Job Description
- Cultivate exceptional team health / culture / environment
Do shy people voice their opinions, actively participate?
Do people consistently offer to help one another out? Ask for help?
Do uncomfortable, healthy conversations occur during retrospectives? (open, real, and safe conversations)
Do people have the freedom / motivation to work on side projects or initiatives that will benefit the team?
Are people at ease with contributing to the Product Backlog?
Does the team self-organize effectively without frequent involvement of the Scrum Master?
Is there a “team captain”? (other than Scrum Master, Product Owner)
Do people feel that they report to one another equally on the team?
Facilitate Scrum ceremonies : Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-Up, Sprint Review, Sprint & Release RetrospectivesHelp to make all work from all team members visibleAssist the team with story effort estimation and task breakdownCreate the team’s task board which acts as a placeholder for conversation (which is continually measured for effectiveness)Holds regular 1 on 1’s with all members of the teamHelp create a Definition of Done & Team Working Agreement (provide support to hold each other accountable)Support the team in delivering on Sprint commitments, and create relevant metrics to track progress & improvements over timeEnsure the team operates within relevant time boxesWork successfully on the essential relationship with their Product OwnerWork effectively with other Scrum MastersWork with Specialist Teams (Technical Services & Support)Liaise with the Delivery Manager, Program Managers, and other IT Sr. Management to help achieve specific goals of the departmentLiaise with the Team SponsorRepresent the team at the Change Approval BoardCommunicate with stakeholders, particularly with agile education (facilitate sessions with them where appropriate)Ensure team is represented at Scrum of Scrums “wall of work”Enable the team to progress towards being a Feature TeamProtect & promote the team, and take pride in team accomplishmentsShield the team from disruptionsEliminate obstacles diligently, both within and external to the teamEncourage the team to find the simplest, most responsible solution that will provide value (technical or otherwise)Promotes volunteerism, team unity, and decisions based on consensusHelps the team to be courageousEnsure the team takes into account the customer experience and are keenly aware of the big pictureHelp the team to articulate risks, pros / cons of choosing one option vs. othersEnsure Sprint Review content has context, relevance for all IT / Business attendeesBe an active participant in SM Community of Practice (CoP). Pair with other SMs as appropriateEncourage other members of the team to be active participants in their CoPQualifications
Must have practical experience with Scrum, specifically with being a servant-leader for a Scrum teamStrong facilitator skillsMust be able to use powerful questions to elicit new ideas & approachesExceptional emotional intelligenceDirect experience with building high performing teamsProficient with active listening skills (multiple levels of listening)Keep up to date with the latest techniques for agile software development, has a presence in the agile communityStrong belief that defects are prioritized to the top of the Product BacklogComfortable with providing honest feedback – within and outside of the teamTake to heart the “Just Start!” approach for software deliveryFamiliar with agile management tools, i.e. Version One, RallyFamiliar with other agile methodologies, i.e. Kanban, XP, LeanUnderstands that agile is a learning process, structure of a learning systemExperience with team progression. Knowledge of Tuckman’s model (Form, Storm, Norm, Perform)Understands goal-oriented change management models such as ADKAR, POOP, and Plan-Do-Check-Act (Deming)Understands the difference between single loop & double loop feedback / learning mechanismsPractical experience with creating a culture of continuous learning & improvementFamiliar with various estimating techniques, i.e. T-shirt sizing, Agile Estimating 2.0Has experience with various story splitting & story mapping techniquesFamiliar with various software development mechanisms : continuous integration, self-service builds, automated deployments, automated unit / integration / functional tests, virtual test environments, source code health (i.e. Sonar), test frameworks (i.e. JUnit, Selenium)Basic knowledge of enterprise architecture and IT governanceHas a willingness to learn, is enthusiastic, flexible, and open-mindedShow initiative, is respectful, tactful, and trustworthyNaturally curious, suspicious, and resourcefulRelevant Bachelor’s degree or diploma (or equivalent training and experience)