Scrum Master

Kforce has a client that is seeking a Senior Scrum Master in Chicago, IL., As Scrum Master, you will play a key role in the definition, development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of Agile practices (with an emphasis on Scrum) within the organization. You will facilitate sprint planning, retrospective, and daily activities related to stand-ups and sprint burn down; as well as maintain relevant metrics that help the team see and understand their progress during a sprint. In this role you’ll own and resolve identified impediments. You will also own the Release planning and related ceremonies and communications. As Scrum Master you are responsible for leading the continual Agile transformation and practices as well as promoting accountability and transparency across all levels of the organization., * Serve as a senior team member, responsible for facilitating the adoption, implementation and sustainability of Agile processes, principles, and practices

• Work as the common thread for business, BA, UX, PM, Quality, Technical architects and other members of development team
• Own the release planning and communication
• Build visualizations for the state of affairs via dashboards, power point reports and communicate to various levels of upper management
• Support Agile teams in their development, playbook creation, and in establishing consistent best practices
• Define relevant metrics that help the program see how they are doing
• Advise on dependency management techniques between internal teams and third parties, release managers, or between Agile teams
• Quickly establish collaborative partnership with key stakeholders and build trust to ensure leadership buy-in across both Business and IT - Become a strategic partner in organizational road mapping and structuring to drive increased ROI, greater adoption and higher transformation success

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent work experience required
• CSM/CSPO Certification or PMI-ACP preferred
• Scrum Practices and understanding of Scaled Agile
• Proficient with common Agile practices
• Proven ability in building effective partnership with diverse groups in multiple locations/environments
• Aptitude for learning and using technology for both teaching and action research
• Able to garner respect throughout the organization at all levels
• Thought Leader - Challenge status quo and grow every day; Able to build trust and earn respect at all levels within the company
• Communicative and facilitative - Able to communicate well with all levels of the organization from Scrum team members to executives; Able to lead and demonstrate value-add principles to a team in a collaborative way and influence employees at all levels
• Assertive - Ensure Agile/Scrum concepts and principles are adhered to, be a voice of reason and authority, make the tough calls and manage conflicts
• Enthusiastic - High-energy and inspire others
• Continuous Improvement - Continually growing ones craft, learning new tools and techniques to manage oneself and a team

Managing with Metrics: *Able to help leaders and teams define clear metrics and coach them to have a data driven approach for decision making

• Willing and able to quickly gain a high-level understanding of the technical and business domains of the Scrum teams
• Outstanding presentation and communication record (conference presentation, professional community events)
• Deep understanding of common Agile practices and better product envisioning and development practices
• Superb conflict resolution and consensus building skills
• Understanding of fundamentals of iterative development, software development processes and procedure

The pay range is the lowest to highest compensation we reasonably in good faith believe we would pay at posting for this role. We may ultimately pay more or less than this range. Employee pay is based on factors like relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, location, performance, union contract and business needs. This range may be modified in the future.

We offer comprehensive benefits including medical/dental/vision insurance, HSA, FSA, 401(k), and life, disability & ADD insurance to eligible employees. Salaried personnel receive paid time off. Hourly employees are not eligible for paid time off unless required by law. Hourly employees on a Service Contract Act project are eligible for paid sick leave.

Note: Pay is not considered compensation until it is earned, vested and determinable. The amount and availability of any compensation remains in Kforce’s sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified in its discretion consistent with the law.