The Scum Master (SM) is responsible to lead teams within a complex matrix environment to the successful completion of projects in support of multiple business lines, cross-functional in impact and are typically technical in nature. Depending on the type of project, it may follow the waterfall or agile methodology.

The SM is accountable for planning and executing projects by:

• Identifying resources required
• Assembling the team assigning duties to team members
• Developing a project plan with milestones
• Composing a project budget
• Directing and managing of day to day assigned tasks
• Managing vendor and client relationships as required
• Adhering to Client project management best practices

The SM is also accountable for the project team’s effectiveness by enabling the Agile methodologies to improve its practices within its frameworks. This includes:

• Lead the organization in understanding and adopting Agile Principles and Frameworks. Help business and technology teams identify areas of improvement in the Agile framework adopted by Client Canada.
• Lead the Agile Team to deliver backlog items within a defined timebox, accounting for the team’s effectiveness by enabling members to improve their practices, within the Agile methodology.
• Partner with business sponsors and stakeholders to ensure the Project Team has enough information to turn a product backlog item into a potentially releasable item. Assist the business in building an effective “Product” (i.e. business system / application) goal definition.

Responsibilities

1. Plan Projects - Manages all planning processes for end-to-end delivery of data warehouse, ETL and reporting initiatives:

Measures:

• Prepares project charter and develop detailed project plans including detailed scope statements,
• Schedule and budget estimates and baselines, resource plans, quality plans and success criteria.
• Completes all required project governance gates approval forms and presentations.
• Establishes project communications and monitoring and control mechanisms
• Manage expectations of business partners, analytics teams, architecture and management stakeholders throughout project lifecycles.

1. Execute Projects

Measures:

• Manages day to day project activities ensuring deliverables are met, risks are identified and assessed, and issues are managed and resolved.
• Leads project team(s) in a matrix environment, clarifying roles & responsibilities, providing individual direction and feedback and ensuring required communication support is in place.
• Partners with the Project Management Office to ensure portfolio, program and project management standards, processes and procedures are adhered to.
• Engage with business and finance stakeholders, data architects, data analysts to define business requirements, data needs and reporting specifications.
• Oversee data modelling, ETL development, and integration work deliverables.

1. Control Projects

Measures:

• Implements and utilizes reporting and control mechanisms, and in particular project change management approaches, to ensure the project’s triple constraints (time, cost, performance: scope and quality) are well managed and status and issues are reported to sponsors, executive sponsors and senior management on a timely basis.
• Ensures project post implementation reviews are planned and executed in compliance with Client standards.
• Identify and mitigate data integration, data governance and reporting risks, manage cross-team dependencies.

1. Manage Vendor Relations

Measures

• Works with vendors, industry firms and internal Client business units to explore innovative business solutions with new technologies and alternative processes.
• Participates in the preparation of RFPs, evaluate proposals, statements of work and select vendors.
• In conjunction with internal partners, participate in meetings and act as the central point of contact to manage tasks, relationships and deliverables during the lifecycle of the project

1. Build effective and collaborative working relationships with business partners, executive sponsors, project teams and external partners

Measure:

• Clear and concise Product goal definition and backlog items that the Project Team can easily understand and act upon.
• Address impediments related to unclear backlog items or changing scope.
• Facilitate stakeholder collaboration across business and technology teams.
• Periodic advisory and coaching of the organization on Agile methodologies.
• Continuous improvement reviews of the organization’s effectiveness at adopting Agile methodologies.
• Ongoing support and the removal of barriers between stakeholders and Project Teams.
• Periodic reporting of Project Team performance through well-defined Key Performance Indicators (e.g. burn-down / burn-up charts, velocity, etc.), value generation, and taking into consideration feedback from the Project Team, Business Owner, and key stakeholders.

Skills & Knowledge

1. Excellent communication, leadership, facilitation, negotiation, influence, and customer relationship management skills
2. Strong understanding of data warehousing concepts, data schemas, and ETL processes.
3. Understanding of Agile delivery best practice standards, processes and ceremonies such as quarterly increment and sprint planning, backlog management, and delivery governance.
4. Knowledge of data architecture principles, data governance, lineage, metadata, and data quality management.
5. Hands-on familiarity with BI tools, such as Business Objects and Tableau.
6. Strong ability to influence at strategic and operational levels across the enterprise
7. Strong planning and organizational skills
8. Ability to bridge business, data warehouse development and BI development teams with clear structured communication.
9. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills related to data flows, reporting logic and data integrations.
10. Proficiency with project management tools: Jira, Confluence, Teams.

Job Related Experience

Minimum Requirement:

Minimum 3 years of experience working in a Project Management / Scrum Master capacity leading data warehouse development, analytics or BI reporting initiatives.

Must Have:

• Extensive experience in leading business and systems delivery teams using Project Management and Agile methodologies
• In-depth knowledge of Project Management and Agile frameworks, principles and processes
• Direct experience in data-driven project delivery such as implementing data marts, ETL pipelines, or enterprise reporting solutions.
• Experience in managing technical teams and collaborating with data architects and data governance.
• Adaptable to change and comfortable with transparency, inspection, and adaption
• Comfortable working with multiple teams
• Ability to build strong interpersonal relationships with cross divisional teams, senior management, and internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to work with cross divisional teams, senior management, and internal and external stakeholders
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Sharp analytical and problem-solving skills
• Creative thinker with a vision
• Proficient computer skills, Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Project, Visio, and Excel); working knowledge of software development

Nice to Have:

• Familiarity with financial services, wealth management is an advantage.
• Experience of Data Analyst or Business Analyst for data-driven implementations.