Agile Coach

Dynata; United States; On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Dynata is seeking an Agile Coach to enable and govern the Dynata PI process and manage RTEs who operate Agile Release Trains. This role drives SAFe adoption across Product, Engineering, and Operations and acts as a servant leader to improve flow and business value.

The coach will ensure quarterly business-technology alignment, facilitate PI Planning, and guide cross-team ceremonies for predictable delivery and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience leading SAFe or Agile transformations at program level.
• Ability to coach Release Train Engineers and teams in SAFe ceremonies.
• Strong collaboration with Product, Engineering and Operations stakeholders.
• Track metrics and drive continuous improvement across PI cycles.

Responsibilities

• Govern and enable the Dynata PI process across programs with consistent SAFe adoption.
• Lead, coach, and develop Release Train Engineers responsible for operating Agile Release Trains.
• Serve as a servant leader and transformation catalyst for product, engineering, and leadership teams.
• Ensure quarterly alignment between business and technology through PI Planning readiness and execution.
• Establish and monitor program-level performance standards, including predictability and flow.
• Provide advisory support to stakeholders, surfacing risks and improvement opportunities.

Skills

Agile coaching

Facilitation

Stakeholder management

Servant leadership

SAFe framework

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Business

SAFe/Agile certifications (2+)

Tools

Jira (Jira Plans)

Azure DevOps

Miro

Mural

Lucidchart

Aha! Roadmaps

Confluence

Notion

SharePoint

Microsoft 365

Google Workspace

Teams

Job description

The Agile Coach is responsible for enabling and governing the Dynata Program Increment (PI) process and for managing Dynata's Release Train Engineers (RTEs), who operate the Agile Release Trains. This role serves as a catalyst for organizational change, driving the adoption of SAFe principles and practices across Product, Engineering, and Operations. Rather than directing tasks, the Agile Coach acts as a servant leader and facilitator, guiding RTEs, Scrum Masters, teams, and leadership to improve flow, optimize delivery, and scale business value.

The Agile Coach ensures consistent adoption of the Dynata PI process across assigned programs and manages the RTEs who operate the Agile Release Trains. The role is accountable for quarterly synchronization between business and technology, successful execution of PI Planning events, and effective facilitation of crossteam ceremonies throughout the increment. The Agile Coach ensures delivery predictability, continuous improvement, and alignment to business value.

The Agile Coach is directly involved in the following areas:

• Agile coaching and SAFe framework adoption.
• Facilitation and governance of PI Planning events.
• Management and development of RTEs who run the ART operating rhythm.
• Programlevel continuous improvement through Inspect & Adapt.
• Compliance with health, safety, and work environment standards.

General Responsibilities

• Govern and enable the Dynata PI process across assigned programs, ensuring consistent adoption of SAFealigned practices and Dynata delivery standards.
• Lead, coach, and develop Release Train Engineers responsible for operating Agile Release Trains.
• Serve as a servant leader and transformation catalyst for Product, Engineering, and leadership teams.
• Ensure quarterly alignment between business and technology through PI Planning readiness and execution.
• Establish and monitor programlevel performance standards, including predictability, flow, dependency management, and delivery against PI objectives.
• Provide advisory support to program and executive stakeholders, surfacing risks, tradeoffs, and improvement opportunities.

Process Responsibilities

PI Planning and PrePlanning

• Define standards, templates, and governance for PI Planning and prePI refinement.
• Ensure RTEs prepare teams and stakeholders for PI Planning, including capacity planning, backlog readiness, and dependency identification.
• Validate PI Planning outputs such as objectives, Program Boards, risks, and dependencies.

InPI Execution

• Oversee ART execution through RTEs, ensuring crossteam ceremonies are effective and outcomedriven.
• Monitor dependencies, risks, and impediments, ensuring clear escalation paths.
• Track programlevel metrics and drive corrective actions through RTEs and leadership.

Inspect & Adapt

• Ensure Inspect & Adapt events result in actionable improvements tied to measurable outcomes.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and ensure rootcause issues are addressed.
• Synthesize insights across programs to identify systemic issues and recommend organizational improvements.

CrossCutting Responsibilities

• Coach leaders, Product Managers, Scrum Masters, and teams on agile principles and scaled delivery.
• Ensure adherence to Dynata Product & Engineering processes and agile governance standards.
• Maintain standards for programlevel artifacts such as Program Boards, PI Objectives, dashboards, and dependency tracking.
• Support organizational change management and help teams mature in agile practices.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, and Architecture leadership to improve alignment between business priorities and execution capability.
• Continuously refine Dynata's agile operating model based on feedback, performance data, and evolving business needs.
• As Dynata's adoption of SAFe matures, the Agile Coach role will evolve from operational involvement toward systemic optimization, portfolio strategy, and business value alignment.

Knowledge and Skills

• Backlog and Planning Tools Jira (including Jira Plans), Azure DevOps, Linear. Familiarity with Dynata's twoproject Jira model.
• Visualization and Program Board Tools Miro, Mural, Lucidchart, Aha! Roadmaps.
• Documentation and Knowledge Management Confluence, Notion, SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace.
• Communication and Collaboration Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Google Meet.
• Live Polling and Surveys Mentimeter, Slido, Poll Everywhere.
• Metrics and Dashboards Tableau, Power BI, Jira Dashboards, EazyBI, Monday.
• Spreadsheets and Modeling Excel, Google Sheets.
• Frameworks and Methodologies SAFe 6.0, Scrum, Kanban, Lean. Working knowledge of the Dynata Product & Engineering Process

Role Requirements

• Education Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. Preferred: Graduatelevel qualification in agile project management, organizational transformation, or a related area. Minimum of two active SAFe or Agile certifications (SAFe RTE preferred).
• Experience More than five years of experience leading software teams at the program level (typically 5-8 years). Minimum two years coordinating multiple teams simultaneously. Minimum three PI Planning events facilitated or cofacilitated.
• Training Experience in leadership without authority, facilitation of largescale events (50+ participants), executive coaching, crossfunctional communication, flow and predictability metrics, dependency management, and conflict resolution. Relevant certifications such as SAFe RTE, SPC, SASM, PSM, or ICPACC.

At Dynata, we deliver the highest quality first-party data to help businesses around the world gain precise insights, activate the right audiences, and confidently measure impact. With industry-leading respondent accuracy, reliability, and a commitment to continuous improvement, Dynata is the trusted foundation for smarter decision-making.

At Dynata, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible environment where every employee and customer feels valued, respected, and supported. We strive to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. Dynata welcomes and encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and is dedicated to fostering a work culture that supports everyone. Accommodations are available upon request for all aspects of the selection process.

Dynata is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected status under applicable laws.

The base salary range for this position in is $100K-$130K/yr; however, base pay offered may vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A discretionary incentive program may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical and other benefits, dependent on full-time employment status.