Lead Specialist - Agile Coach

Chicago 2 days agoFull-time External
Negotiable
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: - Coach teams, Scrum Masters, and Product Owners on core Agile principles and frameworks (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe). - Facilitate Agile ceremonies (e.g., Sprint Planning, Daily Standups, Reviews, Retrospectives; PI Planning where applicable). - Partner with Product Owners to refine and prioritize backlogs; promote transparency across teams and stakeholders through agreed practices and tooling. - Mentor Scrum Masters and Agile practitioners; support the development of Communities of Practice. - Identify and remove impediments; coordinate cross-team issue resolution and system issues per established pathways. - Advance continuous improvement using flow metrics (e.g., cycle time, throughput, WIP) and actionable insights; encourage consistent use of Jira boards and reporting. - Support alignment between team execution and program objectives; apply established scaled Agile practices within assigned teams and Agile Release Trains (ARTs). - Deliver workshops and training on Agile practices, roles, and tooling (Jira, Confluence, Rally); contribute content to Agile playbooks. - Promote Lean-Agile mindset and servant leadership; provide input to practice guidelines and support the Principal Specialist in codifying governance standards. Minimum Requirements - Bachelor's degree in relevant field of study and 7+ years of relevant professional experience required, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Job Specific Minimum Requirements: - Per customer requirements, United States Citizenship is required. - 5-7+ years of experience working in Agile environments with demonstrated application of Scrum, Kanban, and/or SAFe practices. - Proficiency with Agile management tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Rally). - 3+ years coaching Agile teams, Scrum Masters, and Product Owners in complex environments. - Hands-on experience facilitating core Agile ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Daily Standups, Retrospectives, Reviews; PI Planning where applicable). - Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills a must. Preferred Skills and Qualifications: - SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC) certification. - SAFe certification (e.g., SAFe SPC, SASM, SSM, SA). - Agile certifications (e.g., CSM, CSPO, PSM, KMP, or equivalent). - Experience working in or coaching Agile Release Trains (ARTs). - Prior experience designing and delivering Agile training workshops or Communities of Practice. - Familiarity with enterprise environments undergoing Agile transformation or modernization. - Experience leveraging flow metrics (cycle time, throughput, WIP) to drive continuous improvement. - Ability to identify and resolve team and cross-team impediments and coordinate across organizational pathways. - Experience aligning team execution to program-level objectives within a scaled Agile environment. - Knowledge of Lean-Agile and flow-based principles, including value-stream optimization. - Experience contributing to or developing Agile playbooks, standards, and governance models. - Strong analytical mindset with the ability to turn metrics into actionable insights. - Ability to influence at multiple levels, promoting a servant leadership and continuous-improvement culture. #techjobs #LI-PN1 EEO Statement Maximus is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. Pay Transparency Maximus compensation is based on various factors including but not limited to job location, a candidate's education, training, experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value analysis including seniority and merit systems, as well as internal pay alignment. Annual salary is just one component of Maximus's total compensation package. Other rewards may include short- and long-term incentives as well as program-specific awards. Additionally, Maximus provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and paid time off. Compensation ranges may differ based on contract value but will be commensurate with job duties and relevant work experience. An applicant's salary history will not be used in determining compensation. Maximus will comply with regulatory minimum wage rates and exempt salary thresholds in all instances. Accommodations Maximus provides reasonable accommodations to individuals requiring assistance during any phase of the employment process due to a disability, medical condition, or physical or mental impairment. If you require assistance at any stage of the employment process-including accessing job postings, completing assessments, or participating in interviews, -please contact People Operations at applicantaccom@maximus.com. Minimum Salary $ 157, 900.00 Maximum Salary $ 189, 480.00