Scrum Master (IT / Junior) at Santam Insurance

JOB DESCRIPTION

• The role of the Scrum Master to support the Agile team as a team-based servant leader, who coaches, supports and reinforces the core Agile philosophy, principles and practices 
• This role will consistently collaborate with the Product Owner, outside stakeholders and other third parties, protecting the team from uncontrolled injection of work and/or changing priorities (Shields the team from outside interference).  
• This role will act as a servant leader to the Scrum Team and organisation, helping them to adopt Scrum and drive agility within Santam. 
• This role operates within the BITS environment, working on products and features that is utilised by the Santam Group.  
• BITS has introduced Agile for delivery of software projects and various teams are at different levels of maturity and thus are not at a matured state of delivery and practices.  
• The Agile methodology and its roles are also at introductory levels within the broader Santam landscape and BITS is driving adoption thereof with support mechanisms including training and various support channels and communities.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Exhibits a Lean-Agile leadership and behaviour mindset.

• Coaches the team to embrace core Agile values, reinforcing Agile principles and practices.
• The Scrum Master ensures that Scrum practices and rules are followed and help the team adhere to Scrum values and principles. 
• Scrum Master is not expected to drive technological decisions nor its external delivery, but is required to understand the scope, quality & delivery framework of any upcoming enabler work sequencing them with the team’s delivery.
• Fosters a culture of delivery quality improvements, technical discipline, expertise by supporting relevant communities of practice

Facilitates the agile ceremonies

• Product Backlog Refinement (Main input from PO) (Facilitated by PO)
• Sprint Planning (Ensures that it takes place)
• Daily Scrum (Ensures that it takes place) / 
• Represents team at Scrum of Scrums (SoS)
• Creating transparency through metrics (through use of tools such as Jira, Confluence)
• Sprint review and End-of-Sprint (Facilitated by PO and Dev team)
• Sprint Retrospective and implement improvements that arise.  This also includes escalation to management as applicable

Agile/Scrum Team:

• Focuses on continuous improvement of team dynamics, efficiencies and performance.  Help the team deliver at a velocity that is acceptable/contracted as at the beginning of the sprint and based on the expected burn down velocity.
• Helps the team manage intra-personal conflicts, challenges, and opportunities for growth
• Escalates people problems and non-performance to line management as appropriate
• Assist the self-organising, multi-skilled Agile team to achieve its delivery goals through effective collaboration and delivery of velocity & Sprint goals, team ownership, estimation (predictability) and flow.
• Guides the team in establishing normalised US estimating and larger release features and epics 
• Help the team identify and eliminate blockers (impediments) or escalate as appropriate, and facilitating flow
• When blockers are beyond the team’s control or authority demanding support from people outside the team, the Scrum Master actively addresses these issues so that the team can remain focused
• Facilitates that the software development team members adopt the correct software engineering practices
• Liaise with stakeholders to identify any challenges and/or opportunities with regard to process improvement and work with all the relevant stakeholder to address those concerns and/or opportunities appropriately. – Scrum Master ensures that continuous improvements happen within the team and any impediments will be taken up with stakeholders
• It is expected of the scrum master to be a coach to the Dev Team and the PO as well as the rest of the organisation as applicable within the agile delivery Framework.

Supports the Product Owner:

• Helps Product Owner with planning and facilitates a vigorous intra-team dynamic and collaboration
• Facilitates the establishment of Team Working Agreements, Definition or Ready (DoR) and Definition of Done (DoD).
• Help to understand the need for clear backlog items and how to arrange the product backlog to maximise value
• Helps the Scrum Team determine the Sprint Goal.
• Finding techniques for effective backlog management and grooming

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• ±6 Years Agile experience 
• 2 - 4 years being a Scrum Master 
• Certified Scrum Professional (CSM, PSM I or similar recognised certification)
• Advantageous: Change Management, Process Management
• •A formal degree qualification is advantageous