Scrum Master

We are looking for a Scrum Master with good knowledge of Agile frameworks (Crystal, XP etc.) to coordinate and coach our software development team.

A scrum master helps oversee the scrum and development team, knowledgeable in Agile methodology and scrum and able to educate others.

Scrum mater acts as a buffer between the scrum team and product owner and maintain a safe working environment for the team by helping with conflict resolution.

To work as a scrum master, you need to hold some level of scrum master certification. Any experience working on a scrum team is beneficial, and the more experience the better. You will need to be able to think fast to help solve problems. Communication skills are a plus, as you will be communicating with the development and scrum teams and product owner. Leadership skills are a must as well.

What you will do as a Scrum Master Do?

Key responsibilities:

Facilitate the Scrum process: Ensures that the Scrum process is rigorously followed by the team. This includes conducting Scrum ceremonies such as Sprint Planning, Daily Standup, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.

Remove impediments: The Scrum Master is responsible for identifying and removing any impediments that may be preventing the team from delivering value. This could include anything from technical issues to team dynamics.

Coach the team: The Scrum Master is responsible for coaching the team on Scrum principles and practices. This includes helping the team to self-organize, and to continuously improve their processes.

Protect the team: The Scrum Master is responsible for protecting the team from outside distractions and interruptions. This allows the team to focus on their work and deliver value.

Facilitate communication: The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that there is clear communication between the team, the Product Owner, and any other stakeholders.

Ensure transparency: The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that the team's progress is transparent to all stakeholders. This includes maintaining a visible product backlog and burn-down chart.

Scrum Master Responsibilities

1. Implement Project Management/Best Practices
The Scrum Master is responsible for creating and onboarding project teams, integrating them into the organization and providing a clear vision of the product. The Scrum Master also facilitates communication and information exchange between external groups and the project team. They also monitor project progress, provide timely feedback, and drive a culture of agility and learning.

2. Keep all Parties on Track and Informed
Hosts daily team meetings to get updates on the progress of the project, address potential roadblocks, and ensure that the project is on track. They also host regular sessions to share updates with product stakeholders about how the project is progressing (or not). Ultimately, it’s a Scrum Master’s job to ensure that the team is meeting deadlines with the desired outcome.

3. Introduce Agile Engineering Practices
To improve efficiency, Scrum Masters encourage the use of continuous integration (CI) and automation. With CI tools, developers integrate chunks of code into a central repository frequently, from which automated builds and tests run in successive iterations. This repeatable approach reduces the risk, time, and effort associated with traditional development methods. For instance, if a bug appears in one build, it can quickly be fixed in the next. Another agile technique Scrum Masters advocate is “pair programming”, where two developers collaborate in real-time and at the same workstation. Altogether, these practices reduce development time and improve the architecture and quality of the product.

4. Coach Team Members
Serves as the coach for the development team and the product owner. Ensure that the team is adequately trained to understand Agile processes, the team members know their specific roles and are dedicated to the project. Makes sure that the teams are self-managed and constantly look for ways to improve team performance and productivity.

5. Host Daily Stand-up Meetings
Keeps the team organized and on track by hosting daily stand-up meetings, sprint planning meetings, sprint reviews, etc. In these brief meetings, teams discuss their accomplishments, what they’re planning to do on that day, and if they are facing any obstacles while completing the tasks. It’s the Scrum Master’s duty to ensure that all team members, even those working remotely can attend and participate in the meetings.

6. Assist the Product Owner With the Product Backlog
Product backlog refers to the list of tasks that the team needs to do. It is the product owner’s responsibility to create and maintain the product backlog, which keeps changing based on current status of the work and development needs. As the Scrum Master, you will help the product owner refine and maintain the backlog by using information gathered from standup meetings. They schedule review meetings and prioritize work on user stories.

7. Remove Roadblocks
The Scrum Master helps the team stay focused on tasks needed to be done in each iteration. For this, the Master removes any distractions or roadblocks that can hinder the progress of the team. For instance, if team members are forced into attending too many unimportant meetings, that can hamper work. The Scrum Master can coordinate with the meeting organizers to ensure only those members who are absolutely essential are required to attend each meeting. Alternatively, if someone from the team is being asked to work on multiple teams, the Scrum Master can collaborate with product owners and stakeholders to ensure the workload is redistributed.

8. Teach Scrum Practices and Principles
The Scrum Master is well proficient in key Scrum practices and processes. You will play the role of a mentor to ensure smooth onboarding of new employees and team members. help new members understand the scope and vision of a product and ensures work does not slow down, make sure that the team follows Scrum practices and rules while working, teach the team ways to stay self-organized and focused, which in turn improves productivity.

Requirement

Candidate must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field to be considered for a Scrum Master job role. Working knowledge of Agile methodology and frameworks is also preferred.

Scrum Master Certifications desirable.