Project Manager Scrum Master

Important Requirements:

• Driving distance to Springfield, Ill only please: This position requires your physical presence in the Springfield, Illinois area a few days a month. The client gives a 2 week notice ahead of these mandatory onsites.

• Position available only to US citizens and permanent residents (Green Card holders)

• This is a W-2 employee position on our payroll. Unfortunately, 1099/C2C/C2H are not allowed at this time.

• You MUST have experience with Microsoft Dynamics365. This is a requirement for the job.

Note to agencies: Please do no contact us about this position. We're currently seeking direct applicants only. This role is not available for contract arrangements. Thank you for understanding.

Project Summary & Overview

We are looking for multiple Senior Scrum Managers for Microsoft Dynamics to join our Product Management Transformation project. This initiative seeks to revolutionize the way our DoIT@DCFS team provides ongoing technical support, services, and capabilities to our customers.

As a Senior Scrum Manager for Microsoft Dynamics, you will have extensive experience managing project schedules, resources, risks, and reporting. You will provide overall guidance and serve as an escalation point for Dynamics development team members. Additionally, you will support customers and end-users in defining requirements based on the latest Dynamics 365 architecture to ensure the success of the project. You will develop implementation plans and roadmaps, setting the standard for future development and ensuring the architecture integrates smoothly with existing infrastructure. The role focuses on high security, high performance, and responsiveness, transforming the technology supporting at-risk children and families within the state.

Job Responsibilities:

• Facilitate SAFe Scrum ceremonies and participate in Agile Release Train (ART) events, such as PI Planning, System Demos, and Inspect & Adapt.
• Coach Scrum teams (8 to 13 members) on SAFe’s Lean-Agile principles and foster a continuous learning culture.
• Remove impediments and collaborate with Technical Program Manager and Product Managers from the Client to resolve larger cross-team blockers.
• Promote cross-team and ART collaboration to ensure alignment with Program Increment (PI) objectives.
• Collaborate with Product Management teams to align team efforts with business objectives and product roadmaps.
• Assist in backlog refinement and feature breakdown to align with PI goals.
• Monitor progress using SAFe metrics and tools (Azure DevOps, Jira) for both team and program-level tracking.
• Coordinate dependencies across teams and participate in Scrum of Scrums to ensure cross-team alignment.
• Drive continuous improvement through Inspect & Adapt workshops and foster Lean thinking within teams.
• Ensure compliance with SAFe and Lean-Agile practices in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation.
• Collaborate with Technical Program Managers, Product Management teams, and other Scrum Masters to optimize flow across the ART.

Required Skills:

• Agile & SAFe Expertise: Strong understanding of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and SAFe 6.0 framework, with the ability to facilitate Scrum events and larger SAFe ceremonies (e.g., PI Planning).
• Microsoft Dynamics Knowledge: Experience in implementing, customizing, and integrating Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM and ERP solutions), with a good grasp of its architecture and deployment processes.
• Team Facilitation & Leadership: Proven ability to lead Agile teams, foster collaboration, and empower team members to be self-organizing, while actively removing impediments.
• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent communication and collaboration skills for working effectively with Technical Program Managers, Product Management, and other stakeholders to align on objectives.
• Impediment Removal: Skilled in identifying blockers and resolving them quickly to keep the team focused and progressing toward sprint goals without disruptions.

Beneficial Skills (But Not Required):

• Backlog Management: Experience working closely with Product Owners to refine and prioritize the product backlog, ensuring that items are aligned with business objectives and ready for development.
• Technical Tools: Proficiency in using project management tools like Azure DevOps, Jira, and collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams and SharePoint for reporting, tracking, and dependency management.
• Continuous Improvement: A commitment to continuous improvement, using retrospectives and Lean principles to drive better team performance and workflow optimization.
• Metrics & Reporting: Ability to track and interpret key Agile metrics (velocity, burn-down charts, flow efficiency) to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement.
• Stakeholder Management: Strong ability to manage relationships with stakeholders, ensuring expectations are aligned and progress updates are communicated transparently.
• Adaptability & Flexibility: Ability to adapt to changing environments and priorities, helping the team adjust and stay on track in dynamic and evolving business conditions.
• Certifications in relevant technologies or methodologies (e.g., Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) – by Scaled Agile or Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals)
• Previous experience with Call Center Software projects, integrations, or initiatives is a plus!
• Previous experience working on large-scale transformation projects.