Senior Agile Coach

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.

Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself.

As an Sr Agile Coach you will champion an Agile mindset with proven expertise in all Agile Principles, values, and industry best practices. The Agile Coach will be responsible for coaching and developing self-empowered teams by guiding the way to achieve Agile maturity. Coaches will challenge the status quo mindset by applying Lean & Agile practices for process optimization and value delivery. The Agile Coach will partner with and influence Business, Product, Project Management, Sales, Marketing, and Technology leaders and teams to build a thriving Agile organization.

DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES / ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Agile
  • Continue our Agile Transformation by partnering with the coaches and leaders in the organization
  • Strong interpersonal skills to engage and build trust with team members, clients, and stakeholders 
  • Collaborate with people across wide levels and roles to educate on agile principles, best practices
  • Mentor Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Teams, and Leadership on agile best practices
  • Coach Value Streams, Teams, Leadership, and individuals to improve Agile & Lean practices for increased value delivery
  • Observe, identify, and introduce opportunities for improvement
  • Work with managers to define strategies for transitioning to Lean-Agile practices
  • Mentor and pair with change agents and stakeholders in client organizations to help them become true Lean-Agile champions 
  • Work on a team of Agile Coaches and be able to come to a unified message on all communications
  • Foster the environment of innovation, improvement, collaborative solutions, trust, and safety
  • Ability to create and train on agile metrics while leveraging your toolbox to demonstrate value
• Product
  • Strong experience with creating user stories and acceptance criteria to express requirements
  • Experience providing product management support such as prioritization and backlog grooming
  • Ensure business/product teams incorporate Agile best practices by focusing on requirements and an iterative approach to delivering value
• Training
  • Help develop and facilitate workshops to train all areas of the organization with best practices and thoughts from the Agile community
  • Enabling continuous improvement through documentation of best practices, training, videos, newsletters, and resources to be available to employees at any time
  • Develop CoP's, book clubs, lunch and learns, etc. to help the organization understand Agile

OTHER PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 5+ years of Scrum Master and/or Product Owner experience
• 2+ years of enterprise agile coaching experience
• Advanced level Certifications from respected organizations with a drive for continuing education and certifications
• Participation in the Agile community, conferences, meet-ups, and a continuous growth mindset
• Proven experience and success coaching, mentoring, facilitating, and teaching in most aspects of agile software delivery methods
• Experience in Enterprise-wide Agile Coaching including leadership, business, and product teams
• Knowledge of other frameworks such as Kanban, SAFe, or LeSS a plus
• Strong knowledge of metrics with keen awareness of their improper use or interpretation
• Ability to constructively resolving conflict
• Understand the psychology of teams and building trust in an organization 
• Previous experience coaching product owners, scrum masters, and team members
• Experience with Jira to create filters, boards, dashboards, plan view
• Have an encouraging, motivating, and empowering nature that makes others want to follow our lead

EDUCATION:

• B.S. or equivalent experience in Computer Information Systems, Business Management, Engineering, or related area of study is a plus

We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity.  All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, religion, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law.