Release Train Engineer (RTE)

ZipStaff Inc.; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 165,000 - 248,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) + 401(k) matching

Paid time off

Referral Program

Job summary

ZipStaff is hiring an experienced Release Train Engineer (RTE) to lead a large Agile Release Train in Washington DC. You will guide PI planning, align with enterprise OKRs, and improve value delivery across teams. This is a hands-on, servant-leader role demanding strong facilitation and DevOps mindset.

On-site presence in DC is required. You will mentor Scrum Masters, Product Managers and System Architects, foster transparency, and drive Lean-Agile maturity across the program.

Qualifications

• Certified SAFe Release Train Engineer with hands-on experience.
• Proven ability to lead PI planning and cross-team coordination.
• Experience coaching multiple roles in Lean-Agile environments.
• Strong facilitation and public speaking at large planning events.

Responsibilities

• Lead preparation, backlog readiness, WSJF scoring and facilitation of the 2-day in-person PI Planning event, aligning outcomes with enterprise strategy and OKRs.
• Track ART metrics and facilitate synchronization events across multiple teams and stages.
• Coordinate delivery roadmaps with Business Owners and other trains for value delivery.
• Establish pull systems, reduce handoffs and bottlenecks across teams and value streams.
• Coach Scrum Masters, Product Managers and Architects to improve quality and DevOps practices.
• Partner with VMO and LACE to run TeamHealth Assessments and drive continuous improvement.
• Represent the ART with a focus on psychological safety, transparency and collaboration.

Skills

Flow metrics

Lean-Agile coaching

Facilitation/public speaking

Agile coaching

Education

SAFe RTE 6.0

SAFe SPC 6.0

AgilityInsights Facilitator

5+ years SAFe facilitation

Job description

Job Title:

Release Train Engineer (RTE).

Location:

Washington, DC (On-site).

Employment Type:

W2 Contract.

Duration:

11 months.

About the Opportunity:

ZipStaff is hiring an experienced, servant-leader Release Train Engineer (RTE) for our client, a national passenger transportation organization, to guide and optimize an Agile Release Train (ART). In this high-visibility role, you will act as chief scrum master and strategic facilitator for the train, bridging enterprise strategy, cascaded OKRs and technical execution. You will drive end-to-end Program Increment (PI) planning and execution, remove systemic delivery bottlenecks through Value Stream Mapping, and mentor Scrum Masters, Product Managers and System Architects to mature Lean-Agile and DevOps capabilities.

What You'll Do:

• Lead preparation, backlog readiness, WSJF scoring and facilitation of the 2-day in-person PI Planning event, aligning outcomes with enterprise strategy and OKRs.
• Track and report ART predictability, velocity, cycle time and flow metrics; facilitate ART synchronization events (Coach Sync, ART Sync, Architect Sync, PO Sync, System Demos, Inspect & Adapt).
• Partner with Business Owners to evaluate business value, manage inter-ART dependencies and coordinate delivery roadmaps with other trains.
• Establish pull systems, eliminate handoffs and cross-team bottlenecks, and facilitate Value Stream Mapping sessions.
• Coach Scrum Masters, Product Managers and Architects; champion built-in quality, DevOps practices and Communities of Practice.
• Partner with the VMO and LACE to run AgilityInsights TeamHealth Assessments and drive continuous improvement.
• Serve as the face and voice of the ART, fostering psychological safety, transparency and collaboration.

Required Qualifications:

• Certified SAFe® 6.0 Release Train Engineer (RTE).
• Certified SAFe® 6.0 Practice Consultant (SPC).
• Certified AgilityInsights Facilitator.
• 5+ years facilitating Agile Release Trains and coaching multi-team delivery environments using SAFe.
• Proven track record tracking and optimizing Flow Metrics (Flow Velocity, Flow Time, Flow Efficiency, Flow Load, Predictability).
• Demonstrated ability to coach technical teams and executive Business Owners in Lean-Agile values, OKR alignment and built-in quality.
• Exceptional facilitation and public speaking skills, comfortable leading rooms of 100+ participants during multi-day planning events.
• Ability to work on-site in Washington, DC, including mandatory in-person PI Planning sessions, workshops and ART ceremonies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Lean Portfolio Management and Value Management Office practices.
• Experience in large enterprise or transportation-sector Agile transformations.

Benefits:

• Health Insurance.
• Dental Insurance.
• Vision Insurance.
• 401(k) + 401(k) matching.
• Paid time off.
• Referral Program.

About ZipStaff:

ZipStaff connects skilled technology professionals with leading organizations across the United States, matching top talent with impactful contract and full-time opportunities.