Midrand: Agile Project Lead_Scrum Master MPESA posted by Tower Group

About the Role

As an Agile Project Lead/Scrum Master at Tower Group, you will be responsible for facilitating Scrum events, guiding teams on Agile principles and Scrum practices, and promoting Agile values within the organization. You will also lead technical teams, provide technical guidance and mentorship, and drive initiatives to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitating Scrum Events:
• Effectively plan and facilitate all Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily scrums, sprint reviews, and sprint retrospectives.
• Agile principles and Scrum practices:
• Guide the team on Agile principles and Scrum practices, fostering self-organization and continuous improvement.
• Promoting Agile Values:
• Champion and embed Agile values and principles within the team and the wider organization
• Agile Technical Focus:
• Actively participate in PI Planning, contributing to the definition of PI Objectives and the Program Increment plan from a technical perspective.
• Understanding the Product Vision:
• Align project activities with the overall product vision and roadmap.
• Contributing to Product Strategy:
• Provide technical insights and customer feedback to inform product strategy and prioritization.
• Iteration Planning & Execution:
• Develop and manage detailed iteration plans and execution within the Sprint, aligning with the overall PI plan.
• Initiative Planning and Definition:
• Define the scope, objectives, and deliverables in alignment with business goals and product strategy.
• Integration of Methodologies:
• Apply a hybrid approach, blending Agile and traditional project management methodologies as appropriate for the project and organizational context.
• Initiation:
• Participate in project initiation activities, including defining the business case and project charter.
• Execution:
• Oversee the execution of project tasks, ensuring adherence to the plan and managing any deviations. Develop and maintain detailed project schedules, track progress against milestones, and manage dependencies
• Release Management (Technical Aspects):
• Collaborate with product owners and development teams on release planning and execution.
• Post-Release Support (Technical Aspects):
• May be involved in providing technical support and addressing issues in post-release phases. Ensure proper project closure, including final deliverables, documentation, and necessary ceremonies like Inspect an adapt, sprint review and sprint retrospective
• Gathering Feedback for Product Improvement:
• Channel customer feedback and technical insights to inform future product development and improvements.
• Resource Coordination :
• Coordinate and manage technical resources within the team(s) to achieve iteration and PI objectives.
• Technical Dependencies Management :
• Identify and manage technical dependencies within the team and with other teams within the ART and other external stakeholders.
• Risk Management:
• Identify, assess, and mitigate potential project risks and issues Monitor risks and issues, and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Removing Impediments:
• Identify and remove obstacles and roadblocks that hinder the team’s progress.
• Quality Assurance:
• Ensure that project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
• Budget Management:
• Monitor and control project budgets, ensuring adherence to financial constraints
• Budget Awareness (Technical Aspects within SAFe):
• Be aware of the budgetary constraints related to technical implementation within the PI.
• Documentation :
• Ensure the creation and maintenance of relevant team-level and technical documentation aligned with SAFe practices. Create and maintain comprehensive workstream documentation, including workstream plans, status reports, and lessons learned.
• Tracking and Reporting:
• Monitor and report on team progress, sprint burndown, and other relevant Agile metrics.
• Stakeholder Communication & Management:
• Maintain clear and consistent communication with stakeholders within the ART, providing regular updates on team progress and technical considerations. Facilitating Communication to Ensure clear and transparent communication within the team and with all other stakeholders.
• Protecting the Team:
• Shield the team from external distractions and ensure a focused and productive environment.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban)
• Solid foundation in traditional project management principles and practices
• Excellent technical acumen and understanding of software development processes
• Proven ability to lead and motivate technical teams
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills
• Strong problem-solving and conflict resolution abilities
• Customer-centric mindset and a passion for understanding customer needs
• Ability to navigate complex organizational structures
• Strong organizational and time management skills

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field
• Extensive experience (typically 7+ years) in software development or a related technical role with increasing responsibility
• Proven experience (typically 5+ years) leading technical projects and teams, preferably within a scaled Agile environment
• Strong experience (typically 3+ years) facilitating Agile teams using Scrum, ideally within SAFe
• Deep understanding of Agile principles, Scrum framework, and the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
• Solid technical background with expertise in software development, system architecture, and relevant technologies