Scrum Master Continuous Improvement

ad5ev1@r.postjobfree.com 858-***-**** US Citizen

GOWTHAMI

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Seasoned Scrum Master with over 10years of experience, specializing in spearheading strategic transformations within leading organizations. Demonstrated expertise in strategy planning, business and process improvement, problem-solving, and exceptional communication and analytical abilities.

Skilled in embedding Agile fundamentals and leveraging diverse Agile frameworks, including Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Kanban, Scrum, and Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS), to drive efficiency and innovation.

Proficient in orchestrating Agile ceremonies at the different levels, ensuring seamless coordination of scrum meetings, sprint planning, task allocation, execution, and resolution of impediments, in addition to overseeing sprint reviews and retrospectives.

Established track record in applying advanced facilitation techniques, embodying servant leadership, fostering situational awareness, and navigating conflict resolution to promote continuous improvement, empowerment, and transparency within teams.

Deep understanding of Agile Development best practices, including Test-Driven Development (TDD), Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Deployment (CD), DevOps strategies, Pair Programming, and Behavioral Driven Development (BDD).

Capable of monitoring team metrics, tracking progress across sprints and releases, and articulating significant developments to key stakeholders to ensure alignment and informed decision-making.

Advocates for the perpetual enhancement of product quality and team dynamics through the application of Agile principles and the effective use of Scrum ceremonies.

Proficient in employing Agile Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as Sprint Burndown, Feature Burndown, and Lead time/Cycle time, alongside Objective and Key Results (OKRs), to deliver actionable insights to product and development teams.

Strong communicator and negotiator with a proven ability to foster collaboration and alignment between stakeholders, program teams, and internal groups, ensuring cohesive and strategic progress.

CERTIFICATION

Certified Scrum Master

SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)

Certified SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)

Certified SAFe Product Owner/ Product Manager (POPM)

CORE COMPETENCIES

Agile Frameworks: Scrum, Kanban, SAFe Coaching, teaching, mentoring and Facilitation

Work Management Tools: JIRA, ADO, Mural, MIRO, Confluence, Azure DevOps

Product Backlogs & Roadmaps, User Experiences, Strategic Planning, Product Design & Development, Customer Centricity

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) & Deliverable Performance, Software Development

Process Design & Management, Communication & Collaboration, Stakeholder Relationship Management

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Technology

Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Bank of America September 2020 – Current

Senior Scrum Master

Spearheaded Agile transformation initiatives by introducing JIRA and Confluence, streamlining team workflows and achieving a 30% boost in team efficiency.

Led cross-functional teams in the creation of product backlogs and roadmaps, aligning feature prioritization with business objectives to maintain a cohesive product vision.

Collaborated with User Experience (UX) designers to integrate user-centric design principles seamlessly into the development process, resulting in heightened user satisfaction.

Facilitated strategic planning sessions to outline project objectives, scope, and long-term goals, enhancing alignment with the organization's strategic direction.

Directed the execution and adoption of Agile Scrum Events, ensuring agile delivery is in sync with the Product Delivery Lifecycle (PDLC).

Established foundational Agile team norms, including Working Agreements, Definition of Ready, and Definition of Done, fostering a consistent and productive team environment.

Championed customer-centric approaches by actively gathering customer feedback, conducting usability tests, and incorporating user preferences into product iterations for enhanced user experience.

Analyzed and monitored project delivery KPIs such as Sprint Velocity, Cycle Time, and Lead Time, leveraging insights for continuous improvement initiatives.

Utilized Mural for brainstorming sessions to visualize complex ideas, promoting innovation and collaboration among team members.

Worked closely with Product Owners to refine and prioritize product backlogs, ensuring high-value features were delivered efficiently in each iteration.

Implemented and advocated for Agile best practices, coaching team members to elevate their Agile proficiency and overall performance.

Engineered and maintained CI/CD pipelines, reducing deployment times by 50% and facilitating more frequent and reliable software releases.

Guided Agile development teams in leveraging cloud services (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) to enhance application scalability, security, and reliability.

Led story mapping, value stream mapping, Scrum of Scrums (SoS), and Product Alignment sessions to ensure cohesive alignment across team and program levels.

Oversaw the PI planning process, developing actionable plans while accurately assessing team capacity, identifying risks and dependencies, and securing stakeholder plan validation.

Formulated team-level OKRs that were in harmony with the organization's overarching goals, motivating teams towards the successful attainment of their objectives.

Mentored Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and Scrum Teams, providing insights on SAFe practices and clarifying roles and responsibilities.

Fostered collaboration among diverse cross-functional teams, creating a unified "One Team" ethos focused on achieving common goals.

Actively contributed to and sought expertise from the Agile Community of Practice (A-COP) to stay abreast of evolving Agile methodologies.

Evaluated teams' Agile maturity using models such as the Tuckman stages and tools like Agility Health, enabling targeted developmental strategies and coaching.

Johnson & Johnson February 2018 – August 2020

Scrum Master

Successfully led and facilitated key Agile ceremonies, including Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews, and Retrospectives, ensuring optimal team communication, collaboration, and strategic alignment.

Actively engaged within the organization's Agile community, contributing insights, best practices, and key learnings to support the growth and development of fellow Scrum Masters and Agile practitioners.

Worked closely with stakeholders and management to align project goals, expectations, and deliverables, consistently providing updates on project progress, potential risks, and dependencies to ensure informed decision-making.

Kept abreast of industry trends and advancements in Agile and Scrum methodologies, committed to personal and professional growth through continuous training, certifications, and networking within the Agile community.

Advocated for the adoption of metrics and objective measurements to facilitate data-driven decision-making within teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence.

Provided guidance and support to team members and stakeholders in understanding and implementing Agile practices and frameworks, enhancing team effectiveness through educational initiatives and clear communication.

Demonstrated expertise in leveraging cloud-based collaboration tools such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, enabling efficient team collaboration and project management.

Allstate Insurance September 2016 – January 2018

Scrum Master

Skillfully facilitated key Scrum ceremonies, encompassing sprint planning, task clarification, sprint execution, tracking and resolution of impediments, sprint reviews, and retrospectives, ensuring a streamlined and efficient workflow.

Guided an Agile team through the entire software development lifecycle, fostering the integration of Scrum practices and principles to enhance team performance and project outcomes.

Engaged in productive collaboration with the Product Owner to refine and prioritize the product backlog, ensuring clarity of requirements and a shared understanding among team members for precise execution.

Proactively identified and mitigated obstacles and potential risks, implementing measures to sustain momentum and progress, and ensuring the team remained on a successful trajectory.

Coordinated with Circle Leadership in Program Increment (PI) planning efforts, leading and overseeing PI activities to align with broader organizational goals and timelines.

Facilitated the alignment of project deliveries with the Product Owner’s roadmap priorities, effectively managing technical dependencies to ensure smooth and coherent product evolution.

Abbott Laboratories October 2014 – August 2016

Project Coordinator

Efficiently coordinated project meetings, meticulously prepared agendas, and documented meeting minutes, guaranteeing comprehensive stakeholder information alignment and engagement.

Fostered robust communication channels between project teams and stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding and fulfillment of project requirements.

Diligently monitored project progression, swiftly identified emerging challenges, and collaborated with team members to devise and enact effective solutions.

Played a pivotal role in the procurement process by securing quotes, issuing purchase orders, and overseeing the timely delivery of project materials, ensuring project timelines were met.

Contributed to the development and upkeep of project risk and issue logs, proactively tackling project hurdles to mitigate potential impacts on deliverables.

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