distractions
• Ensure a good relationship between the team and product owner as well as others outside the team
• Exemplify a Lean-Agile mindset through servant leadership
• Anticipate challenges, identify risks, and recommend mitigations and solutions
• Track and report team velocity and other project metrics
• Support changes and promote continuous improvement that helps increase productivity of the Scrum Team
• Collaborate effectively with the product owners and end-users to deliver business value
• Ensure the teams are practicing core Agile principles and adhering to VSP agile standards

Requirements

• Thorough understanding of Agile software development life cycle and hands-on experience working with development teams
• 5-10 years of practical experience serving as Scrum Master with a solid comprehension of Agile values, principles, methodologies, and the development lifecycle
• Ability to identify cross-team dependencies and align work optimally
• Ability to work with customers, understand their business practices and manage their expectations
• Ability to set clear performance standards and hold team members accountable, while keeping the team engaged and on track
• Track progress of team performance utilizing appropriate metrics and foster adoption of a high-performing Agile culture by working closely with the Leadership team
• Strong interpersonal/communication skills/mentoring skills/servant leadership skills with proven ability to remove impediments from the team
• Ability to foresee potential conflict and bring existing conflicts to positive resolution
• Ability to balance the competing demands for quality, scope and schedule
• Ability to analyze and document business and system processes
• CSM Certification required
• PSM Certification desired