Senior Scrum Master

Overview:

The Senior Scrum Master provides servant-leadership and advanced Agile coaching to two highly interdependent teams within the Commercial Lending Loan Market Solutions Agile Release Train (ART). This role requires a seasoned Agile practitioner who can operate beyond ceremony facilitation, helping teams align delivery execution with quarterly program objectives, manage dependencies, and proactively mitigate risks across multiple workstreams.

The successful candidate will demonstrate hands-on delivery experience in technology (e.g., development, QA, or analysis), deep knowledge of Scaled Agile (SAFe) practices, and the ability to drive progress and accountability in complex enterprise environments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as Scrum Master for two Agile teams within the Loan Market Solutions ART, ensuring effective execution of sprints and alignment to quarterly PI goals.
• Facilitate Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog refinement, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
• Guide teams through PI Planning, pre-PI feature readiness, capacity planning, and risk documentation.
• Manage dependencies, risks, and cross-team coordination across 11 teams within the ART.
• Participate in twice-weekly ART syncs and triad sessions (Scrum Master + Product Owner + Tech Lead) to address risks and prioritize cross-functional deliverables.
• Collaborate with Product Owners and Tech Leads to track progress, manage feature readiness, and ensure alignment between business outcomes and sprint-level activities.
• Mentor and coach team members, focusing on delivery excellence and Agile maturity.
• Partner with other Scrum Masters to promote consistent practices, shared testing cycles, and coordinated release activities.
• Provide visibility into progress and risk via JIRA dashboards, Confluence, and other Agile reporting tools.
• Ensure adherence to organizational risk standards, regulatory controls, and internal governance requirements.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in technology, including at least 2 years as a Scrum Master.
• Prior delivery experience in a technical capacity (Developer, QA, Business Analyst, or similar).
• Proven experience managing multiple Agile teams simultaneously within a Scaled Agile (SAFe) environment.
• Strong understanding of PI Planning, dependency management, and Agile Release Train coordination.
• Expertise in JIRA (absolute requirement) and Confluence.
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to identify, escalate, and resolve complex delivery risks.
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, enterprise setting.

Preferred Qualifications:

• SAFe certification (preferred over standard Scrum certifications).
• Familiarity with Power BI, ServiceNow, or related Agile dashboarding tools.
• Experience with Salesforce-based platforms (helpful but not required).
• Background supporting financial or lending-related technology is a plus, though not mandatory.
• Strong mentoring and leadership abilities, with the confidence to influence senior stakeholders.

Core Skill Set:

• Scaled Agile / SAFe
• PI Planning & Program Coordination
• Dependency and Risk Management
• JIRA / Confluence Expertise

Additional Information:

• Work Location: Onsite in Amherst, NY, 3 4 days per week.
• Work Hours: Team-determined within core business hours. Flexibility may be required to coordinate with offshore resources.
• Team Environment: 11-team Agile Release Train (ART) supporting the Commercial Lending domain; emphasis on collaboration, continuous improvement, and feature delivery.