Scrum Master
Job Title: Scrum Master Location: McLean, VA Type: Contract-to-Hire Work Model: REMOTE Security Clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a Federal or DoD Public Trust Contact: [email protected] RESPONSIBILITIES Help Agile teams plan, execute, and improve delivery across a complex federal technology environment. Facilitate Scrum events, including sprint planning, daily Scrum, sprint reviews, retrospectives, and backlog refinement sessions. Coach team members on Agile values, Scrum practices, self-management, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Partner with the Product Owner to support clear sprint goals, a transparent and prioritized backlog, and well-understood backlog items. Identify, track, and help remove impediments; escalate issues that require program, stakeholder, or organizational action. Protect the team from unnecessary disruption while promoting productive engagement with stakeholders and dependent teams. Monitor sprint progress, delivery trends, risks, dependencies, and team health using practical Agile metrics and visual management tools. Facilitate conversations that resolve conflict, clarify expectations, and strengthen collaboration across business and technical participants. Coordinate cross-team dependencies and support release planning, demonstrations, testing readiness, and incremental delivery activities. Help the team maintain agreed working practices, quality expectations, and a clear Definition of Done. Promote data-informed retrospectives and follow through on measurable improvement actions. Maintain concise delivery artifacts, including team boards, impediment and risk logs, dependency tracking, action items, and stakeholder updates. Ensure Agile delivery activities and team artifacts align with applicable federal IT governance requirements, including the HHS Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC), required reviews, deliverables, approvals, and stage-gate expectations. Support Agile adoption and consistent delivery practices across a multi-team, multi-vendor federal program. REQUIREMENTS Must be able to obtain and maintain a Federal or DoD Public Trust; candidates must receive approved adjudication before onboarding. An active Public Trust or suitability determination is preferred. Bachelor’s degree required. Minimum of four (4) years supporting Agile software development, technology delivery, or IT modernization teams, including at least two (2) years serving as a Scrum Master or Agile team facilitator. Working knowledge of Scrum events, accountabilities, artifacts, commitments, and empirical delivery practices. Demonstrated experience facilitating Agile ceremonies and helping teams address impediments, dependencies, delivery risks, and improvement opportunities. Ability to coach team members constructively without directing or assigning their work. Experience partnering with Product Owners on sprint goals, backlog refinement, readiness, and stakeholder collaboration. Understanding of the software development lifecycle, iterative delivery, testing, release coordination, and DevSecOps concepts. Working knowledge of federal IT governance and project lifecycle controls, including supporting compliance with HHS EPLC documentation, review, approval, and stage-gate requirements. Ability to track and communicate delivery metrics, risks, dependencies, decisions, and action items clearly. Strong facilitation, communication, conflict-resolution, organizational, and problem-solving skills. Ability to collaborate effectively with business, technical, operational, vendor, and government stakeholders. Adaptable, team-oriented, and able to work effectively in a fast-paced, regulated environment with moderate supervision. Proficiency with Agile delivery and collaboration tools such as Jira, Azure DevOps, Confluence, SharePoint, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. NICE TO HAVE Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I), SAFe Scrum Master, or comparable Agile certification. Experience supporting federal or government IT programs. Experience with platform modernization, cloud delivery, DevSecOps, APIs, shared services, or legacy system transition efforts. Experience facilitating distributed, cross-functional, or multi-vendor teams. Familiarity with scaled Agile planning, cross-team dependency management, release coordination, and program-level ceremonies. Experience using flow, predictability, quality, and team-health measures for continuous improvement. Understanding of change management and organizational readiness principles. System One, and its subsidiaries including Joulé and Mountain Ltd., are leaders in delivering outsourced services and workforce solutions across North America. We help clients get work done more efficiently and economically, without compromising quality. System One not only serves as a valued partner for our clients, but we offer eligible employees health and welfare benefits coverage options including medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, life insurance, voluntary plans, as well as participation in a 401(k) plan. System One is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, family care or medical leave status, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. #M1 #LI-CD1 Ref: #851-Rockville-S1