Scrum Master

Position Overview

Zermount Inc. is hiring a Scrum Master to help strengthen Agile delivery for government-facing work. In this role, you will coach cross-functional teams, keep Scrum ceremonies running smoothly, remove blockers, and promote a steady habit of improvement. You will also work with stakeholders across the organization to align priorities, support decisions, and turn complex needs into sprint goals that produce clear results. The position calls for someone who can meet teams at their current level, reinforce Agile methods, and raise team performance through coaching, mentoring, and retrospective insights based on data. You will also need to balance day-to-day operational work with longer-term initiatives while maintaining delivery speed and quality. Building trust, clearing obstacles, and helping teams perform in uncertain or fast-moving situations will be central to success in this role.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Coach the Scrum Team on Agile values, principles, and practices so the team can deliver strong products and services.
• Help the team reach higher performance by identifying strengths and growth areas and applying suitable coaching methods.
• Make sure Scrum is properly understood and followed according to Scrum theory, practices, and rules.
• Support self-organization, broaden cross-functional capability, deepen domain understanding, and improve communication within the Scrum Team and with external partners.
• Work with the Scrum Team and internal or external stakeholders to shape decisions and support project or product goals.
• Address and remove impediments, coordinating with other Scrum Masters to improve Scrum effectiveness across the organization.
• Partner with Agile coaches and fellow Scrum Masters for professional growth in the role.
• Help advance and refine Agile practices across the organization.
• Facilitate all core Scrum events, including Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.
• Lead and support Agile teams handling primarily BAU work, while also supporting key departmental initiatives and relevant pieces of corporate programs.
• Apply Agile delivery approaches to manage both routine operational work and strategic efforts using Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid methods.
• Use Jira for sprint planning, backlog refinement, velocity monitoring, and delivery reporting, and use Power BI or similar tools for dashboards and retrospective analysis.

Requirements

• Previous experience working on a Scrum team.
• Working knowledge of Scrum and Agile techniques.
• Strong interpersonal, mentoring, and communication abilities.
• Technical understanding of complex enterprise IT systems.
• Ability to lead a team and work effectively with others.
• Clear oral and written communication skills with technical, non-technical, and executive audiences.
• Knowledge of risk assessment methods.
• Experience with cloud-based environments and technologies is preferred.
• Ability to explain complex ideas in a simple and concise way.
• Strong problem-solving approach and a proactive mindset for identifying and resolving issues.
• Ability to organize and motivate a project team.
• Experience coaching teams through Agile adoption or transformation is preferred.
• Familiarity with ITIL, PMBOK, the Scrum Guide, Kanban, and Agile best practices is preferred.
• Experience in regulated, compliance-focused, or governance-heavy environments is preferred.
• Data visualization and reporting experience, including tools such as Power BI, is preferred.
• Experience planning and managing IT projects is preferred.
• At least one Agile certification is required, such as Agile Scrum Master, Agile Project Manager, or Agile Scrum Professional.
• Public Trust clearance is required.
• A master's degree is preferred, but relevant professional experience may be accepted.
• Alternative qualification: a bachelor’s degree plus 4 years of product or project development experience and 3 years of Agile team project development experience, or an equivalent mix of education and work experience.

Additional Information

This role is designated as military friendly and preferred for HOH sponsorship. Remote work is authorized, but travel may be needed to a client site in Alexandria, VA. Working hours are standard business hours from 8:00 am EST to 4:30 pm EST. The position reports to the USPTO Program Manager.

Education and Certifications

A master’s degree is preferred, although equivalent professional experience may be considered. A bachelor’s degree combined with 4 years of product or project development experience and 3 years of Agile team project development experience is also acceptable, or an equivalent mix of education and experience. Candidates must hold at least one Agile certification, such as Agile Scrum Master, Agile Project Manager, or Agile Scrum Professional.

Clearance and Work Details

A Public Trust clearance is required. This is a remote role, though occasional travel to Alexandria, VA may be necessary. Business hours for the position are 8:00 am EST to 4:30 pm EST. The role reports to the USPTO Program Manager.