About the Scrum Master position

A scrum master helps oversee the scrum and development team. They are knowledgeable in Agile methodology and scrum and able to educate others. They also act as a buffer between the scrum team and product owner and maintain a safe working environment for the team by helping with conflict resolution.

To work as a scrum master, you need to hold some level of scrum master certification. Any experience working on a scrum team is beneficial, and the more experience the better. You will need to be able to think fast to help solve problems. Communication skills are a plus, as you will be communicating with the development and scrum teams and product owner. Leadership skills are a must as well.

Scrum Master responsibilities are:

  • Lead the scrum team in using Agile methodology and scrum practices
  • Helping the product owner and development team to achieve customer satisfaction
  • Lead the scrum and development teams in self-organization
  • Remove impediments and coach the scrum team on removing impediments
  • Help the scrum and development teams to identify and fill in blanks in the Agile framework
  • Resolve conflicts and issues that occur
  • Help the scrum team achieve higher levels of scrum maturity
  • Support the product owner and provide education where needed

Scrum Master requirements are:

  • Prior experience on a scrum team
  • Ability to analyze and think quickly and to resolve conflict
  • Knowledgeable in techniques to fill in gaps in the scrum
  • Experience with successful Agile & Scrum at scale techniques (Spotify, Safe, etc.)
  • Experience with BDD, TDD, and ATDD
  • Ability to work with and lead a team
  • Strong communication, interpersonal and mentoring skills
  • Ability to adapt to a changing environment
  • Self-motivation and ability to stay focused in the middle of distraction