Senior SAFe Scrum Master at Cognizant

Cognizant; Halifax; On-site; CAD 83,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k)

Stock Purchase Plan

Paid Holidays / Time Off

Job summary

Cognizant in Canada seeks a Senior SAFe Scrum Master to lead Agile teams in a SAFe environment, coaching, facilitating ceremonies, and driving PI planning.

You will partner with Product Owners and stakeholders to maintain a healthy backlog, track metrics, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Scrum Master leading Agile teams.
• Strong SAFe experience and understanding of SAFe ceremonies.
• Deep knowledge of Scrum, Kanban, and Agile practices.
• Experience supporting PI Planning and ART execution.
• Excellent coaching, facilitation, and mentoring skills.
• Experience with risk, dependency, and stakeholder management.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate Scrum ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Reviews, Retrospectives, Backlog Refinement).
• Coach teams on Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe principles.
• Support ART activities including PI Planning and Inspect & Adapt.
• Track Agile metrics such as Velocity, Burndown, Capacity, Lead Time, and Cycle Time.
• Identify and remove impediments to improve delivery.
• Coordinate dependencies across teams and stakeholders.
• Partner with Product Owners to maintain a healthy backlog.
• Promote continuous improvement and team development.
• Facilitate risk, issue, and dependency management.
• Provide transparency through dashboards and status reports.

Skills

Scrum Master experience

SAFe experience

Agile coaching

Facilitation

Stakeholder management

Risk/Dependency management

Communication/leadership

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira Align

Job description

Cognizant is seeking a highly motivated Senior SAFe Scrum Master to lead Agile teams in delivering innovative, high-quality products and solutions within a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environment. In this role, you will serve as a servant leader, coach Agile teams, facilitate key Agile ceremonies, support Program Increment (PI) Planning, and collaborate with Product Owners, stakeholders, and Agile Release Train (ART) participants to drive successful business outcomes. The ideal candidate combines Agile expertise, strong facilitation skills, and a passion for continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate Scrum ceremonies including Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews, Retrospectives, and Backlog Refinement sessions.
• Coach Agile teams on Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe principles and best practices.
• Support Agile Release Train (ART) activities such as PI Planning, Inspect & Adapt workshops, and Scrum of Scrums.
• Track and communicate Agile metrics including Velocity, Burndown, Capacity, Lead Time, and Cycle Time.
• Identify, manage, and remove impediments that impact team productivity and delivery.
• Coordinate dependencies across teams and stakeholders to ensure seamless execution.
• Partner with Product Owners to maintain a healthy backlog and ensure well-defined user stories.
• Promote continuous improvement through Agile coaching, mentoring, and team development.
• Facilitate risk, issue, and dependency management activities.
• Drive transparency through dashboards, status reporting, and stakeholder communications.
• Support release planning and adherence to organizational Agile governance standards.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, servant leadership, and continuous learning.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Scrum Master leading Agile teams.
• Strong experience working within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) .
• Deep understanding of Agile methodologies including Scrum and Kanban.
• Experience supporting PI Planning and Agile Release Train (ART) execution.
• Strong Agile coaching, facilitation, and mentoring skills.
• Experience with risk, dependency, and stakeholder management.
• Excellent communication, leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with enterprise-scale Agile transformations.
• Ability to coach multiple teams and influence stakeholders across the organization.
• SAFe certifications are a plus.

Tools & Technologies

• Azure DevOps (ADO)
• Jira Align (preferred)

Salary and Other Compensation

The annual salary for this position is between $60K-95K , depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid Holidays and Paid Time Off
• 401(k)
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• other benefits in accordance with company policy.

Why Apply?

At Cognizant, we help clients modernize technology, reimagine processes, and transform experiences. Join a collaborative team where innovation, continuous learning, and leadership are valued. You will have the opportunity to work in a dynamic Agile environment, influence strategic initiatives, and help drive meaningful business outcomes while advancing your professional growth.

Work Authorization

Cognizant will only consider applicants who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship.

Employee Status

Full Time Employee

Shift

Day Job

Travel

No

Cognizant is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

Application Deadline Applications for this position will be accepted until 9/25/2026.