Lead Scrum Master

National Grid; Warwick; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Cycle scheme

Share incentive plan

Technology schemes

Wellbeing app

Digital GP service

Access to Work + Family Space

Job summary

National Grid is seeking a Lead Scrum Master for its Warwick, UK office with a hybrid working model. You will spearhead a community of Scrum Masters and Kanban practitioners, enabling teams to deliver cutting-edge digital products that transform the business.

You will mentor, empower teams, remove impediments and implement strategies to elevate agile practice, working with the IT&D leadership team to drive a culture of agility across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in agile environments.
• Strong understanding of Scrum, Kanban and SAFe.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to articulate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Experience removing impediments and coaching teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute SME strategy aligned to the organisation.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team delivering on technology vision.
• Manage team objectives aligned to priorities and technology roadmaps.
• Engage senior stakeholders and ensure effective collaboration.
• Support Head of Agile Delivery with delegated financial/accountabilities.
• Identify training needs and drive competency growth for the team.
• Manage relationships with third parties and ensure milestones are met.
• Support and embed Agile delivery principles across Technology.

Skills

Leadership

Agile/Scrum

Stakeholder mgmt

Communication

Decision making

Coaching

SAFe

Education

Scrum Master Certification

Job description

About us

At National Grid, we keep people connected and society moving. But it’s so much more than that. National Grid supplies us with the environment to make it happen. As we generate momentum in the energy transition for all, we don’t plan on leaving any of our customers in the dark. So, join us as a Lead Scrum Masterand find your superpower.

National Grid is hiring a Lead Scrum Master. This role operates under a hybrid working model and is based out of the Warwick, UK office. Hybrid work expectations are subject to business needs and company policy.

About the Role

Join us on a journey as the Lead Scrum Master, reporting directly to the Head of Agile Delivery! In this dynamic role, you will spearhead the development of a vibrant and high-performing community of Scrum Masters and Kanban practitioners. Your mission? To empower your team to fully grasp and execute our ambitious technology vision and strategy, ensuring the successful delivery of cutting-edge digital products that will transform our business.

As a leader, you will not only guide and mentor your team but also serve as a subject matter expert in your field. You'll be the go-to problem solver, adept at removing obstacles and making impactful decisions that drive your teams forward. Additionally, you will define and implement innovative strategies that elevate your discipline to new heights.

In this pivotal position, you will also have the opportunity to step in for your line manager when needed, playing a crucial role in supporting the IT&D leadership team. Your influence will extend beyond your immediate team as you champion a positive culture throughout the Information Technology & Digital department and the wider business, leading by example and inspiring others to embrace agility and collaboration. Embrace this chance to make a significant impact and help shape the future of our organisation!

What You'll Do

• Support to define and execute the SME strategy ensuring it satisfies the needs of the organisation as well as the individuals within the team for their own discipline including future roadmaps, innovation and R&D.
• To lead, coach, develop and build a resilient and high-performing team who are capable of understanding and delivering on the technology vision and strategy, contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and take ownership of their career progression..
• Manage and monitor the definition and realisation of team objectives that are aligned to individual, technology priorities.
• Manages the accountability for working with and influencing relevant senior stakeholders across the business, ensuring the appropriate level of stakeholder engagement capability also exists within their own teams.
• Supports Head of Agile Delivery with any and/or all delegated financial/budgetary accountabilities related to the team.
• Managing and supporting the identification, structure and management of training needs for the entire team, ensuring evidence-based performance improvement and individual competency growth.
• Support in managing the relationship with third-parties working on technology projects, ensuring third-party deliveries are formally scoped, and delivery is within budget and to agreed milestones and quality expectations.
• Supports the Head of Agile Delivery in accountability with the technology leadership team for delivered solutions ensuring commercial viability; operational principles and standards compliance; adherence to the architectural strategy and high-level solution designs; and solution delivery which is; supportable, enduring and minimises future development costs.
• Support and embed Agile delivery principles across technology ensuring best practice adoption.
• Manages the delegated department business and technology strategy and implements the roadmap.
• Champion the agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban and SAFe) within the team, ensure that Agile principles are practiced by peers and understood by stakeholders.
• Adherence to the architectural strategy and high-level solution designs; and solution delivery which is; supportable, enduring and minimises future development costs.
• Playing an active role in supporting the agile software development life cycle; collaborating with all technical/engineering functions, to define, document, implement and share best practice and standards.
• Promote and proactively support a culture of robust (project and departmental) risk assessment/mitigation and ensure all activity is compliant and delivered within delivery governance frameworks and operating principles.
• Manage and guide the team to setup and optimise operational processes that satisfy the Agile strategy.
• Manage the Scrum and SAFe strategy in Technology, able to answer questions and challenges related to the Agile approach and its operational application.
• Embed the RAID framework within technology and delivery ensuring compliance with delivery best practice and competency across the technology function.
• Manages the Agile strategy of helping the department perform to its highest ability and to continually improve, build a culture of trust and no blame within the teams, facilitate the teams across all of the ceremonies to help promote complete and relevant team participation, protect the teams from noise and remove impediments capitalising on Agile expertise, delivery and operational experience.
• Lead, train and embed agile SAFe, Scrum and Kanban approach to ensure that the Agile strategy is understood and embedded.

About You

• Strong decision making ability.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to define a clear product vision and roadmap.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire cross functional teams (coaching, training, facilitating and collaborating)
• Exceptional communicator with outstanding interpersonal skills and stakeholder management experience. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with good interpersonal skills to effectively convey ideas and updates to diverse stakeholders.
• Strong influencing skills and ability to communicate technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences, clearly and concisely.
• Excels at working with people and developing teams (coaching, training, facilitating and collaborating).
• Detailed knowledge/experience of the NGED product suite.
• Able to work under pressure and adapt to shifting priorities, demands and timelines and quickly update stakeholders on impact (potential or actual) to the defined delivery timescales.
• High self-awareness and emotional intelligence, able to recognise the impact of their own behaviour on others.
• Eagerness to continually develop self through high quality training and the latest industry trends with regular, guided self-reflection and "mentoring".
• Knowledge and experience of implementing an agile delivery framework with technology scrum teams.
• Strong commercial awareness and prioritisation skills.
• Exceptional problem-solving and decision-making abilities, with a focus on data-driven solutions.
• Act as a SME leader and role model within the delivery community and wider NGED organisation.
• Previous experience of building and leading effective teams (PMO, project management or agile).
• Scrum Master Certification.

What You'll Get

• Competitive Salary: circa £75,000 - £90,000 per annum (dependent on location, capability, and experience).
• Bonus: Up to 30% of your salary for stretch performance Additional benefits:
• Flexible benefits such as a cycle scheme, share incentive plan, technology schemes
• Ongoing career development and support to help you cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions, course fees, books, examination fees and time off for study leave - so long as
• it is relevant to your role
• Access to apps such as digital GP service for round the clock access to GP video consultations and NHS repeat prescriptions, wellbeing app to support your health and fitness
• Access to Work + Family Space, providing support and resources for work and family life, including paid emergency childcare and eldercare