Agile Coach at Sanlam Group

Job Purpose:

• The Agile Coach is responsible for building, enabling, and scaling organisational agility across Sanlam Life and Savings (SLS) by strengthening the enterprise delivery system.
• Operating as part of the Lean Agile Centre of Excellence (LACE) within the Office of the CTO, the role partners with teams, leaders, and value streams to embed Agile, product, and flow-based ways of working that improve delivery effectiveness, predictability, and value outcomes.

The Agile Coach operates beyond individual teams to:

• Shape and embed enterprise guardrails, patterns, and standards
• Drive system-level improvements across Technology and Business
• Enable the shift from project-based to product- and value-oriented delivery
• The role acts as a change agent and system enabler, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, evidence-based decision-making, and sustainable organisational capability uplift

Role Requirements:

Output/Core Tasks:

Capability Development & Guardrails

• Define, evolve, and maintain enterprise Agile guardrails (e.g., team design, product ownership, ways of working)
• Develop reusable patterns and playbooks (e.g., lean portfolio practices, value stream alignment)
• Ensure guardrails are practical, adaptable, and outcome-focused, avoiding compliance-heavy implementation

Implementation & Enablement

• Support pilots and targeted interventions to embed new ways of working
• Enable teams and leaders to adopt and adapt Agile and product practices effectively
• Translate strategic intent into practical delivery improvements

Coaching Across Levels

• Coach delivery teams on Agile practices, flow optimisation, and continuous improvement

Coach leaders and stakeholders on: 

• Product thinking
• Outcome-based decision-making
• Operating model evolution
• Enable behavioural and mindset shifts required for organisational agility

Flow & Delivery Improvement

• Diagnose and address systemic constraints (e.g., dependencies, WIP overload, slow decision cycles)

Improve flow metrics, including: 

• Cycle time
• Throughput
• Predictability
• Promote visibility of work and data-driven decision-making

Enterprise Alignment & Operating Model Evolution

• Align delivery practices with portfolio and value stream priorities
• Support the transition to product-aligned, long-lived teams
• Influence organisational design and interaction models across Business and Technology

Continuous Improvement & Experimentation

• Embed Lean Startup and Build–Measure–Learn practices
• Facilitate retrospectives and improvement loops at team, programme, and enterprise levels
• Promote a culture of experimentation, learning, and evidence-based improvement

Community & Capability Growth

• Build and enable Communities of Practice across Agile, Product, and Delivery disciplines
• Support training, onboarding, and capability development journeys
• Contribute to internal knowledge sharing and organisational learning

Delivery Support (Where Required)

• Provide coaching support to in-flight initiatives and strategic programmes
• Improve delivery execution without becoming embedded as a delivery resource
• Ensure Agile practices drive meaningful outcomes, not mechanical compliance

What will make you successful in this role?

Experience

Essential

• 3–5+ years’ experience in Agile Coaching, delivery transformation, or similar roles
• Proven experience working in large, complex organisations
• Demonstrated ability to scale Agile practices beyond individual teams

Experience coaching across multiple levels, including: 

• Delivery teams
• Senior stakeholders and leadership

Strong experience in: 

• Agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, Lean, Disciplined Agile)
• Flow-based delivery and continuous improvement practices
• Track record of improving delivery outcomes (flow, predictability, quality)

Advantageous

• Experience in enterprise Agile transformations
• Exposure to product management and product operating models
• Experience influencing or supporting operating model design

Familiarity with: 

• Value stream mapping
• Flow metrics and analytics
• Portfolio and funding models in Agile environments
• Experience in financial services or regulated environments
• Exposure to DevOps and continuous delivery practices

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)

Preferred Certifications:

• Agile certifications (e.g., Certified Scrum Professional, PSM/CSM, Disciplined Agile)
• Coaching or facilitation certifications (advantageous)
• Scaled Agile or Lean certifications (advantageous)

Competencies

Technical & Professional Competencies

Strong knowledge of: 

• Agile, Lean, and product delivery principles
• Flow-based delivery and value stream thinking
• Organisational design (e.g., Team Topologies)

Skilled in: 

• Coaching (team, leadership, system-level)
• Facilitation (workshops, retrospectives, alignment sessions)
• Diagnosing delivery system issues using data and observation
• Ability to translate complex concepts into actionable practices
• Strong capability in data-driven decision-making and flow metrics

Behavioural Competencies

• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing without authority
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills
• Systems thinking and problem-solving ability
• High adaptability and comfort with ambiguity
• Ability to challenge constructively and drive behavioural change

Leadership & Impact Competencies

• Strategic thinking with a strong execution focus
• Ability to operate across team, programme, and enterprise levels
• Outcome-oriented mindset (value over activity)
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building capability
• Commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, and learning

Attributes

• Curious and learning-oriented
• Pragmatic and outcome-driven
• Resilient in complex organisational environments
• Influential without relying on positional authority
• Passionate about customer value and team effectiveness