Role Summary
The Scrum Master serves as a servant-leader and agile coach for one or more cross-functional software development teams, with deep expertise in combining Scrum ceremonies with Extreme Programming (XP) engineering practices. Unlike a standard Scrum Master, this role also coaches the development team on XP technical practices, bridging the gap between process facilitation and engineering excellence.
Key Responsibilities
- Scrum Facilitation
- Facilitate all Scrum ceremonies: sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives
- Remove impediments and shield the team from external disruptions
- Coach the team on Scrum values, self-organisation, and continuous improvement
- Partner with the Product Owner to maintain a healthy, prioritised backlog
- XP Practice Coaching
- Champion and embed XP practices within the team, including Test-Driven Development (TDD), pair programming, continuous integration, refactoring, and collective code ownership
- Promote Test-Driven Development as a practice for developing code that is simple, maintainable, and well-tested Agilemania
- Guide teams through short iteration cycles with a focus on delivering high-quality, working software
- Coach on sustainable pace and help manage the tension between deadlines and developer well-being
- Agile Coaching Improvement
- Provide servant leadership and mentorship to cross-functional agile teams, strengthening understanding of effective agile practices, theories, and XP ZipRecruiter
- Facilitate continuous feedback loops between the team and stakeholders
- Measure and communicate team velocity, quality metrics, and delivery health
Required Skills Experience
- 5+ years in a Scrum Master or Agile Coach role within software development teams
- Strong knowledge of Agile methodologies including Extreme Programming (XP) and Scrum, as well as experience with design patterns, refactoring, and unit testing ZipRecruiter
- Proven ability to coach developers on TDD, pair programming, and CI/CD practices
- Experience working in short-cycle, iterative delivery environments
- Strong facilitation, conflict resolution, and communication skills
- Expert level in JIRA
Desirable:
- Certified Scrum Master (CSM, PSM I/II) or equivalent
- Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) valuable given the technical coaching dimension
- Familiarity with Kanban, SAFe, or Scrumban as complementary frameworks
- Background in software development (advantageous but not required)
Desired Skills:
- Systems Analysis
- Complex Problem Solving
- Programming/configuration
- Critical Thinking
- Time Management