Senior Scrum Master & Agile Coach

Senior Scrum Master & Agile CoachHeadquartered in Southern California, Skechers — the Comfort Technology Company® — has spent over 30 years helping people everywhere look good, feel good, and move through life in comfort. Comfort innovation drives everything we build, from bold footwear to an ever-expanding world of apparel and accessories. We're not just a brand — we're a global lifestyle movement, and data is how we connect with the millions of people who wear us every day.Skechers Global Retail IT is seeking an experienced Senior Scrum Master & Agile Coach to join a growing team. This is a unique, ground-floor opportunity to build and shape the Agile practice for Global Retail Technology from the ground up. This role operates within a product-centric organization where the technology portfolio consists primarily of third-party software solutions, requiring a pragmatic Agile leader who can adapt principles and frameworks to configuration, customization, and operational workstreams.This individual will serve as both a hands-on Scrum Master for one or more hybrid Agile teams and as an internal Agile coach — building capability and maturity across the organization, educating business stakeholders on Agile ways of working, and championing a culture of continuous improvement.Agile Practice EstablishmentDesign and implement a fit-for-purpose Agile practice tailored to the team and organization, where work consists primarily of configurations, customizations, integrations, and operational enhancementsDefine and standardize Agile ways of working across the department, including ceremonies, roles, artifacts, and cadences appropriate for hybrid Agile teams operating at a global scaleEstablish a common Agile framework and language — including Themes, Epics, Features, and User Stories — to ensure consistency in how work is defined, estimated, prioritized, and deliveredDevelop and maintain an Agile playbook tailored to the Retail IT context, serving as the foundational reference for teams, Product Managers, and stakeholdersDefine and track Agile maturity metrics and KPIs to measure adoption, team health, and continuous improvement over timeScrum Master LeadershipServe as an active, hands-on Scrum Master for one or more hybrid Agile teams, facilitating all ceremonies including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, backlog grooming, sprint reviews, and retrospectivesEstablish team capacity, velocity, and sprint cadence; instill a practices like Definition of Ready and Definition of Done among othersGuide Product Managers in backlog management best practices, including structuring Epics and User Stories, story pointing, and prioritizationIdentify, escalate, and remove impediments and dependencies that may impact delivery commitmentsMonitor and improve team velocity, sprint predictability, and delivery consistency through data-driven insights and retrospective action itemsPartner with Product Owners to communicate sprint demos, feature updates, and delivery outcomes to stakeholdersManage daily triage of defects and operational tickets, driving timely resolution in partnership with production support teamsHandle incoming requests, issues, and decisions via Jira and Confluence, tracking to resolution and unblocking work as neededAgile Coaching & Capability BuildingCoach Product Managers, team leads, and functional stakeholders on Agile principles, frameworks, and ways of workingDevelop and deliver Agile training programs, workshops, and onboarding materials tailored to a non-software development IT environmentMentor less experienced team members and serve as the go-to subject matter expert for Agile practice questions and challengesChampion a growth mindset and culture of continuous learning, experimentation, and iterative improvement across the Retail IT organizationStakeholder Alignment & Change ManagementPartner with IT leadership, Product Managers, and business stakeholders to drive Agile adoption and ensure organizational alignment on ways of workingLead change management efforts associated with the introduction of Agile practices, managing expectations and communicating the value of transformationFacilitate cross-team alignment sessions and planning events to synchronize priorities, dependencies, and delivery commitments across workstreamsConnect teams and stakeholders across IT, Digital, Retail, and other groupsServe as a trusted advisor to leadership on Agile best practices, team structure, capacity planning, and organizational designThird-Party Software Adapted Agile DeliveryApply Agile principles pragmatically within the constraints of a third-party software solution environment, adapting standard frameworks to accommodate vendor release cycles, patch management, configuration windows, and external dependenciesEstablish practices for managing vendor-driven change, including the intake, sizing, and prioritization of platform upgrades, patches, and regulatory-driven modificationsEnsure Agile ceremonies and artifacts reflect the realities of working within enterprise platforms where delivery is influenced by vendor capabilities and contractual boundariesTooling & ReportingDefine and govern the use of Agile project management tooling (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, or equivalent) to support backlog management, sprint tracking, and reportingEstablish standardized dashboards and reporting cadences that provide leadership and stakeholders with real-time visibility into team progress, backlog health, and delivery performanceDrive consistency in how Agile data is captured and reported, enabling meaningful trend analysis and benchmarking across workstreamsRequirements for SuccessDeep knowledge of Scrum techniques and artifacts including definition of ready & done, user stories, backlog refinement, etc.Servant leadership mindset with high emotional intelligence — knowing when to push and when to pull backExceptional communication skills with the ability to simplify and explain complex topics to business stakeholders at all levelsStrong problem-solving and conflict-resolution capabilitiesBias for action, efficiency, and continuous improvementOutstanding organizational skills with sharp attention to detailProven ability to operate effectively across global teams, time zones, and culturesQualificationsDeep experience using Atlassian Agile toolset (Jira, Trello, Confluence or similar)10+ years in Scrum Master roles7+ years' experience working in non-software development projects, preferably in consumer retail brands5+ years working as an agile coach and teaching agile practicesAgile, SCRUM or SAFe education or certifications requiredExperience working with diverse global teams in different time zones and culturesAdvanced Scrum Master certification (e.g., A-CSM, SAFe SSM, PSM II, or equivalent) preferredAgile coaching certification (e.g., ICP-ACC, ICAgile, or equivalent) preferredFamiliarity with SAFe or other scaling frameworks applicable to large, distributed IT organizationsExperience with enterprise retail technology platforms, preferably point-of-sale and other retail store solutionsPay range for this position is $165,000 – $200,000/year USD.About SkechersSkechers, a global Fortune 500® company, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel, and accessories. Serving over 180 countries and territories, Skechers connects customers to products through department and specialty stores, e-commerce and digital stores, and through our more than 5,300 Skechers retail locations.Equal Employment Opportunity Skechers is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful work environment. Skechers provides equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment without regard race, color, religion, gender, gender identification and expression, national origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, military status, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic established by local, state or federal law.Reasonable Accommodation Applicants for employment who require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job should request appropriate accommodation by emailing View email address on click.appcast.io perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The skills, abilities and physical demands described are representative of those duties that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities, who are otherwise qualified for the job position, to perform the essential functions.