Job Title: Project Manager / Scrum Master / Release Manager
Job Location: Rochester, NY - Onsite, In-Person / In-Office
Salary: $70K - $110K
Job Overview:
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Scrum Master & Release Manager to join our team. In this pivotal role, you will be one of the driving forces behind our Agile development processes, ensuring smooth and efficient sprint execution and successful software releases. You will empower our development team to achieve their highest potential while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This role blends traditional Scrum Master responsibilities with critical release management and stakeholder communication, making it a unique opportunity to significantly impact our product delivery and customer satisfaction.
Responsibilities:
Agile Software Development / Scrum:
Facilitate Scrum: Schedule and lead all Scrum activities, including Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews/Demos, and Sprint Retrospectives, ensuring they are productive and focused.
Remove Impediments: Proactively identify and resolve impediments and blockers that hinder the team's progress, fostering a smooth and efficient workflow.
Track and Optimize Sprint Performance: Monitor and manage the burndown chart, measure and analyze team velocity, and identify and mitigate "noise" that impacts performance.
Data-Driven Improvement: Analyze sprint data, including estimations vs. actuals, to identify trends and drive continuous improvement in estimation accuracy and overall team performance.
Team Empowerment: Guide and coach team members to achieve their sprint commitments.
Risk Management: Proactively identify and escalate potential risks that could jeopardize sprint completion, ensuring timely resolution.
Capacity Planning: Provide accurate capacity information to the planning team to facilitate effective resource allocation.
Release Management:
Release Planning & Execution: Manage the end-to-end release process, ensuring timely and high-quality software deployments.
Deliverable Creation: Oversee the development of essential release support deliverables, including knowledge base articles, release notes, and training materials.
Mobile Release Management: Manage the release of software to mobile platforms (e.g., Apple App Store, Google Play Store), ensuring smooth and compliant deployments.
Vendor Coordination: Coordinate and project manage the use of external development, testing, and IT vendors.
Stakeholder Communication & Collaboration:
Transparent Communication: Provide clear and concise communication to all internal stakeholders regarding sprint planning, progress, and release status.
Feedback Management: Effectively manage and implement feedback from demos and retrospectives, driving continuous product and process improvement.
Release Communication: Communicate release to production status and any associated updates to all relevant stakeholders.
External Customer Escalation: Serve as an escalation point for external customer issues as needed.
Process Improvement & Optimization:
Continuous Improvement: Identify and champion opportunities for process improvements across all aspects of the development lifecycle, including Scrum, code reviews, work item management, testing, requirements gathering, and backlog management.
Data-Driven Improvement Initiatives: Collaborate with team members to identify measurable areas for improvement, propose solutions, estimate impact, implement changes, and measure results.
Microsoft DevOps Configuration: Configure and maintain Microsoft DevOps to optimize workflow and track progress.
Special Projects:
Project Management: Lead and manage special projects, including by not limited to kiosk preparation and shipping, internal IT projects, beta/pilot programs, and mobile app development and releases.
Feedback Collection: Gather and analyze feedback from beta, pilot, and user group programs, translating insights into actionable work items.
Vendor Selection: Facilitate vendor selection processes, including RFP development, proposal evaluation, and contract negotiation.
Formal Proposal Preparation: Facilitate the creation of comprehensive and compliant responses to RFPs and RFBs issued by school districts and BOCES.
Qualifications:
Proven experience as a Scrum Master and Release Manager in an Agile environment.
Strong understanding of Scrum and Agile principles and practices.
Experience managing software releases to mobile platforms.
Proficiency with Microsoft DevOps (or similar Agile project management tools).
Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
Strong problem-solving and conflict resolution abilities.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Experience coordinating with and managing external vendors.
Demonstrated ability to drive process improvement initiatives.
Experience with capacity planning.
Experience with data analysis.
Experience both writing and evaluating RFPs.
Why Join Us:
Opportunity to make a significant impact on product delivery and customer satisfaction.
Collaborative and supportive work environment.
Opportunities for professional growth and development.
Competitive compensation and benefits package.
Support K-12 education professionals, and contribute to the success of K-12 education organizations.