Agile Scrum Master Consultant I – Jira Align (Key)

Job Title: Agile Scrum Master Consultant I – Jira Align

Job Type: Contract / Staffing

Duration: 6 months (Possibility of extension)

Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

• Candidates must be local to Chicago
• Expected to be onsite 2 days per week

Department: Information Technology

Role Summary

The Agile Scrum Master Consultant I serves as a servant-leader, coach, and facilitator for multiple Agile Scrum teams delivering complex IT and business solutions. This role supports both business and technical stakeholders and ensures consistent, high-quality product delivery through Agile best practices.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve, lead, coach, and support multiple Agile Scrum teams working on complex initiatives involving internal and external (onshore/offshore) resources.
• Take ownership of product delivery outcomes.
• Facilitate Scrum ceremonies and Agile practices including daily standups, sprint planning, sprint reviews, retrospectives, and cross-team coordination.
• Ensure adherence to Scrum values: courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness.
• Identify, remove, and escalate delivery impediments as appropriate.
• Lead resolution of complex impediments and escalate unresolved issues to senior leadership.
• Manage risks and issues to prevent recurrence.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning using retrospectives and team feedback.
• Coach teams toward Agile maturity, driving consistent velocity and continuous improvement.
• Proactively monitor team health, delivery metrics, and project needs.
• Act as an Agile subject matter expert, mentor, and thought leader.
• Guide and mentor junior Scrum Masters and provide feedback on new Agile tools and processes.
• Contribute ideas to mature enterprise Agile practices through Communities of Practice / Centers of Excellence.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Product Owners and stakeholders.
• Support Product Owners with backlog management and prioritization, including maintaining relevant Agile metrics.
• Promote transparency around delivery progress, quality, and timelines.
• Create a safe, trusting team environment and facilitate conflict resolution.
• Ensure delivery of high-quality products and adherence to Agile best practices.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

Core Agile Skills

• Strong experience as a Scrum Master using Agile/Scrum methodology.
• Proven servant-leadership, coaching, and mentoring capabilities.
• Experience delivering enterprise-scale software using Agile methodologies.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills and experience using Agile tools such as Jira.
• Proven application development best practices experience (e.g., automation, CI/CD pipelines).

Jira Align

• Hands-on experience using Jira Align to connect strategy to execution.
• Ability to manage program-level backlogs and visualize dependencies across Agile Release Trains (ARTs).
• Proficiency in configuring and interpreting dashboards, OKRs, and Lean metrics.

AI & Tooling Awareness

• Applied AI Literacy: Understanding how AI/ML concepts support Agile delivery (e.g., predictive analytics, backlog grooming, automated reporting).
• Tool Familiarity: Working knowledge of AI-enabled tools such as Jira Automation, Rovo, GitHub Copilot, Lucid AI, or Microsoft Copilot.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Ability to interpret AI-generated insights (velocity trends, risk indicators, sentiment analysis) and translate them into actionable guidance.
• Change Enablement: Experience coaching teams through adoption of AI-driven practices, including ethical use and continuous learning.

Education & Experience

• Scrum Master Certification (CSM) preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum 4 years of relevant experience in enterprise IT environments using Agile delivery methods.
• Prior project management experience preferred.
• Relevant certifications preferred.

Work Schedule:

• Hours per Week: 40
• Hours per Day: 8

Number of Positions: 1

Job Type: Contract

Pay: From $50.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Jira Align: 4 years (Required)
• Insurance: 4 years (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chicago, IL