Scrum Master

Scrum Master

Position Overview

The Scrum Master plays a pivotal role in championing Agile principles and practices, facilitating the successful delivery of software development projects, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement within Unilode. Reporting to the Senior Manager, IT projects or Agile Practice Lead, the Scrum Master is responsible for coaching and guiding Agile teams through the Scrum framework, removing impediments, and ensuring the team’s adherence to Agile values, principles, and ceremonies.

General Responsibilities

Facilitating Scrum Events: The Scrum Master is responsible for facilitating all Scrum events, including Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews, and Sprint Retrospectives. They ensure that these events are conducted effectively and efficiently, fostering collaboration and communication among team members. Removing Impediments: The Scrum Master identifies and removes impediments that hinder the team’s progress. They proactively address issues and roadblocks, enabling the team to focus on delivering value during each Sprint. Coaching and Mentoring: The Scrum Master coaches and mentors the Scrum Team, Product Owner, and stakeholders on Scrum principles, practices, and values. They promote self-organization, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team. Supporting the Product Owner: The Scrum Master supports the Product Owner in maintaining a well-groomed Product Backlog and prioritizing user stories based on business value. They facilitate communication between the Product Owner and the development team, ensuring alignment with the product vision and goals. Shielding the Team: The Scrum Master acts as a shield for the team, protecting them from external disruptions and unnecessary distractions. They create a safe and supportive environment where team members feel empowered to collaborate and innovate. Continuous Improvement: The Scrum Master promotes a culture of continuous improvement within the team and organization. They facilitate Sprint Retrospectives to reflect on past performance and identify opportunities for enhancement. They also encourage the adoption of new tools, techniques, and best practices to optimize the team’s effectiveness. Metrics and Reporting: The Scrum Master monitors key metrics related to team performance, such as Sprint Velocity, Burndown Charts, and Cycle Time. They provide regular updates and reports to stakeholders, highlighting progress, risks, and impediments. Stakeholder Engagement: The Scrum Master engages with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation to gather feedback, manage expectations, and ensure alignment with project objectives. They foster transparent communication and collaboration across departments and functional areas. Role Modelling: The Scrum Master leads by example, embodying the values and principles of Scrum. They demonstrate servant leadership, empathy, and a commitment to continuous learning and professional development. Additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Previous experience working as a Scrum Master or in a similar Agile role is highly beneficial. This could include facilitating Scrum events, coaching teams, and removing impediments. Flexibility and adaptability to navigate changing priorities, evolving requirements, and dynamic team dynamics in an Agile environment. Strong understanding of Scrum principles, practices, and roles, as well as other Agile frameworks and methodologies. Strong leadership capabilities to guide and motivate the team towards achieving their goals, while fostering a collaborative and self-organizing environment. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential for effectively collaborating with team members, stakeholders, and other Scrum Masters. A basic understanding of the technical aspects of software development can be beneficial for effectively supporting the team. Scrum Framework: Strong understanding of the Scrum framework, including roles, ceremonies, and artifacts, tailored to the specific needs and context of Unilode’s projects. Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with Agile principles and methodologies beyond Scrum, such as Kanban, Lean, and DevOps, to support teams in adopting Agile practices effectively. Facilitation Skills: Proficiency in facilitating Scrum events and workshops, ensuring collaboration, focus, and alignment among team members towards achieving project goals. Conflict Resolution: Strong interpersonal skills to address conflicts and promote constructive dialogue within the team, fostering a positive and collaborative working environment. Problem-Solving Abilities: Aptitude for identifying impediments and barriers to team progress and facilitating the resolution of issues through collaboration and creative problem-solving. Technical Acumen: Basic understanding of the technical aspects of software development, enabling effective collaboration with development teams and understanding of technical challenges and solutions. Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities, evolving requirements, and dynamic team dynamics within Unilode’s projects, while maintaining focus on delivering value to customers. Data-Driven Decision Making: Ability to utilize data and metrics to drive decision-making processes, track team performance, and identify areas for improvement in project delivery. Leadership Skills: Demonstrated leadership capabilities to inspire and motivate teams without authority, foster accountability, and promote a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration.

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