Scrum Master

Licensed sponsor London Full-time Posted 1 day ago

We are seeking an experienced Scrum Master / Team Coach to support two or three agile squads within our Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) delivery environment. As a servant leader and coach, you will help the squads deliver predictably, improve continuously and work effectively as part of a wider Agile Release Train (ART).

The role owns the process, not the content. You will facilitate the squads’ events, coach SAFe Scrum and Kanban practices, clear impediments and cross-team dependencies, and help each squad grow towards self-management, so that your time shifts from running events to coaching as the squads mature.

Working across several squads, you will be a visible presence on the ART: collaborating with the Release Train Engineer, Product Leads, Technology Leads, the Programme Manager and other Scrum Masters, and making sure the delivery data and risks the programme needs are accurate and timely.

YOUR FUTURE RESPONSIBILITIES

Facilitation & Team Events

· Facilitate sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews and retrospectives for each squad, keeping them focused, timeboxed and inclusive.

· Prepare the squads for PI Planning and facilitate their breakouts, draft plans, PI objectives and risk identification, working with the Release Train Engineer and other Scrum Masters.

· Prepare the squads for the ART system demo and make sure key risks are flagged.

· Help each squad set clear sprint goals and meet its commitments.

· Coach the squads to run their own events over time, rotating facilitation so that your focus moves to coaching.

Coaching & Building High-Performing Squads

· Coach squad members, Product Leads and Technology Leads in SAFe Scrum, SAFe Team Kanban and Lean-Agile practices.
· Coach a strong definition of done and built-in quality, including test automation, continuous integration and release practices.
· Coach rather than direct: help people find their own answers and develop a continuous learning mindset.
· Build trust and psychological safety, navigate conflict early and fairly, and make sure quieter voices are heard.
· Run regular squad self-assessments, such as the Team and Technical Agility assessment, and help the squads act on the results.

Flow, Impediments & Dependencies

· Take ownership of impediments, following up and escalating to the right person quickly when a squad cannot resolve them itself.
· Identify and manage cross-squad and cross-team dependencies, working with other Scrum Masters at Coach Sync and ART sync.
· Use flow metrics, such as flow time, flow load and PI predictability, to find bottlenecks, reduce waste and improve flow.
· Protect the squads’ focus from interruptions, while staying out of loading stories, setting priorities or assigning work.

Transparency & Delivery Data

· Keep Jira boards, backlogs and dashboards accurate so that progress, risks and impediments are visible to everyone.
· Provide accurate, honest delivery data and early warning of risk to the Programme Manager and the Release Train Engineer.
· Track sprint goals and PI objectives for each squad, and help explain and learn from any variances.

Continuous Improvement & the ART

· Facilitate useful retrospectives and make sure improvement actions are tracked and completed.
· Contribute to Inspect and Adapt, including the problem-solving workshop.
· Share good practice with other Scrum Masters and contribute to the Scrum Master community of practice.
· Help the squads adopt AI-assisted tools responsibly, including reviewing AI output and keeping its use within privacy, security and transparency rules.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

· Proven experience as a Scrum Master or Team Coach supporting more than one agile team at the same time, ideally two or three.
· Strong working knowledge of SAFe, including PI Planning, ART events, PI objectives, Coach Sync and Inspect and Adapt.
· Experience coaching Scrum and Kanban practices, a strong definition of done and built-in quality.
· A skilled facilitator, able to run engaging, outcome-focused events both in person and remotely.
· Experience removing impediments and managing cross-team dependencies in a multi-team environment.
· Practical experience of Jira and Confluence, including boards, dashboards and agile reporting, and of using flow metrics.
· Strong coaching, conflict management and communication skills, with the ability to influence without authority.

Desirable

· SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) or SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM) certification; PSM or CSM are also welcome.
· Experience in financial services, ideally fund administration, alternative investments or asset servicing.
· Experience of working with distributed or non-co-located squads, and with suppliers.
· Experience of delivery in a regulated environment with evidence and control requirements.
· Experience of coaching teams through AI-assisted ways of working.
· An agile coaching qualification, such as ICAgile Certified Professional in Agile Coaching (ICP-ACC).