Scrum Master
Addison, TX

Job Description

Description

The Scrum Master is the nexus of project coordination in Elevate's rapidly evolving Agile development environment. Elevate is looking for an experienced Scrum Master to guide development teams to creating the best top-tier financial products. He or she is comfortable with the fast-paced, flexible environment at Elevate, and derives personal and professional satisfaction from creating products that best serve the company's customers.

Essential Functions:

* Serve and support the product owner and development team in their quest to serve Elevate's customers.
* Provide all support to the team lead by example personifying the Scrum and Agile principles.
* Guide and coach the scrum team and organization on how to use Agile/Scrum practices, and on how to get the most out of self-organization.
* Guide and coach both the scrum team and the development team on self-organizing to fill in the intentional gaps left in the Agile/Scrum frameworks.
* Assess the scrum maturity of the team and organization, and coach the team to higher levels of maturity, at a pace that is sustainable and comfortable for the team and organization.
* Remove or guide the team to remove impediments or road blocks.
* Build a trusting and safe environment where problems can be raised without fear retribution, or judgment, with an emphasis on problem solving.
* Facilitate getting work done without coercion, assigning, or dictating the work.
* Facilitate discussion, decision making, and conflict resolution.
* Assist with internal and external communication, improving transparency, and radiating information.
* Support and educate the product owner, especially with respect to refining and managing the product backlog.
* Perform additional duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

* First-level scrum master certification (PSM I, CSM ); second- or third-level scrum master certification a plus (PSM II, PSM III, CSP, CTC)
* Experience playing the scrum master role for at least one year for a software development team; two years' experience a plus
* Experience being on multiple Scrum teams in a variety of different contexts (different team sizes, different organizations, different cultures, co-located vs. distributed, etc.) a must
* Good skills and knowledge of servant leadership, facilitation, situational awareness, conflict resolution, continual improvement, empowerment, and increasing transparency
* Knowledge of numerous, well-documented patterns and techniques for filling in the intentional gaps left in the Scrum approach (e.g., numerous burn-down techniques, retrospective formats, handling bugs, etc.)
* The ability to distinguish between what is and is not Scrum
* Track record of continued and recent education in Scrum, including training, conferences, user groups, self-study, etc., preferred
* Knowledge of other approaches discussed in the Agile space a bonus: XP, Kanban, Crystal, FDD, etc.
* Knowledge and/or experience with widely successful Agile techniques a plus: User Stories, ATDD, TDD, Continuous Integration, Continuous Testing, Pairing, Automated Testing, Agile Games
* Applicable knowledge of the technologies used by the team preferred
* Previous experience as a collaborative leader
* Excellent communication and mentoring skills

Core Traits

* Demonstrates refined written and verbal communication skills, fosters open communications, listens effectively, and builds strong partnership networks that result in consistent forward momentum; has excellent negotiation skills with an ability to orchestrate change through influence
* Highly experienced at solving complex challenges in a directed, methodical, cost-effective, and data-driven manner and has the ability to analyze the current issue to envision creative solutions
* Takes initiative to complete critical tasks, especially in team settings with dependencies on other people
* Works effectively in the face of stress, ambiguity, difficult situations, and shifting priorities all while championing the long-term architectural view
* Steps outside of "comfort zone" to tackle new issues/challenges in an aggressive manner, demonstrates the ability to leverage self-directed learning opportunities, and is comfortable dealing with ambiguity in a fast-paced, cutting-edge, and entrepreneurial environment.
* Challenges the status quo to generate new ideas; is open to challenges and implements unique solutions to solve them; focuses on the best outcome for the company, rather than on ego
* Collaborates and openly seeks and shares information across teams and departments
* Has established experience in his or her technical field and continually augments experience and skills with the latest research results and techniques
* Demonstrates a bold commitment to the total alignment of actions, words, and professional beliefs