Senior Scrum Master - Utilities

Senior Agile Scrum Master (Start no later than the 1st of September)

No Sponsorship so must be a British Citizen or hold ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain

***(RECENT UTILITIES EXPERIENCE IS ESSENTIAL)***

• Pay rate £600 to £625 per day - Inside Ir35 - so paid through an approved umbrella
• Home based - very occasional travel to Stevenage and/or Newcastle

Job Description:

We are seeking a highly experienced Scrum Master to lead the delivery of Phase 4 of a critical project in the Energy sector. This phase focuses on managing the development and deployment of a robust system capturing millions of pieces of data, leveraging an advanced tech stack. The role demands a proactive and skilled Scrum Master who can thrive under tight deadlines and in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.

The team is highly experienced, distributed geographically, and deeply skilled in the domain, and requires a Scrum Master adept at fostering collaboration and driving outcomes. The successful candidate will coordinate efforts across software development, testing, deployment, and performance optimisation, while also taking a proactive lead in managing risks, dependencies, and constraints that impact delivery. They will work within a small team of senior scrum masters.

Key Responsibilities:

Agile Leadership:

• Facilitate Agile ceremonies, including Sprint Planning, Daily Group Stand-ups, Retrospectives, and Reviews.
• Ensure adherence to Agile principles and use Azure DevOps (ADO) to manage the delivery lifecycle effectively.
• Identify, monitor, and resolve impediments, risks, dependencies, and constraints to maintain project momentum and ensure timely delivery.

Delivery & Risk Management:

• Drive the successful execution of objectives, including software development, deployment, and data manipulation.
• Maintain a proactive risk and dependency management approach, working closely with the Project Manager and stakeholders to mitigate delivery impacts.
• Oversee volume and performance testing to ensure the solution meets scalability and reliability requirements.
• Collaborate with “Product Owners” to prioritise and refine the backlog, ensuring sequencing and dependencies are clear and aligned with business goals.

Team Management:

• Foster collaboration and communication within the distributed team, ensuring a seamless workflow across multiple time zones.
• Serve as a servant-leader, empowering the team to own and deliver outcomes while providing necessary guidance.
• Coordinate efforts between developers, testers, and stakeholders to meet delivery targets.

Stakeholder Engagement & Reporting:

• Build strong relationships with stakeholders, providing clear and concise updates on progress, risks, dependencies, and constraints.
• Use ADO to generate reports on velocity, burndown, and overall project health for stakeholder visibility.

Quality Assurance:

• Oversee testing efforts, including functional, volume, and performance testing, ensuring high-quality deliverables.
• Champion best practices in software development and deployment to ensure robust and scalable solutions.

Technical Coordination:

• Collaborate with developers working on the tech stack: Oracle DB, Oracle SQL, Rabbit MQ, and .NET C#.
• Facilitate data manipulation tasks and support technical teams in resolving challenges.
• Promote the adoption of DevOps practices where applicable.

Key Skills & Experience Required:

Essential:

• Scrum Master Certification (e.g., CSM, PSM) with proven experience in delivering software projects in demanding environments, ideally including one or more of the following: SAFe, Disciplined Agile, LeSS.
• Extensive experience working with distributed teams and delivering under tight timescales.
• Strong hands-on experience with Azure DevOps (ADO) for backlog management, reporting, and delivery tracking.
• Demonstrated ability to manage requirements, risks, dependencies, and constraints effectively.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical matters.
• Experience in overseeing performance and volume testing to ensure scalable solutions.

Desirable:

• Previous experience in the Energy sector, particularly with systems handling large datasets.
• Familiarity with DevOps principles and CI/CD pipelines.
• Background in software development or database management is a plus.

Additional Information:

• Duration: Initial 6 months
• IR35 Status: Inside IR35
• Location: Remote with occasional on-site collaboration (if applicable)