Scrum Master

Navigant Consulting; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Guidehouse seeks a Mid-Level Scrum Master to support Agile software delivery for a federal program. You will facilitate Scrum events, coach teams, and remove impediments while partnering with Product Owners, vendors, and stakeholders to maintain backlog clarity and delivery momentum.

You will ensure adherence to HHS EPLC governance, foster continuous improvement, and help scale agile practices across multi‑team environments in a regulated setting.

Qualifications

• Must obtain and maintain a Federal or DoD Public Trust; adjudication required before onboarding.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of four (4) years supporting Agile software development or IT modernization teams, including at least two (2) years as Scrum Master.
• Working knowledge of Scrum events, accountabilities, artifacts, and empirical delivery practices.
• Experience facilitating Agile ceremonies and helping teams address impediments, dependencies, delivery risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Ability to coach team members without directing their work.
• Experience partnering with Product Owners on sprint goals, backlog refinement, readiness, and stakeholder collaboration.
• Understanding of SDLC, iterative delivery, testing, release coordination, and DevSecOps concepts.
• Knowledge of federal IT governance and EPLC documentation, reviews, approvals, stage-gate requirements.
• Ability to track and communicate delivery metrics, risks, dependencies, decisions, and action items clearly.
• Strong facilitation, communication, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate with business, technical, vendor, and government stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate Scrum events, including sprint planning, daily Scrum, sprint reviews, retrospectives, and backlog refinement sessions.
• Coach team members on Agile values, Scrum practices, self-management, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with the Product Owner to support clear sprint goals, a transparent backlog, and well-understood backlog items.
• Identify, track, and help remove impediments; elevate issues requiring program, stakeholder, or organizational action.
• Protect the team from unnecessary disruption while promoting engagement with stakeholders and dependent teams.
• Monitor sprint progress, delivery trends, risks, dependencies, and team health using Agile metrics and visual tools.
• Facilitate conversations to resolve conflict, clarify expectations, and strengthen cross-functional collaboration.
• Coordinate cross-team dependencies and support release planning, demos, testing readiness, and incremental delivery activities.
• Help maintain working practices, quality, and a clear Definition of Done.
• Promote data-informed retrospectives and follow-through on improvement actions.
• Maintain delivery artifacts like boards, impediment/risk logs, dependencies, actions, and stakeholder updates.
• Ensure alignment with federal IT governance requirements (EPLC) and stage-gate expectations.
• Support Agile adoption across multi-team, multi-vendor federal program.

Skills

Facilitation

Agile practices

Coaching

Communication

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Jira

Azure DevOps

Confluence

SharePoint

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

Job Family:
Software Development & Support (Digital)

Travel Required:
None

Clearance Required:
Ability to Obtain Public Trust

The Mid-Level Scrum Master will support one or more Agile teams delivering software enhancements and modernization capabilities for the GrantSolutions program. This role facilitates effective Scrum events, coaches team members in Agile practices, removes impediments, promotes transparency, and helps the team continuously improve its delivery of high-quality outcomes. The individual will collaborate with Product Owners, technical leads, Federal stakeholders, vendors, and cross-functional delivery teams while operating with guidance from program and Agile leadership.

What You Will Do:

We are seeking a collaborative Mid-Level Scrum Master to help Agile teams plan, execute, and improve delivery across a complex federal technology environment. The Scrum Master will create productive team routines, reinforce Agile values and Scrum practices, maintain visibility into progress and risks, and help resolve blockers that affect sprint goals.

This is a hands‑on facilitation and coaching role suited for a professional who can independently support a delivery team while escalating broader organizational issues when needed. The individual will work closely with the Product Owner to promote backlog readiness, coordinate dependencies, use delivery metrics appropriately, and foster a respectful, self‑managing, and continuously improving team environment.

• Facilitate Scrum events, including sprint planning, daily Scrum, sprint reviews, retrospectives, and backlog refinement sessions.
• Coach team members on Agile values, Scrum practices, self‑management, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with the Product Owner to support clear sprint goals, a transparent and prioritized backlog, and well‑understood backlog items.
• Identify, track, and help remove impediments; elevate issues that require program, stakeholder, or organizational action.
• Protect the team from unnecessary disruption while promoting productive engagement with stakeholders and dependent teams.
• Monitor sprint progress, delivery trends, risks, dependencies, and team health using practical Agile metrics and visual management tools.
• Facilitate conversations that resolve conflict, clarify expectations, and strengthen collaboration across business and technical participants.
• Coordinate cross‑team dependencies and support release planning, demonstrations, testing readiness, and incremental delivery activities.
• Help the team maintain agreed working practices, quality expectations, and a clear Definition of Done.
• Promote data‑informed retrospectives and follow through on measurable improvement actions.
• Maintain concise delivery artifacts, including team boards, impediment and risk logs, dependency tracking, action items, and stakeholder updates.
• Ensure Agile delivery activities and team artifacts align with applicable federal IT governance requirements, including the HHS Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC), required reviews, deliverables, approvals, and stage‑gate expectations.
• Support Agile adoption and consistent delivery practices across a multi‑team, multi‑vendor federal program.

What You Will Need:

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Federal or DoD Public Trust; candidates must receive approved adjudication before onboarding. An active Public Trust or suitability determination is preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of four (4) years of experience supporting Agile software development, technology delivery, or IT modernization teams, including at least two (2) years serving as a Scrum Master or Agile team facilitator.
• Working knowledge of Scrum events, accountabilities, artifacts, commitments, and empirical delivery practices.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating Agile ceremonies and helping teams address impediments, dependencies, delivery risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Ability to coach team members constructively without directing or assigning their work.
• Experience partnering with Product Owners on sprint goals, backlog refinement, readiness, and stakeholder collaboration.
• Understanding of the software development life cycle, iterative delivery, testing, release coordination, and DevSecOps concepts.
• Working knowledge of federal IT governance and project life‑cycle controls, including the ability to support compliance with HHS EPLC documentation, review, approval, and stage‑gate requirements.
• Ability to track and communicate delivery metrics, risks, dependencies, decisions, and action items clearly.
• Strong facilitation, communication, conflict‑resolution, organizational, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with business, technical, operational, vendor, and government stakeholders.
• Adaptable, team‑oriented, and able to work effectively in a fast‑paced, regulated environment with moderate supervision.
• Proficiency with Agile delivery and collaboration tools such as Jira, Azure DevOps, Confluence, SharePoint, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.

What Would Be Nice To Have:

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I), SAFe Scrum Master, or comparable Agile certification.
• Experience supporting federal or government IT programs.
• Experience with platform modernization, cloud delivery, DevSecOps, APIs, shared services, or legacy system transition efforts.
• Experience facilitating distributed, cross‑functional, or multi‑vendor teams.
• Familiarity with scaled Agile planning, cross‑team dependency management, release coordination, and program‑level ceremonies.
• Experience using flow, predictability, quality, and team‑health measures to support continuous improvement.
• Understanding of change management and organizational readiness principles.

What We Offer:

Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.

Benefits include:

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
• Parental Leave
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Group Term Life and Travel Assistance
• Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
• Health Savings Account, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Transit and Parking Commuter Benefits
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development, Certifications & Learning Opportunities
• Employee Referral Program
• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
• Care.com annual membership
• Employee Assistance Program
• Supplemental Benefits via Corestream (Critical Care, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Assistance and ID theft protection, etc.)
• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer-Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.