Agile Practitioner / Coach

Systems Planning & Analysis; Lincoln (MA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) seeks an Agile Practitioner/Coach to champion Lean‑Agile and SAFe practices across government and contractor teams, training leaders and teams in agile methods and tailoring practices to mission planning and integration work.

The role guides the shift from waterfall to iterative, cloud‑oriented delivery, integrating with DevSecOps and program controls, while driving metrics‑driven continuous improvement aligned with contracts and technical outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field and at least one advanced Agile certification (e.g., SAFe SPC, RTE, or equivalent professional‑level coaching certification)
• 7+ years of experience with Agile/Scrum/SAFe on large multi‑team programs, including at least 3 years as an Agile Coach, RTE, or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience guiding government or highly regulated organizations through transitions from waterfall to Agile, aligning increments with contractual deliverables
• Strong familiarity with modern software practices (CI/CD, automated testing, DevSecOps) and how they are applied to mission‑critical or safety‑critical systems
• Proven ability to facilitate cross‑organizational ceremonies (e.g., PI planning, system demos, retrospectives, backlog refinement) and coach leadership on agile governance
• Active Secret clearance and the ability to maintain it throughout employment

Responsibilities

• Lead Lean‑Agile and SAFe‑aligned practices across government and contractor teams.
• Train and coach leaders and teams in agile methods, help run portfolio, solution, and ART‑level ceremonies, and tailor agile practices to mission planning and integration work.
• Guide the transition from traditional waterfall‑centric development to iterative, incremental, and cloud‑oriented approaches, integrating agile practices with the DevSecOps platform and program controls.
• Champion metrics‑driven continuous improvement, ensuring that agile execution aligns with contractual requirements, technical outcomes, and the Mission Planning Enterprise 'software factory' way of working.

Skills

Agile coaching

Agile/Scrum/SAFe

CI/CD

DevSecOps

Education

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field

Master’s degree in relevant field

Tools

SAFe SPC

RTE

Job description

Overview

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) delivers high-impact, technical solutions to complex national security issues. With over 50 years of business expertise and consistent growth, we are known for continuous innovation for our government customers, in both the US and abroad. Our exceptionally talented team is highly collaborative in spirit and practice, producing Results that Matter . Come work with the best! We offer opportunity, unique challenges, and clear-sighted commitment to the mission. SPA: Objective. Responsive. Trusted.

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) delivers high-impact, technical solutions to complex national security issues. With over 50 years of business expertise and consistent growth, we are known for continuous innovation for our government customers, in both the US and abroad. Our exceptionally talented team is highly collaborative in spirit and practice, producing Results that Matter . Come work with the best! We offer opportunity, unique challenges, and clear-sighted commitment to the mission. SPA: Objective. Responsive. Trusted.

The Sea, Land, Air Analysis Group’s mission is to deliver objective analyses, plans and strategies to US Navy, US Marine Corps, USAF, other DoD, and Australian Defence Force clients to support technology development, acquisition, delivery and sustainment decisions. The group provides the core of SPA thought leadership on Undersea Strategy, Software Development and Cost Estimating, with additional benchmark capabilities in AI/ML & Decision Analytics, Modeling and Simulation, and Future Force Assessments.

SPA has a need for an Agile Practitioner/Coach, who will serve as the primary champion and coach for Lean‑Agile and SAFe‑aligned practices across government and contractor teams. This role will train and mentor leaders and teams, shape portfolio and ART‑level ceremonies, and tailor agile methods to the mission planning and integration context. The Agile Practitioner/Coach will be responsible for guiding the shift from waterfall‑centric development to modern, metrics‑driven, iterative delivery integrated with the DevSecOps platform.

Responsibilities

The Agile Practitioner/Coach leads and sustains Lean‑Agile and SAFe‑aligned practices across government and contractor teams. They train and coach leaders and teams in agile methods, help run portfolio, solution, and ART‑level ceremonies, and tailor agile practices to mission planning and integration work. The coach guides the transition from traditional waterfall‑centric development to iterative, incremental, and cloud‑oriented approaches, integrating agile practices with the DevSecOps platform and program controls. They champion metrics‑driven continuous improvement, ensuring that agile execution aligns with contractual requirements, technical outcomes, and the Mission Planning Enterprise “software factory” way of working.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field and at least one advanced Agile certification (e.g., SAFe SPC, RTE, or equivalent professional‑level coaching certification)
• 7+ years of experience with Agile/Scrum/SAFe on large multi‑team programs, including at least 3 years as an Agile Coach, RTE, or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience guiding government or highly regulated organizations through transitions from waterfall to Agile, aligning increments with contractual deliverables
• Strong familiarity with modern software practices (CI/CD, automated testing, DevSecOps) and how they are applied to mission‑critical or safety‑critical systems
• Proven ability to facilitate cross‑organizational ceremonies (e.g., PI planning, system demos, retrospectives, backlog refinement) and coach leadership on agile governance
• Active Secret clearance and the ability to maintain it throughout employment

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in relevant field plus experience in mission planning or comparable weapon‑system environments, including coordinating agile teams delivering frameworks, components, and integration tools
• Familiarity with “software factory” constructs, including early‑look reviews, shared code/design interfaces, and enterprise collaboration on common repositories and pipelines
• Experience using metrics and TPMs as agile leading indicators, blending flow metrics with technical performance metrics to drive decision making
• Background integrating agile plans with enterprise IMS management and risk registers, including explicit mapping to program risk and opportunity management processes
• Prior work with AFLCMC or another Service PEO in standing up or maturing large‑scale Agile/DevSecOps delivery environments

Pay Range Information

At SPA, we strive to deliver a robust total compensation package that will attract and retain top talent. Elements of the compensation package include competitive base pay and variable compensation opportunities. SPA provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and a number of programs that provide for both paid and unpaid time away from work. The specific programs and options available to any given employee may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, etc. Please note that the salary information shown below is a general guideline only. Salaries are commensurate with experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations. Massachusetts, Pay Transparency Salary range: USD $170,000.00/Yr. - USD $195,000.00/Yr.