IT Release Train Engineer

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan seeks an experienced Release Train Engineer to lead an Agile Release Train, coaching teams and stakeholders in Lean-Agile practices and servant leadership. You will drive alignment, remove impediments, and promote a culture of relentless improvement across a complex healthcare environment.

The role requires facilitating SAFe events, fostering transparent collaboration, and delivering predictable value through data-driven decision making.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years leading Agile delivery or transformation initiatives.
• 5+ years serving as a Release Train Engineer, Senior Scrum Master, Agile Coach, or comparable leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating delivery of value within an Agile Release Train in a large organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate Agile Release Train events (PI Planning, WSJF prioritization, ART Syncs, System Demos, Inspect & Adapt).
• Coach Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Business Owners, and leaders in Lean-Agile practices.
• Remove impediments and improve ART flow across teams.
• Foster collaboration, transparency, and psychological safety around shared outcomes.
• Apply systems thinking to resolve dependencies and improve ART performance.
• Use data and metrics to drive continuous improvement; tell the data story.

Skills

Servant leadership

SAFe / Lean-Agile

Facilitation

Stakeholder management

DevOps/Agile metrics

Distributed teams

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

SAFe RTE certification

Scrum Master certification

SPC certification

Tools

Jira

Confluence

PowerPoint

MS Excel

SharePoint

Visio

Job description

The Release Train Engineer (RTE) is the servant leader and coach for an Agile Release Train (ART), enabling cross-functional teams to effectively plan, execute, and continuously improve the delivery of business value. The RTE partners with Product Management, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Business Owners, System Architects, and Agile Teams to foster alignment, remove impediments, and improve flow across the ART.

This role champions the foundational principles and values of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), promoting a culture of collaboration, transparency, continuous learning, and servant leadership. While primarily focused on the flow and effectiveness of the Agile Release Train, the RTE also partners with Enterprise Agile leadership to advance Lean-Agile practices and contribute to the organization's broader delivery of value.

Experienced Lean-Agile leader who enables high-performing teams through influence rather than authority. Excel at facilitating alignment towards outcomes across diverse stakeholders and teams and creating an environment where relentless improvement thrives.

• Lead and facilitate Agile Release Train events, including PI Planning, WSJF prioritization, ART Syncs, System Demos, and Inspect & Adapt workshops.
• Coach Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Business Owners, and leaders in Lean-Agile and servant leadership principles.
• Facilitate the removal of organizational impediments and improve the flow of value across teams.
• Foster collaboration, transparency, and psychological safety while aligning teams around shared business outcomes.
• Apply systems thinking to resolve cross-team dependencies and improve overall ART performance.
• Use data and objective metrics to drive continuous improvement of flow and predictable delivery. Understand the story behind the data.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and can manage the unexpected with flexibility and patience.
• Proficient use of tools like Jira, Confluence and PowerPoint.
• Experience working in a geographically distributed and culturally diverse workgroup.
• Adhere to known compliance mandates and regulations.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience leading Agile delivery or transformation initiatives.
• 5+ years serving as a Release Train Engineer, Senior Scrum Master, Agile Coach, or comparable leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience successfully facilitating the delivery of value within and Agile Release Trains in a large, complex organization.
• Strong facilitation, coaching, conflict resolution, and stakeholder management skills.
• Deep knowledge and experience with SAFe principles, practices, and events. Working knowledge of other Lean-Agile, and Product focused frameworks and methodologies.
• Proven ability to improve ART predictability, flow, and delivery through Lean-Agile leadership and relentless improvement.
• Experience supporting multiple Agile Release Trains or participating in enterprise-level Agile transformation initiatives.
• Experience leveraging AI on an ART.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with both executives and team members in complex environments.
• A true servant-leader. Exemplifies a Lean-Agile mindset in everything they do.
• Experience within healthcare, health insurance, or another highly regulated industry preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE) certification.
Scrum Master certification.
SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) certification preferred.

• Skilled in successfully navigating within a highly matrixed organization with demonstratable leadership.
• Exceptional active listening capabilities that enable “reading the audience” to understand what is really being said.
• Ability to influence and manage-up to senior leadership on Agile mindset and practices.
• Excel at building relationships and collaborate with diverse leaders.
• Work as a catalyst to collaboration to build trust with others.
• Mentor and coach all ART members (especially Scrum Masters, agile delivery teams).
• Proficient in using/presenting data to “tell an accurate story.”
• Problem solving and consultation within complex environments.
• Well refined interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written to convey ideas/issues to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Dynamic public speaking capabilities in front of large groups.
• Proficient in managing effective governance within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and/or other agile methodology frameworks.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and can manage the unexpected with flexibility.
• Well versed with Scaled Agile Framework’s Lean Portfolio Management methodology.
• Proficient knowledge of Agile/DevOps/Program Mgmt. Lifecycle methodologies and standards
• Experience managing enterprise and large budget initiatives.
• Proficient in use of: PPM tools, Jira, Confluence, MS Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Visio.
• Exceptional analytical ability with insight to design and implement dashboards based on accurate data/metrics.
• Experience working in a geographically distributed and culturally diverse workgroup.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other grounds, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.
Candidates are hired on an "at will" basis. Nothing herein is intended to create a contract.

Job Info

• Job Identification 14631
• Job Category Information Technology
• Legal Employer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Mutual Insurance Company