Senior Scrum Master

Job TitleLocation: New York, NYDuration: 6-month contract with potential extension based on performance, attendance, and business needsWork Mode: Hybrid – 3 days per week onsite in New York CityHours: 7.5 hours/day, 37.5 hours/weekResponsibilitiesLead project facilitation across the Technology portfolio using Agile methodologies and tools.Serve as a hands-on mentor and coach to Scrum teams.Partner closely with Product Owners, value stream delivery leads, technology teams, and business partners.Provide training, coaching, and facilitation to help teams reach a high-performance state.Guide and mentor teams in Scrum and Agile principles to maximize delivery effectiveness.Help teams meet sprint and Program Increment (PI) goals.Support Product Owners in developing, refining, and maintaining product backlogs.Represent teams in Scrum of Scrums and other cross-team planning and coordination forums.Support adoption and proficiency of Agile tools such as JIRA and Confluence.Mentor teams in the use of AI tools to streamline documentation, planning, and execution.Ensure transparency and accuracy of progress reporting to stakeholders.Monitor and optimize team velocity and delivery metrics.Identify and remove impediments to team progress.Proactively resolve conflicts and delivery issues.Coach teams toward stronger collaboration, self-management, and accountability.Foster healthy interactions within teams and with external stakeholders.Bring energy, focus, and resilience to drive sustainable Agile transformation.Ensure continuous improvement through retrospectives and process inspection.Contribute to Agile maturity through participation in the Community of Practice.Track and report Agile performance metrics such as velocity, burndown, and predictability.Facilitate all Scrum events: Daily stand-ups, Sprint planning, Sprint reviews, Retrospectives.Monitor Scrum team compliance with Agile frameworks within JIRA.Help build and sustain self-organizing, high-performing teams.RequirementsMinimum 8 years of relevant experience as a Scrum Master, preferably within the insurance or financial services industry.Strong technical background with hands-on experience in Scrum team competencies (e.g., programming, testing, requirements gathering) prior to assuming Scrum Master or Project Management roles.Technical expertise to mentor Scrum teams across all competencies, including Development, Testing, Business Analysis (BA), DevOps, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and Integrations.Sufficient technical depth to analyze risks and process gaps, propose solutions, and actively assist with remediation activities.Proficiency with Agile and work management tools, including JIRA, Confluence, and Ativo.Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field (required).Demonstrated capability to mentor teams on AI usage to improve productivity and delivery outcomes.Preferred SkillsScrum Master certification preferred.Proficiency with AI-enabled tools, particularly in JIRA, Confluence, Ativo, and Microsoft Copilot.Proven technical mentoring experience across software development and delivery disciplines.Experience managing projects that leverage service-oriented architecture (SOA).Strong understanding of Agile methodologies and a proven delivery track record.Deep understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).Strong familiarity with life insurance or financial services environments.Experience facilitating or moderating large-scale workshops or cross-functional sessions.Ability to manage multiple complex system projects simultaneously.Excellent analytical skills, independent thinking, and sound judgment.