Scrum Master (hybrid or remote)

• About Us

   

  The world isn’t standing still, and neither is Allstate. We’re moving quickly, looking across our businesses and brands and taking bold steps to better serve customers’ evolving needs. That’s why now is an exciting time to join our team. You’ll have opportunities to take risks, challenge the status quo and shape the future for the greater good.

   

  You’ll do all this in an environment of excellence and the highest ethical standards – a place where values such as integrity, inclusive diversity and accountability are paramount. We empower every employee to lead, drive change and give back where they work and live. Our people are our greatest strength, and we work as one team in service of our customers and communities.

   

  Allstate operate a very flexible hybrid working policy that will allow you to design your working week in collaboration with your manager with a blend of remote and office working for NI based employees as well as condensed working patterns (4 day week/9 day fortnight). Employees based in GB will be employed on a permanent remote working contract.

   

  Join our team and you’ll find challenge and reward in a culture of innovation, support and balance. 

   

   

  Location

   

  Belfast/Derry-Londonderry/Remote GB

   

  Your role in the team

   

  Allstate Scrum Masters work closely with the Product Owner, developers, testers, and all relevant stakeholders ensuring adherence to Allstate agile principles and engineering practices while contextualizing and optimizing delivery using agile/Scrum methods.

   

  In the role of Scrum Master, you will collaborate with team(s) to ensure they are fully aware of the strategic context of their work, have clarity on the relevant strategic goals and broader program plans, and developing an innovative, creative environment to give the team space to focus on delivering. Accountable for leading all aspects of such deliveries working with scrum teams and project teams ensuring that the scrum team lives by the values and practices of scrum and agile principles optimizing and harmonizing the needs / capability of the team with delivery ask and other stakeholders within the delivery ecosystem.

   

  You will be part of a multi-disciplined team of developers, business analysts, product owners, synchronizing and collaborating with other scrum-masters and project managers across global locations.

    

  General:

   

  • Promoting Scrum/Agile Practices, values and principles
  • Drive the team to optimal delivery, ensure prioritized backlog of work
  • Continuous benchmarking with industry best practice
  • Coaching, mentoring and improvement of teams in agile/Scrum methodologies; to achieve higher level of maturity on Agile/Scrum as required
  • Understand and drive the goal of self-organization and collective ownership within agile teams and how to get there
  • Seek to both promote best business practice, and take an active role in reviewing and changing it for the better; and
  • Be a natural facilitator, engaging with your team and beyond

   

   

  Organization/Planning and Delivery:

   

  • Drive the team to optimal outcome-based delivery, ensure prioritized backlog of work.
  • Ensure adherence to required outcomes and timelines. Timely communication/updates
  • Support multiple teams to ensure they can deliver what is requested – remove impediments which may hinder the success of the team (servant leadership)
  • Facilitate ceremonies (daily stand up, retrospectives, reviews, refinement & Sprint planning)
  • Attend and participate in integration meetings (Scrum of Scrum and where applicable Program Increment planning) and any other meetings as required
  • Ensure dependencies are known, mapped, and actioned as required
  • Ensure Stories and Sprints adhere to standards and quality measures
  • Identify warning signs and act with a sense of urgency to resolve
  • Address issues and risks to remove impediments and provide decisive responses to challenges and issues
  • Provide transparent planning, control and reporting through most suitable tooling (V1, Scrum boards, burndowns, information radiators). Ensure tool is kept accurate and update at all time
  • Provide reporting as required
  • Perform regular Assessments and appropriate action

   

  Stakeholder Management:

   

  • Build and maintain strong relationship with all stakeholders; product owners & product manager(s), engineering management, PMO, customers/business, leadership
  • Develop a safe and open environment to instill confidence and trust within the team
  • Encourage involvement and commitment from all to help build an effective dynamic team
  • Provide guidance and support to resolve conflicts
  • Ability to instinctively adapt communication, persuasion and negotiation skills depending on your audience, which will include senior leadership level

   

  So, what are the essential criteria to apply?

   

  • All candidates must evidence an existing right to work in the UK
  • A minimum of 3 years in a software development role or  
  • 3 Years commercial experience performing in a Scrum Master capacity; and significant project/program management experience within a software development environment
  • Experience of agile delivery / project management tools, preferably Jira, Confluence, Version1/Agility
  • Experience of delivering work/projects in a multi-methodology and/or agile environment (Scrum, Kanban, XP, etc.)
  • Experience and passion for coaching, mentoring and improvement of teams in agile/Scrum methodologies
  • Be a natural facilitator, engaging with your team and beyond.

   

   

  We also have some desirable criteria

   

  • Certified Scrum Master / Professional Scrum Master certification
  • Certified Scrum Professional
  • IT Degree qualification
  • Experience of delivering projects in a multi-method eco-system
  • PMP certification or equivalent certification
  • SAFe Scaled Agile certifications eg, SA, SP, SPC

   

   

  What we offer

   

  As Digital DNA’s Workplace of the Year 2020 winners, we offer a generous benefits package that includes flexible annual leave entitlement, dental and healthcare insurance, an attractive pension package and discounts on gym memberships, public transport and parking.

   

  Allstate invests heavily in your development, as an employee you will have access to multiple world-class learning platforms and courses from our award-winning in-house Learning & Development team.

   

  We pride ourselves in providing clear career paths and opportunities for internal mobility allowing you to further develop within the organisation.

   

  We encourage a better work life balance and you’ll have the opportunity to apply for various flexible working arrangements.

   

  Apply Here: https://bit.ly/3xd2guV 

   

  Statement on Fair Employment and Equal Opportunities

   

  Allstate NI wishes to ensure equal opportunity is given to all job applicants.  This company will not discriminate on the grounds of race, gender (including gender reassignment status), sexual orientation, religious belief, political opinion, marital status, age or disability.

   

  We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons. However, as women are currently under-represented in our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from women. All appointments will be made on merit.

   

  Applicants should note Allstate NI complete AccessNI background checks on all candidates offered a position.

   

   

  The closing date for receipt of applications is Monday 25^th April 2022