Scrum Master

Job Title: Scrum Master Location: Chicago, IL Duration: Long Term Job Summary The Scrum Master will report to the assigned Project Manager within the Enterprise Solution Delivery PMO in the Business Partnerships and Innovation Department within ITS. This is a short-term engagement intended to provide focused Agile facilitation and coaching support for an active project, with the opportunity to extend or expand into a longer-term engagement based on performance and continued project need. This role is facilitation-focused: the Scrum Master will run core Scrum ceremonies, coach the team and Product Owner on Agile best practices, and track sprint progress in Azure DevOps (ADO). The Scrum Master will identify and help remove impediments, keep the team's backlog and sprint boards current, and work in close, daily collaboration with the Project Manager to ensure delivery stays aligned with sprint priorities and release timelines. Given the short duration of the engagement, the ideal candidate is able to ramp up quickly on a new team's context without requiring deep institutional knowledge upfront. Principal Accountabilities Ceremony Facilitation: Facilitate core Scrum ceremonies - daily standups, sprint planning, backlog refinement, sprint review, and retrospective - for an assigned project team. Agile Coaching: Coach the team and Product Owner on Agile/Scrum best practices, adapting to CPS's existing tools and workflows. Impediment Removal: Identify and help remove impediments that are blocking the team, escalating where needed to keep delivery moving. Backlog & Board Management: Track and report sprint progress and team health using Azure DevOps (ADO), keeping the backlog and sprint boards current and accurate. Collaboration: Work daily with the Project Manager and Product Owner to align sprint priorities, flag blockers early, and confirm the team is on track for release timelines. Engagement Wrap-Up: Provide a brief end-of-engagement summary of outcomes and recommendations to the Project Manager and PMO leadership to inform any decision to extend. Education Required Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university is preferred; Experience and Number of Years A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience as a Scrum Master or Agile facilitator. Experience facilitating Scrum ceremonies (standups, sprint planning, backlog refinement, sprint review, retrospective) for a delivery team is required. Hands-on experience using Azure DevOps (ADO) for sprint/backlog management and reporting is required. Experience working within an Agile/Scrum delivery environment on cross-functional teams, including developers, QA, and business stakeholders. Ability to quickly ramp up on a new team's context and process without needing deep institutional knowledge upfront. Preferred Certifications Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) Professional Scrum Master (PSM I or higher) Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Facilitation: Strong facilitation skills, able to keep ceremonies focused, time-boxed, and productive. Servant Leadership: Sound judgment in coaching the team and Product Owner while protecting the team from unnecessary disruption. Tool Proficiency: Working proficiency in Azure DevOps (ADO), including backlogs, sprint boards, and burndown/velocity reporting. Communication: Ability to clearly communicate sprint status, risks, and impediments to both technical teams and business stakeholders. Keywords Scrum Master, Azure, DevOps, ADO, Agile, Jira #J-18808-Ljbffr