Scrum Master

Senior Scrum Master – IT & Engineering Solutions Job Location: Oakland, CA (Hybrid, 2 days a week in Oakland, CA) Department: Information Technology & Engineering Systems Position Level: Mid-Senior Level (5+ Years Experience) Position Overview Seeking a Senior Scrum Master to lead multi-functional delivery teams spanning Information Technology (IT) and Engineering operations. In this role, you will act as a servant leader and coach for cross-functional software, infrastructure, and engineering technology teams. You will facilitate agile processes, remove technical and organizational blockers, and foster a continuous-improvement mindset across complex, highly regulated utility initiatives (e.g., Grid Modernization, GIS/Asset Management, SCADA, or Wildfire Mitigation Tech). Key Responsibilities Agile Facilitation & Team Execution Facilitate core Agile ceremonies for 2–3 cross-functional teams, including Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews, Demos, and Retrospectives. Guide teams in breaking down complex technical, hardware, and engineering requirements into manageable user stories, technical tasks, and clear Acceptance Criteria. Protect delivery teams from external distractions and actively remove cross-departmental blockers. Maintain sprint health through accurate tracking of velocity, burndown/burnup metrics, capacity planning, and cycle times. Stakeholder & Engineering Alignment Partner closely with Product Owners, Engineering Leads, and IT Delivery Managers to align product backlogs with strategic utility priorities. Bridge communication between software development teams and operational engineering teams (e.g., Electric/Gas Operations, System Planning, Asset Management). Assist Product Owners in backlog refinement, dependency mapping, and prioritization within regulatory and compliance deadlines. Agile Coaching & Process Improvement Champion Agile values and frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) tailored to a hybrid IT/Engineering utility environment where fixed regulatory deadlines exist alongside continuous software cycles. Assess team Agile maturity and implement targeted coaching to improve predictability, quality, and delivery speed. Collaborate with the enterprise Agile Center of Excellence (CoE) to align team-level practices with broader organizational governance. Qualifications & Requirements Minimum Qualifications Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business, or equivalent practical experience. Experience: 5+ years of dedicated Scrum Master experience managing delivery teams in complex IT or technical engineering environments. Certifications: Active Agile certification (e.g., Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM I/II), or SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)). Tooling: Demonstrated proficiency with Jira, Confluence, Jira Align, or equivalent enterprise Agile project management platforms. Desired Qualifications & Skills Utility / Capital Project Knowledge: Prior experience working in electric/gas utilities, energy systems, GIS, asset tracking, or heavy infrastructure/engineering domains. Hybrid Framework Mastery: Deep understanding of managing dependencies between Agile software development and traditional Stage-Gate/Waterfall engineering or hardware lifecycles. Communication & Leadership: Strong interpersonal skills with a proven track record of resolving conflicts, influencing cross-functional stakeholders, and driving alignment without direct line authority. Regulatory/Compliance Awareness: Experience delivering projects subject to regulatory oversight (e.g., CPUC, NERC-CIP compliance standards).