Scrum Master

Scrum Master Job Description

The Tech Applications Services team supports, enhances and develops IT systems that serve various financial purposes. The systems run on a variety of platforms including distributed components, web front ends, databases, Windows and Linux servers and middleware technologies.

Provide high energy Agile facilitation for 3–5 cross functional development teams delivering financial / payment capabilities across mainframe, distributed, and cloud platforms in a large Government environment. Conduct scrum ceremonies and teach Agile best practice. Make the process engaging, value-focused, and predictable.

Guide multiple development teams to maintain clear sprint goals, manage cross team dependencies, and continuously improve delivery flow and team engagement.

• Minimum of eight (8) years' relevant experience.
• 5+ years Scrum Master / Agile facilitation (2+ years with multiple concurrent development teams).
• Ability to quickly grasp business and technical requirements, understand or learn technical jargon and government acronyms, produce communication for all levels of the organization.
• Proficient with Version One / Agility (or comparable tool) for boards, dependencies, impediments, and lightweight rollup reporting.
• Proven ability to keep ceremonies purposeful, timeboxed, and engaging (planning, daily, refinement, review, retro).
• Demonstrated success by reducing carryover, aging blockers, and decision latency without adding heavy process.
• Ability to coach backlog readiness (thin vertical slices, clear acceptance criteria, limited WIP).
• Hold teams accountable to sizing activities to ensure project end dates can be projected.
• Manage over and under talkers in ceremonies.
• Ability to schedule, track, and manage meetings.

• Facilitate core Agile events and lightweight cross-team syncs; maintain sprint goal clarity.
• Make Agile "feel useful” via energetic, varied, participatory ceremonies (not rote compliance).
• Track and drive resolution of impediments (environment, integration, data, approvals) across platforms.
• Coordinate cross-team and cross-platform dependencies (batch windows vs deployment timing, integration points).
• Maintain visible radiators: sprint goals, impediment log, experiment tracker, simple metrics (goal attainment %, carryover, blocker aging).
• Coach Product Owners / Client and tech leads on prioritization, slicing, and readiness.
• Drive 1–2 small improvement experiments per team per sprint; follow through to closure.
• Foster psychological safety, inclusive participation, and sustainable pace.

• Uses creative retros (rotating formats) and lightweight recognition of small wins.
• Introduces tasteful micro‑gamification (e.g., blocker bust streaks) to energize without distracting.
• Encourages rotating spokespeople and silent ideation rounds to amplify quieter voices.

• Sprint goals achieved &Client;80–85% without overtime spikes.
• Declining trend in blocker aging and repeat impediments within first 2–3 months.
• Story/task carryover trending toward