senior Scrum Master

Scrum Master – Chicago, IL (Hybrid/Onsite)

Location: Chicago
Experience Required: 12+ Years
Employment Type: Full-Time / Contract
Work Model: Hybrid / Onsite (Need-based travel within Chicago)

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Scrum Master with 12+ years of overall IT experience to lead Agile delivery initiatives for enterprise-scale technology programs. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in Agile methodologies, stakeholder management, sprint governance, and cross-functional team coordination. This role requires a servant leader who can drive Agile maturity, remove impediments, and ensure successful delivery of complex projects in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate all Agile ceremonies including Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews, Retrospectives, and Backlog Grooming.
• Guide and coach multiple Scrum teams on Agile/Scrum best practices and frameworks.
• Collaborate with Product Owners, Business Analysts, Developers, QA teams, and leadership stakeholders to ensure alignment on priorities and deliverables.
• Track sprint progress, velocity, burn-down metrics, and release planning activities.
• Identify and remove impediments impacting team productivity and delivery timelines.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and Agile transformation across teams.
• Support program governance, risk management, dependency tracking, and escalation management.
• Ensure adherence to Agile processes, delivery standards, and organizational compliance requirements.
• Coordinate with distributed and cross-functional teams in onsite/offshore delivery models.
• Prepare status reports, dashboards, and executive-level communication for project stakeholders.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 12+ years of overall IT industry experience.
• 5+ years of experience working as a Scrum Master in Agile environments.
• Strong understanding of Agile, Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, and Lean methodologies.
• Experience managing enterprise-scale application development or digital transformation programs.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Hands-on experience with Agile tools such as:
  • Jira
  • Confluence
  • Azure DevOps
• Strong experience in sprint metrics, release planning, dependency management, and Agile reporting.
• Ability to work with geographically distributed teams and senior leadership.
• Excellent problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Scrum certifications such as:
  • Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
  • Professional Scrum Master (PSM)
  • SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)
• Experience in enterprise platforms, cloud technologies, or backend engineering projects is preferred.
• Prior experience in healthcare, finance, retail, or enterprise technology domains is a plus.