Scrum Master

Job Title: Scrum Master
Job Duration: 8 months
Job Type: Contract

Job Description: As a Scrum Master, you will be instrumental in driving Agile processes and facilitating collaboration within AIMCo's technology and business teams. This role is essential in ensuring that Agile principles are adhered to and that the team operates at maximum efficiency. You will work closely with Product Owners, stakeholders, and development teams to promote Agile best practices, remove roadblocks, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Your focus will be on driving high-performance teams, ensuring smooth execution of Agile ceremonies, and promoting a collaborative, transparent environment.

In this role, you will serve as a servant leader, guiding the team to deliver high-value increments while adhering to Agile principles. You will also be expected to actively contribute to AIMCo's ongoing Agile transformation, advocating for Agile adoption across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facilitate Agile Ceremonies: Lead and facilitate key Agile ceremonies such as Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Planning, Retrospectives, and Sprint Reviews. Ensure active participation and that the team follows Agile processes to align with project goals and timelines.
• Coach and Mentor Teams: Provide coaching and guidance to the development teams, Product Owners, and stakeholders on Agile best practices. Foster a culture of self-organization and accountability to ensure the team works efficiently and effectively.
• Remove Impediments: Identify and proactively remove obstacles or impediments that hinder the team's progress. Work to resolve issues that affect team productivity, ensuring they can focus on delivering high-quality work.
• Collaborate with Product Owners: Work closely with Product Owners to ensure the product backlog is well-groomed, prioritized, and aligned with the team's capacity. Ensure that the backlog items are clearly defined and ready for execution in upcoming sprints.
• Promote Transparency and Visibility: Track and communicate team progress, maintaining transparency in the team's activities and status. Use metrics and visual aids (e.g., burndown charts) to keep stakeholders informed and facilitate decision-making.
• Act as a Servant Leader: Guide the team in delivering high-value increments while fostering a mindset of continuous improvement. Lead by example and embody Agile principles, supporting the team's needs and encouraging ownership of deliverables.
• Facilitate Cross-Team Coordination: Ensure smooth communication and collaboration between different teams, especially in larger initiatives that involve multiple teams. Manage dependencies between teams to minimize delays and ensure alignment.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Lead retrospective meetings and ensure that insights from retrospectives are used to improve processes, team performance, and overall outcomes. Encourage a mindset of learning and adaptability to drive the team's evolution.
• Support Agile Transformation: Play a key role in AIMCo's Agile transformation efforts by promoting the benefits of Agile practices and advocating for its adoption across the organization. Support leadership and teams in overcoming resistance to change and achieving full Agile maturity.

Mandatory Requirements:

• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification: Preferred to demonstrate expertise and commitment to Agile methodologies.
• 3+ years of experience as a Scrum Master in Agile environments, with a proven track record of leading successful Agile teams.
• Strong understanding of Agile frameworks: Including Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, or other relevant frameworks, and how to implement them effectively in diverse environments.
• Excellent facilitation and communication skills: Ability to lead meetings, workshops, and discussions effectively, while maintaining stakeholder engagement and ensuring clarity in communication.
• Adaptability: Ability to work both individually and as part of a team in a dynamic and rapidly changing environment.
• Proficiency with Agile tools: Such as Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar project management tools to support the tracking and execution of Agile projects.
• Collaboration in fast-paced environments: Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment while maintaining a positive and solution-oriented approach.

Desired Attributes:

• Experience in financial services or investment management: Knowledge of financial processes, investment portfolios, or similar financial systems will be an asset, given AIMCo's business focus.
• Experience leading development teams using technologies like Azure Databricks, dbt, Microsoft Power BI, or other relevant tools for data management, analytics, and reporting will be beneficial for understanding technical team challenges.