Agile Lead

Funky Pigeon; Aldgate; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company seeks an Agile Delivery Lead to spearhead strategic initiatives while coaching cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in Agile methodologies, strong facilitation skills, and a passion for fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This role involves active engagement in enhancing team delivery processes and empowering teams to take ownership of their outcomes.

Qualifications

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven experience in agile methodologies with development teams.
• Experience facilitating project management across varying complexity.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of strategic initiatives as Agile Coach/Scrum Master.
• Collaborate with teams to improve efficiency with Agile practices.
• Guide squads to remove impediments for smooth workflow.

Skills

Agile principles

Lean practices

Communication

Facilitation

Coaching

Stakeholder management

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Miro

Job description

At WHSmith, our people are at the heart of everything we do. They go the extra mile for our customers and enable our growth. Our team is passionate about creating an environment where people can be creative and innovative, doing their best work while delivering strategic business priorities that keep us moving forward.

As an Agile Delivery Lead, you will be responsible for supporting the delivery of strategic commercial initiatives as an Agile Coach / Scrum Master.

What you’ll do

• Work with cross-functional squads, nurturing them to take ownership of their delivery processes and value-driven outcomes.
• Coach the squad to improve efficiency and quality by evolving their application of agile and lean practices.
• Collaborate with Product Leads to support the review and management of delivery roadmaps and backlogs.
• Apply a structured and transparent approach to planning and delivery, monitoring progress, reacting to change, coordinating with other teams on dependencies, and ensuring all relevant parties are aware of the team's progress.
• Actively participate in and facilitate team events (e.g., planning & retrospectives), prompting timely discussions and decision-making, ensuring participation, and handling conflict resolution.
• Guide the squad to remove impediments and waste for a smooth and sustainable workflow.
• Build a safe, positive environment where problems can be raised and learned from without fear of blame or retribution.
• Use agile metrics to inspect team performance and identify areas for continuous improvement.
• Support scaling Agile within the business to ensure benefits are realized across teams and projects.

Who you are

• Knowledge of Agile/Lean principles, frameworks, and tools, with experience working with software development teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to connect with people as an influencer and positive role model.
• Proven experience in enabling data-driven continuous improvement across teams of varying maturity levels.
• Proactive, flexible, with excellent facilitation and coaching skills.
• Proficiency with tools such as JIRA, Confluence, and Miro.
• Experience managing multiple projects of varying scale, size, and complexity, including date-critical projects.
• Methodical, organized, with high attention to detail.
• Ability to influence cross-functionally and manage upwards.
• Experience managing stakeholders at all levels, managing expectations and issues effectively.
• You empower teams to take ownership and foster a culture of autonomy.

Who we are

After celebrating 230 years, WHSmith has grown into a globally recognized brand present in over 30 countries. With over 11,000 colleagues, we are committed to our planet, people, and communities. Our UK Travel division aims to create value for stakeholders by providing a platform for global brands responsible for essentials and technology in airports, hospitals, rail stations, and other markets. Our London office near Liverpool Street Station embodies our entrepreneurial culture, thriving on pace, collaboration, and innovation.