Specialist Scrum Master

at  Absa Bank Limited

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.
With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.
Job Summary
The Scrum Master will serve as the facilitator for a product development team employing SAFe® (Scaled Agile Framework) and Scrum/Agile methodologies. This role encompasses leading multiple teams to ensure self-organization and fostering an environment conducive to rapid change. The Scrum Master will ensure adherence to agile principles and concepts, ensuring effective preparation and management of the product backlog, sprint backlog, and burn-down charts. Key responsibilities include facilitating and leading the team, promoting self-organization, fostering adaptability, ensuring agile principles are followed, overseeing backlog management, acting as a servant leader to remove obstacles and improve processes, and collaborating with other Scrum Masters and Agile teams to align practices and objectives.
Job Description
Job Description

Core Responsibilities

• Build High-Performing Teams
• Facilitate PI Planning
• Improve ART Performance
• Improve Flow
• Support Iteration Execution

Agile Transformation:

• Apply best practices to implement Agile and resolve any adoption issues that arise.
• Coach team members and product owners in adopting Agile practices
• Provide expert guidance and assistance to colleagues to ensure a successful transition to Agile methodologies.
• Resolve issues raised during the transition to Agile satisfactorily.
• Support the Project/Delivery Manager in planning and transitioning releases.
• Understand the current development/delivery model and guide teams in adapting to an agile strategy.

Product Delivery:

• Adhere to all change governance and standards to ensure compliance and consistency.
• Communicate effectively with the project manager/delivery manager about sprint progress and any blockages encountered.
• Develop comprehensive plans to ensure the timely and efficient delivery of the team’s work.
• Ensure high code quality standards are maintained throughout the development process.
• Lead multiple sprints for teams using Agile methodology, ensuring that the sprints run smoothly, taking corrective actions as necessary.
• Maintain and update SCRUM artifacts, ensuring their accuracy and relevance.

Servant Leadership:

• Be familiar with at least one business area and liaise with peers in that area.
• Be respected and consulted by business area peers and serve as a point of contact within the team.
• Supervise, coordinate, participate in, and be accountable for sprints of teams located at different geographic locations.
• Teach and coach team members to deepen their understanding of Agile practices.
• Use resources effectively during sprints to ensure business objectives are met and deliverables are achieved within the agreed time, cost, and quality parameters.

Technical Capability:

• Be well-versed in technical documentation standards, guidelines, and best practices.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how service support integrates with their technical role.
• Develop and maintain technical reference documentation.
• Efficiently handle configuration items, initiate changes, and plan releases.
• Have knowledge of major functions and features of workflow analysis tools.
• Have operational knowledge of service desk and incident management systems.
• Have practical knowledge of scripting and utility tools, including their components and features.
• Possess experience in managing incidents and problems through fluent application of escalation and notification procedures for incidents
• Problem solving & risk management to reduce and mitigate team impediments

Management:

• Adapt your approach to enhance team performance by collaborating effectively with individuals across a wide range of disciplines and organizational levels.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers and stakeholders to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Clearly communicate complex or challenging ideas to stakeholders, peers, and team members.
• Employ stakeholder management strategies proficiently and navigate organizational structures efficiently.
• Facilitate and negotiate between multiple parties to achieve consensus and resolution, even when initial perspectives differ.
• Foster positive and productive communication, especially in challenging situations, and adapt your approach to improve overall team performance. Collaborate effectively with diverse individuals across various disciplines and levels, both within and outside the organization.
• Monitor project costs and resource usage, ensuring alignment with the budget while balancing delivery within time, cost, and quality constraints.
• Navigate ambiguity and uncertainty with ease, effectively managing unstructured teams, situations, and environments.

Formal Education Key:

• Bachelor’s Degree : Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or Management, or
• National Diploma/Certificate: Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or Management.

Beneficial:

• Diploma/Post-graduate Diploma in IT Management

Certifications Key:
• SAFe® 5/6 Scrum Master Certification • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) Beneficial:
• SAFe® 5/6 Agilist Certification • Professional Scrum Master (PSM
Education
National Certificate: Information Technology
Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.
Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertise

• Build High-Performing Teams
• Facilitate PI Planning
• Improve ART Performance
• Improve Flow
• Support Iteration Executio