Scrum Master at Aviva Markham, IL

Aviva; Markham (IL); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus eligibility

Retirement savings plan

Health benefits

Wellness programs

Volunteer opportunities

Career Development opportunities

Job summary

Aviva Canada in Markham is seeking a Scrum Master to enable Agile delivery across software teams. You will lead Scrum events, coach the Product Owner, and ensure governance and quality within Aviva's Change Framework.

You’ll bring a Scrum Master certification (PSM/CSM) and hands-on experience with Jira, metrics, risk management, and cross-team collaboration in a regulated insurance environment. Hybrid work model offered.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Scrum Master supporting software/technology delivery teams.
• Practical knowledge of Scrum, Kanban, Agile planning, flow, metrics, dependency management.
• Experience using Jira to manage backlogs and sprints.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate Scrum events including Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, and Review.
• Enable reliable sprint planning and delivery with clear goals.
• Report delivery progress with burndown, velocity, and cycle time metrics.
• Identify blockers and escalate impediments within 24 hours.
• Coach the team and Product Owner on backlog management and agile practices.
• Maintain Jira discipline and data quality.
• Manage risks, issues, and dependencies with stakeholders.
• Promote collaboration across teams and governance alignment.
• Champion continuous improvement with action plans.

Skills

Scrum Master certification

Delivery experience

Facilitation

Communication

Stakeholder management

Influencing skills

Agile planning & estimation

Delivery governance

Cross-team collaboration

Tools

Jira

Job description

Individually we are people, but together we are Aviva. Individually these are just words, but together they are our Values - Care, Commitment, Community, and Confidence.At Aviva Canada, we put people first, our employees, our customers, and our communities. We’re proud of a culture built on care, inclusion, and collaboration, where your voice matters and your growth is supported. We’re not just about insurance; we’re about making a real difference by protecting what matters most.

Aviva is looking for a Scrum Master who is highly motivated and brings strong Agile delivery, business, and technical acumen. In this role, you will create the conditions for teams to succeed within agreed scope, schedule, budget, quality, and governance expectations. You lead through influence, build trusted relationships, and combine a coaching mindset with disciplined delivery practices.

What you’ll do

• Facilitate effective Scrum events. Prepare and facilitate Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective, and Backlog Refinement so each event is focused, timeboxed, and outcome-oriented.
• Enable reliable sprint planning and delivery. Support clear Sprint Goals, capacity planning, estimation, user story slicing, Definition of Ready/Done, and alignment of sprint commitments to the integrated delivery plan.
• Drive transparency through meaningful reporting. Monitor and communicate delivery progress using relevant measures such as burndown, velocity, cycle time, predictability, scope change, spillover, risks, dependencies, and delivery milestones. Use trends to prompt decisions and improvement, not simply to report activity.
• Remove impediments and manage dependencies. Identify blockers early, confirm ownership, escalates material impediments within 24 hours when team-level resolution is not possible, and actively follow through to resolution.
• Coach the team and Product Owner. Reinforce Scrum accountabilities, Agile principles, effective backlog management, prioritization, acceptance criteria, and sustainable ways of working. Help the team grow in self-management, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain Jira discipline and data quality. Ensure Epics, user stories, tasks, defects, dependencies, estimates, statuses, and sprint data are current, accurate, and traceable so reporting and governance views are dependable.
• Manage risks, issues, and expectations. Maintain visibility of risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies; facilitate timely escalation and decision-making; and communicate impacts to timelines, scope, capacity, and deliverables.
• Promote collaboration and resolve conflict. Build open communication across the team, Product Owner, technical partners, stakeholders, and dependent teams. Facilitate constructive resolution of delivery or working-relationship conflicts.
• Support governance and compliance. Help the team work in alignment with Aviva Agile standards and the Aviva Change Framework, while preserving the intent of Agile and avoiding unnecessary process overhead.
• Champion continuous improvement. Turn retrospective outcomes and delivery insights into specific improvement actions with owners, target dates, and follow-through. Share learning and contribute to the Agile Community of Practice where applicable.

What you’ll bring

• A Scrum Master certification such as Professional Scrum Master (PSM) or Certified ScrumMaster (CSM); advanced Agile or coaching credentials are an asset.
• Demonstrated experience as a Scrum Master supporting software or technology delivery teams in a complex organization.
• Practical knowledge of Scrum, Kanban, Agile planning, estimation, flow, metrics, dependency management, and continuous improvement.
• Experience using Jira to manage backlogs, sprints, workflows, delivery data, and team-level reporting.
• Strong facilitation, communication, stakeholder management, conflict resolution, and influencing skills, including the ability to lead without formal authority.
• Ability to interpret delivery data, identify patterns, ask effective questions, and translate insights into practical actions.
• Experience working within delivery governance, risk management, and change-control expectations.
• Experience delivering in the insurance industry is required; Guidewire experience is preferred.

What makes you stand out

• You balance servant leadership and coaching with strong delivery discipline and follow-through.
• You proactively identify emerging risks, dependencies, and delivery trends before they affect sprint or release outcomes.
• You adapt your approach to team maturity while maintaining clear standards for transparency, accountability, and quality.
• You can communicate concise, evidence-based delivery insights to both technical teams and senior stakeholders.
• You have experience supporting multiple teams, scaled delivery, or cross-team planning in a regulated environment.

What you’ll get

• The salary band for this position ranges from $100,000 to $125,000. Please note that individual salary is determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills and experience, as well as internal equity.
• Compelling rewards package including base compensation, eligibility for annual bonus, retirement savings, share plan, health benefits, personal wellness, and volunteer opportunities.
• Outstanding Career Development opportunities.
• We’ll support your professional development education.
• Competitive vacation package with the option to purchase 5 extra days off per year.
• Employee driven programs focused on gender, LGBTQ+, origins, diversity, and inclusion.
• Corporate wellness programs to support our employees’ physical and mental health.
• Employee discount on home and auto insurance (where applicable).
• Hybrid flexible work model.

This job advertisement is for an existing vacancy which has been posted both internally & externally.

Aviva Canada may use AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools to assist us throughout the recruitment process to screen, assess or select applicants for a position.

Aviva Canada welcomes applications from all qualified individuals and has a process in place to provide accommodations for persons with disabilities at all stages of the hiring process and during employment. If you require an accommodation during the interview or hiring process, please contact your Aviva Talent Acquisition Partner so that an appropriate accommodation can be arranged.

Location: Markham