Senior Scrum Master

We are seeking a Scrum Master with a background in both Scrum and Kanban who is ready to play a crucial role in our agile delivery maturation. As we mature our quality practices and begin modernizing our products into a cloud-native architecture, we also must improve our ability to deliver sustainable quality with predictability and flow.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of Lean and Agile principles, with a track record of driving continuous improvement, facilitating teams to deliver the most business value each Sprint, and delivering high-quality results. As a Scrum Master, you will work closely with product owners, engineering leadership, development teams, and stakeholders to ensure smooth execution, continuous delivery of working software, remove impediments, and foster a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and high performance.

ECI’s home and building supply software suite (Spruce) is a fully integrated business management solution for small to medium sized businesses.? It streamlines operations and drives growth. The software is cloud-based and completely integrated, from purchasing through to delivery.??

What You’ll Do

• Facilitate Agile Ceremonies: Organize and lead daily stand-ups, refinement, planning, reviews, and retrospectives. Ensure all meetings are productive, focused, and actionable.
• Remove Impediments: Identify and address any obstacles that may be hindering the team's progress, working with internal and external stakeholders to resolve issues quickly.
• Coach and Mentor Teams: Provide guidance and coaching to development teams on Agile methodologies and Kanban/Scrum practices. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encourage self-organization, and accountability.
• Ensure Agile Best Practices: Coach and advocate for Lean/Agile principles and Scrum values, helping teams implement best practices and align with the overall goals of the organization.
• Collaborate with Product Owners: Work closely with Product Owners to maintain a well-defined and ‘ready’ product backlog, ensure user stories are clearly articulated and meet all readiness criteria, and assist with backlog refinement sessions.
• Track and Report Metrics: Use Agile tools (e.g., Jira) to track team progress, convey lead and cycle times, communicate sprint velocity, and report on delivery metrics and trends. Provide regular updates to stakeholders on team performance and delivery status.
• Foster Team Collaboration: Promote a collaborative and supportive environment among cross-functional teams, helping to build trust, resolve conflicts, and strengthen team dynamics.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Analyze delivery outcomes and retrospectives to identify areas for process improvements and help implement those changes across teams.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with key stakeholders to understand business needs and ensure that expectations are managed effectively.
  
  

Skills Or Experience You Need

• Experience: 5+ years of experience as a Scrum Master, or in a similar role within an Agile environment. Prior experience coaching and supporting more than one team concurrently (2-3).
• Scrum Certifications: Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), or other equivalent Agile certifications preferred.
• Agile Methodologies: In-depth knowledge of Scrum, Kanban, Lean, and other Agile frameworks, with practical experience implementing these methodologies in real-world settings. Must have prior experience with both Scrum and Kanban and understand the pros/cons of each.
• Strong Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify root causes of issues and facilitate solutions.
• Leadership & Teamwork: Ability to lead teams as a servant leader, influence without authority, and foster a culture of collaboration, trust, and transparency.
• Tools Proficiency: Experience with Jira, Confluence, O365/SharePoint, and/or similar tools.
• Adaptability: Ability to work in fast-paced environments and manage multiple priorities effectively.
  
  

Skills That Will Set You Apart

• Additional Certifications: KMP (Kanban), PSK-I (CSM - Kanban), PMI-ACP (Agile Certified Practitioner), SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), or other Agile-related certifications are a plus.
• Agile Frameworks: Experience with multiple agile scaling approaches/frameworks, for example: SAFe, LeSS, Spotify Model, Basecamp/ShapeUp, or Disciplined Agile.
• Experience with BDD: Experience with the unique characteristics and value proposition of BDD, including the facilitation of ‘three amigos’ refinement sessions.
• Experience with Distributed Teams: Experience working with geographically dispersed teams and virtual collaboration tools.
• Project Management Skills: Familiarity with broader project management concepts and tools, such as project tracking, resource management, and risk management.
• DORA Metrics: Familiarity with DORA metrics, how to track them, and how to judge software delivery performance.
• Culture: Working experience within the Westrum Generative Organizational Culture.
  
  

Behavioral Competencies

• A sense of urgency and a strong bias for action.
• Experience leading strong personalities by influence.
• Empathy and patience.
• Strong communication skills and a natural inclination to collaborate.
• Exhibits sound judgement and can make wise decisions based on knowledge and experience.
• Identifies and resolves root causes rather than only treating symptoms.
  
  

Compensation

• €53.000 – €60.000 per year, full-time, paid monthly.
• Compensation is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• 25 days of paid annual leave in addition to Portuguese national holidays.
• €10.20 per working day, paid monthly via a Coverflex card.
• Private medical insurance coverage from the start of employment.
• Option to include immediate family members at an additional personal cost.
• €100 per month credited to your Coverflex account.