Scrum Master - Associate Manager

Job Description

Role Overview
The Scrum Leader acts as a servant-leader, guiding the team in applying Scrum principles and practices effectively.
. Leads by example with humility and a commitment to Agile values
. Facilitates Scrum events, ensuring they are productive and timeboxed
. Proactively identifies and helps resolve obstacles
. Serves as an escalation path for impediments and ensures resolution
. Supports the team in maintaining momentum and focus
. Owns the board health - ensures the stories, tasks et al are managed and maintained
. Owns Definition of Ready e.g., will own whether a story or task is ready to be refined by the team

Key Responsibilities:
Scrum Events
. Ensure all Scrum ceremonies occur consistently and are well-attended
. Clarify the purpose and goals of each ceremony
. Facilitate inclusive dialogue and participation
. Prepare and guide Sprint Planning and Refinement sessions
. Maintain accurate tools and documentation (e.g., Jira boards)
Board health
. Responsible to ensure the board is up to date and represents a direct reflection of where the work is in terms of progression
. Owns whether issues are ready for refinement
. Owns whether a sprint is ready to start
Impediment Removal
. Identify and work towards resolving blockers to team progress
. Partner with the product owner and external stakeholders to resolve issues
Stakeholder Engagement
. Represent the team in Scrum of Scrums and other cross-team forums
. Foster collaboration and transparency with stakeholders
Performance Monitoring
. Understand and track team velocity
. Coach the team on using velocity data for planning
. Facilitate discussions when velocity deviates from norms
Sprint Success Communication
. Communicate changes in scope, ad hoc requests, or resource constraints
. Protect the team's focus and ensure alignment on sprint goals
Process Improvement
. Integrate best practices from other Advarra teams and training
. Monitor team morale and guide conflict resolution
. Promote continuous learning and Agile innovation
Team Support
. Mentor the team in Agile and Scrum practices
. Encourage self-organization and cross-functionality
. Facilitate conflict resolution and team collaboration

Authority
. Empower the team to make decisions
. Request stakeholder support to resolve impediments
. Challenge the team and organization to improve continuously
. Manage the health of the product board, sprint and backlog refinement readiness inline with sprint refinement expectation

Success Metrics
. Consistent execution of Scrum events
. Reduction in recurring impediments
. High team satisfaction and engagement

Collaboration
. Partner with Product Owners to ensure backlog clarity
. Share insights and practices with other Scrum Leaders and Agile Coaches

Review & Adaptation
. This charter will be reviewed quarterly
. Updates will be based on team and stakeholder feedback to ensure ongoing relevance

Mandatory Competencies