Scrum Master

Greetings!

We are looking for an experienced Scrum Master with expertise in SAFe Agile and PI Planning to guide our teams through the Program Increment (PI) planning and delivery process. This role requires a professional with a deep understanding of agile principles and methodologies, as well as experience in the trading or banking industry. The ideal candidate will help facilitate cross-functional collaboration, remove blockers, and ensure that teams remain focused on delivering value. The Scrum Master will play a critical role in scaling agile practices across teams and ensuring successful program-level delivery.

Location: Jersey City NJ OR Austin TX (Hybrid)

Key Responsibilities:

Facilitate SAFe Agile PI Planning:

• Lead and guide teams through the Program Increment (PI) planning process ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Work with Product Owners, business stakeholders, and leadership to ensure proper preparation for PI Planning.
• Ensure smooth facilitation of the Iteration Planning, System Demos, and Inspect and Adapt sessions within the PI cycle.

Team Leadership and Coaching:

• Coach and mentor teams on agile practices, ensuring they adhere to Scrum and SAFe frameworks.
• Help teams with continuous improvement by facilitating Retrospectives and Daily Stand-ups.
• Resolve conflicts and impediments affecting team productivity and dynamics.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Management:

• Facilitate communication across cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment with program objectives.
• Act as the main liaison between stakeholders and teams, ensuring expectations are clear and objectives are met.
• Help teams maintain a strong focus on business value and key deliverables.

Agile Ceremonies & Process Management:

• Facilitate Scrum ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, Daily Standups, and Sprint Retrospectives).
• Assist in managing the product backlog, ensuring continuous flow and prioritization.
• Ensure timely and high-quality delivery of features and technical solutions.

Performance Tracking and Reporting:

• Track and report on key agile metrics (e.g., velocity, burndown, etc.).
• Identify and help address any risks or obstacles affecting project progress or team performance.
• Provide transparency into the progress of the program for leadership.

Continuous Improvement & Scaling Agile:

• Champion agile best practices and continuously evolve processes for better team performance.
• Provide feedback on the overall SAFe Agile implementation and help evolve and scale the agile practices.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement through innovation and process refinement.

Required Qualifications:

• Proven experience as a Scrum Master in an agile environment, preferably with SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework).
• Strong experience in PI Planning and facilitating large-scale agile ceremonies.
• Demonstrated success in leading agile teams, particularly in high-stakes environments such as trading or banking.
• Familiarity with financial services, trading systems, or banking operations and understanding of how agile can improve these domains.
• SAFe Scrum Master Certification (SSM) or equivalent, along with Agile/Scrum certifications (e.g., CSM, PMI-ACP, etc.).
• Solid understanding of Agile methodologies and principles (Scrum, Kanban, XP).
• Proficiency in agile project management tools (e.g., Jira, Rally, VersionOne).
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Proven ability to mentor and lead cross-functional teams in complex environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in enterprise-scale agile transformations.
• Previous experience in a banking, trading, or fintech environment.
• SAFe SPC (SAFe Program Consultant) or other advanced SAFe certifications.

Best Regards,