Scrum Master

Note: This is a 100% remote role for candidates based in the Washington D.C. Metro Area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia). Candidates outside the DMV area must confirm their willingness to relocate if ever required for occasional on-site work (2-3 days)—although this is highly unlikely, as the work has historically been fully remote, even pre-COVID.

About the role:

This role combines the responsibilities of both a Scrum Master and a Business Analyst, requiring an individual to guide agile teams and ensure effective project execution.

As Scrum Master, the individual will lead all sprint ceremonies, including daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives, and reviews. They will also oversee sprint pre-planning and collaborate with cross-functional teams to manage interdependencies during quarterly planning. A key part of this role involves active participation in backlog management and refinement, ensuring alignment between Product Owners, Business Partners, Developers, and Testers to shape and prioritize the Product Backlog.

In the Business Analyst capacity, the individual will gather and analyze requirements, refine user stories, and manage their progression through the development process. This includes addressing ad hoc queries and providing clear direction to development and support teams regarding user stories and functionality.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Leading sprint ceremonies and facilitating cross-team collaboration
• Supporting Quarterly Planning by coordinating with integrated teams on dependencies
• Managing and refining the product backlog in partnership with stakeholders
• Gathering and analyzing requirements, ensuring the clear evolution of user stories
• Providing guidance and clarification to development and support teams

Required Skills: 

Certified Scrum Master with extensive experience in the following areas:

• Analyzing and documenting system capabilities, conducting requirements gathering sessions, and analyzing data to identify issues or questions
• Providing status updates and recommendations to product owners and management
• Developing detailed requirements documentation, including User Stories, System Requirements, Use Cases (preferably using the Gherkin method), and Acceptance Criteria
• Understanding of screen and user interface designs (wireframes), front-end test documentation (Sprint Reviews), user guides/online help documentation, release notes, end-user communication, and training materials
• Experience with Agile processes and Scrum ceremonies, including backlog refinement, sprint planning, mid-sprint reviews, sprint demos, and retrospectives
• Conducting story analysis to determine conditions of satisfaction, outlining the impact on other systems, projects, domains, and operational teams
• Managing the evolution of User Stories and other backlog items, including breaking down stories, facilitating discussions, and leading story refinement sessions
• Knowledge of Agile Software Development frameworks, such as Scaled Agile, Scrum, and Kanban
• Collaborating effectively with Product Owners, Business Partners, developers, and testers to build and define the Product Backlog
• Providing clarification and direction to development, testing, and support teams regarding user stories and functionality
• Anticipating, mitigating, and resolving risks and conflicts across workgroups
• Expertise in JIRA, Confluence, and Atlassian Administrator functions
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Teams

Preferred Skills: 

• Experience working in a federal government agency
• Ability to learn quickly, demonstrating initiative and attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with a proven ability to develop presentation materials and lead team meetings and sessions
• Exceptional skills in building and maintaining client and stakeholder relationships
• Ability to manage competing priorities while consistently meeting deadlines and remaining adaptable to changing circumstances
• Motivated, flexible, and a strong team player
• Proficiency in LucidSpark

Salary range: Salary Range: $104.000 - 116.000

Benefits: 

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental Insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance