Agile Coach (Chicago, IL/Remote Optional)

Our customer is a large United States insurance company that is backed by more than 100 years of experience and provides insurance products and services for businesses and professionals in the United States., Canada and Europe. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, they have more than 20 US locations.

We are seeking a contract Agile Coach to support our Customer's business needs. This role is on-site in Chicago, IL; remote is optional.

Responsibilities:

• Enable the transition to Agile by empowering teams to develop frameworks and implement Agile processes
• Coach multiple teams to establish and communicate the increment and sprint calendars
• Coach Product Owners in sprint planning, refinement sessions, and product reviews
• Mentor POs in advanced techniques such as user story mapping, sprint objectives, and PI objectives creation
• Coach Scrum Masters in facilitating Agile ceremonies, including retrospectives and daily standups
• Mentor SMs in advanced practices such as Coach Sync, PI planning, and System Demo preparation
• Coach managers, leaders, and stakeholders in SAFe and Agile practices
• Guide teams in escalating and monitoring organizational impediments
• Teach and coach teams in feature and story creation and estimation techniques
• Help establish governing policies to support Agile-based approaches
• Define a measurement system by identifying relevant metrics using Jira or other agile management software
• Apply systems thinking to identify and resolve bottlenecks
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement across teams
• Perform additional duties as assigned

Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related discipline (or equivalent work experience)
• Minimum 7 years of related work experience with at least 2 years as an Agile Coach or 5 years as a Scrum Master/Release Train Engineer
• Minimum 2 years of experience working with Jira software
• SPC (Scaled Practice Consultant) certification required
• Experience with insurance or finance-based products
• Successful track record with Agile and SAFe methodologies
• Preferred certifications: SA, SSM, CSM, CTC
• Strong executor with a proven track record across complex initiatives
• Champion for the adoption of Agile technologies and methodologies
• Highly collaborative with strong conflict resolution skills
• Proven ability to enact change quickly and effectively
• Skilled at developing team members through inspiration, encouragement, and constructive feedback
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to work directly with Product Management, business stakeholders, Architects, and technical/product teams

We offer a competitive salary range for this position. Most candidates who join our team are hired at the median of this range, ensuring fair and equitable compensation based on experience and qualifications.

Contractor benefits are available through our 3rd Party Employer of Record (Available upon completion of waiting period for eligible engagements)

Benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k.

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.