Scrum Master SME

Scrum Master SME

Location: Falls Church, VA – Hybrid Remote Eligibility: Candidate must possess an active Secret Clearance

Job Description: Release Train Engineer (RTE) & Scrum Master

Turn complexity into clarity and deliver innovative applications as a Release Train Engineer (RTE) & Scrum Master. The work you'll do will be to lead and coordinate Agile excellence through SAFe practices, Agile coaching, program execution, scrum team management and release train management with a particular focus on technically complex programs, cross-system integration, and DevOps enablement practices. The role emphasizes driving IT modernization, aligning engineering teams with business goals, and ensuring technically scalable and high-performance solutions.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Alignment:
• • Drive organizational change during Agile transformations and ensure alignment with enterprise objectives and strategic priorities.
  • Serve as a change agent to build nimble, adaptive organizations focused on delivering measurable business value.
  • Lead SAFe adoption and enterprise-level Agile practices.
  • Collaborate with leadership to implement Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) and redefine financial management practices.
  • Establish alignment between SAFe principles and enterprise objectives.
• Program Execution and Coordination:
• • Coordinate complex, cross-team program execution efforts by applying Lean-Agile principles.
  • Facilitate SAFe ceremonies, including PI Planning, I&A workshops, and Scrum of Scrums.
  • Develop program-level roadmaps and ensure alignment with task order requirements.
  • Manage cross-task order feature dependencies.
• Integration and Dependency Management:
• • Oversee task order integration to deliver seamless, fully integrated solutions across systems.
  • Develop integration strategies and facilitate end-to-end testing.
  • Leverage system thinking to identify, manage, and resolve cross-system dependencies across Task Orders and teams.
• Team Enablement and Development:
• • Coach and train Agile teams, stakeholders, and other Scrum Masters in SAFe best practices.
  • Mentor less experienced team members and foster a culture of transparency and high performance.
  • Cultivate Agile coaching strategies and promote continuous learning across teams throughout the organization.
  • Enable teams to adopt DevOps and continuous delivery pipelines as part of their Agile practices.
• Risk and Impediment Management:
• • Proactively identify and resolve risks, bottlenecks, and organizational impediments.
  • Lead Lean problem-solving workshops with stakeholders and teams to tackle systemic challenges.
• Stakeholder and Relationship Management:
• • Act as a liaison between Agile Release Trains (ARTs), business owners, and senior leadership.
  • Foster collaboration across cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
  • Create and strengthen partnerships with external stakeholders to support enterprise system integration and delivery.
• Governance and Compliance:
• • Ensure adherence to organizational standards, SAFe principles, and regulatory requirements.
  • Establish governance frameworks for Lean Portfolio Management, ensuring visibility into enterprise prioritization and resource allocation.
• Metrics and Continuous Improvement:
• • Track performance using Agile metrics and facilitate Agile maturity assessments.
• DevOps and Delivery Optimization:
• • Advocate DevOps practices (e.g., automation, continuous delivery pipelines) across teams and task orders.
  • Develop strategies to integrate Agile practices with DevOps approaches, driving faster and more reliable delivery cycles.

Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Business, or related discipline.

Certifications preferred:

• SAFe Program Consultant (SPC)
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

Experience:

• 10 years experience with 5+ years in roles such as Scrum Master, RTE, or Agile Coach, with at least 4 years in complex environments.
• Proven experience in leading enterprise-wide SAFe transformations and establishing strategic alignment across multiple ARTs/ Task Orders/ Teams.
• Proven record of leading enterprise Agile transformations and implementing SAFe, Scrum, Kanban, and Lean frameworks.
• Advanced certifications such as SAFe Scrum Master (SSM), SAFe Agilist (SA), or Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM).
• Expertise in Lean Portfolio Management and Agile tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Rally).
• Strong ability to engage and influence senior leadership.
• Experience coaching enterprise teams through cultural shifts and Agile maturity.
• Demonstrated success with facilitating large-scale Agile ceremonies (e.g., PI Planning, Stakeholder Demos).
• Expertise in DevOps practices and tools (e.g., GitLab, ServiceNow, Azure IT Service Management).
• Deep understanding of Agile coaching techniques and team enablement strategies.
• Experience leading organizations during IT modernization and Agile-at-scale portfolio transformations.

• Clearance: Active security clearance required.