Senior Scrum Master/PM

Akilah Smith, PMP, CSM

704-***-**** **********@*******.***

***** ********* **** *********, ** 28262

Professional Summary

Highly accomplished and certified Scrum Master (CSM, ACP, PMP, SAFe 6) with 10+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams in Agile SDLC environments. Proven record of accomplishment of enhancing team efficiency and improving workflows, resulting in a 35% increase in sprint velocity and a 25% reduction in time-to-production for features. Skilled in predictive and generative AI applications, machine learning integration, and data-driven decision-making to accelerate delivery and improve business outcomes. Adept at facilitating Scrum ceremonies, coaching team members, and removing impediments to drive successful project deliveries and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Professional Experience

Sorenson Communications (via Now Elevate)

July 2023 – March 2025

Sr. Agile Scrum Master/PM

Led cross-functional teams in the end-to-end delivery of complex hybrid Agile/Waterfall projects supporting sign-language telecommunication services for the deaf and hard of hearing community, deployed across Fortune 500 clients in North America, Europe, and Asia—ensuring alignment with strategic sales and business goals.

Managed full project lifecycle from initiation to deployment, integrating Agile (Kanban) methodologies for iterative value delivery with Waterfall practices for governance, compliance, and milestone tracking.

Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders including Product Managers, Account Managers, Engineering, and Development teams to define scope, prioritize deliverables, and distributed resources effectively for accessibility-focused initiatives.

Facilitated Agile ceremonies such as Daily Stand-Ups, Sprint Planning, Backlog Refinement, and Retrospectives to drive team alignment, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Systematically found and addressed risks, dependencies, and obstacles—using tools such as Jira, Confluence, and Smartsheet to track project status, streamline workflows, and facilitated prompt escalation when necessary.

Delivered executive-level reporting on KPIs, OKRs, and project milestones—translating technical progress into business value for senior leadership and stakeholders across multinational enterprise clients.

Mentored Agile teams and business leaders, fostering Agile maturity and embedding best practices across departments to support enterprise-wide transformation.

Utilized Agile metrics (velocity, burndown charts, cycle time) and Waterfall documentation (Gantt charts, status reports) to provide comprehensive visibility into project performance.

Promoted a culture of innovation, servant leadership, and customer-centricity, driving engagement and accountability across multiple concurrent programs.

Spearheaded initiatives that advanced digital accessibility and inclusive communication, enabling global corporations to better serve deaf and hard of hearing customers and employees.

Managed full SDLC lifecycle from initiation to deployment, integrating Agile (Kanban) methodologies with Waterfall practices.

Leveraged predictive AI models to forecast risks and improve sprint planning.

Partnered with engineering teams on generative AI prototypes to enhance accessibility tools.

RealPage

Sept 2022 – June 2023

PMO Lead / Project Transformation Specialist

Led PMO transformation initiatives in a hybrid delivery environment, integrating both Waterfall and Agile methodologies to support diverse project needs across the enterprise.

Standardized governance frameworks, reporting structures, and delivery processes using Smartsheet, creating scalable workspaces, templates, schedules, plans, reports, and executive dashboards.

Orchestrated Agile and digital transformation across project, program, and portfolio levels, using Azure DevOps for sprint planning, backlog tracking, and team collaboration.

Facilitated strategic alignment through structured executive steering meetings and cross-functional stakeholder engagement, ensuring projects supported enterprise-wide priorities.

Coached and upskilled teams on Agile principles and Waterfall best practices, enabling smooth transitions and fostering a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement.

Enhanced visibility, collaboration, and performance by automating workflows and integrating tools across delivery models.

Drove stakeholder engagement and change management efforts to ensure sustained adoption of PMO processes and governance.

Enabled the organization to execute initiatives with greater agility, predictability, and strategic impact across both iterative and sequential delivery models.

Embedded full SDLC practices into hybrid delivery models.

Introduced machine learning–driven dashboards to predict bottlenecks and refine resource allocation.

Duke Energy (via Patrick Engineering)

July 2018 – Jan 2023

SAFe Scrum Master

Led teams of 12 or more of developers, testers, and designers in delivering high-quality software solutions, improving workflows, and driving alignment with SAFe principles for mobile, ERP and ESRI ArcGIS.

Supported full Agile SDLC execution across ERP and GIS infrastructure solutions for transmission, gas, and power generation business units.

Implemented Agile and Scrum practices that reduced project delivery time by 25%, while supporting Agile Release Train (ART) execution and facilitating team-level contributions to Program Increment (PI) goals.

Utilized Jira to manage sprint backlogs, track velocity, visualize dependencies, and ensure transparency across teams and ARTs.

Facilitated daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives, and took part in PI planning events to ensure cross-team coordination, dependency management, and alignment with business goals.

Facilitated team agreement sessions to set up working norms, clarify roles and responsibilities, and promote a culture of trust, accountability, and psychological safety.

Collaborated with Product Owners and Release Train Engineers (RTEs) to refine and prioritize team backlogs, ensuring traceability to Features and Capabilities.

Coached team members on Agile and SAFe roles, ceremonies, and Lean-Agile mindset, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and high performance.

Reduced sprint overruns by 20% through improved capacity planning, velocity tracking, and proactive risk mitigation aligned with PI commitments.

Acted as a servant leader and change agent, removing impediments, promoting transparency, and driving relentless improvement across the ART.

Dynasty Property Management

Jan 2007 – Feb 2015 & April 2016 – July 2018

Property Operations Manager

Project & Operations Management

oDirected all property-related projects, ensuring prompt delivery, budget control, and quality standards.

oDesigned and implemented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to drive efficiency and consistency.

oDirected property-related projects across the full SDLC of system and process enhancements.

oManaged infrastructure construction process for newly built multi-family units

Finance & Payroll

oManaged full-cycle accounting, including budgeting, financial reporting, and expense tracking.

oProcessed payroll for employees following applicable labor laws.

Training & Development

oCreated comprehensive training manuals and onboarding programs for new hires.

oDelivered ongoing training and performance coaching across departments.

Team Leadership

oSupervised and mentored Property Managers and administrative staff.

oCultivated a high-performance culture focused on accountability and collaboration.

Policy & Compliance

oAuthored and enforced company rules, regulations, and HR policies.

oEnsured compliance with property management laws and internal standards.

HR & Benefits Administration

oManaged all human resources functions including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, and performance management.

oAdministered employee benefits programs (health, dental, retirement), liaised with providers, and supported staff with benefits education and enrollment.

oMaintained personnel records and ensured compliance with employment regulations.

Property Management

oLIHTC compliance and file audits

oHUD programs (Section 8, Section 202 & 811)

oIncome certifications and recertification.

oFair Housing & Regulatory Compliance.

oLeasing & Occupancy Management.

oBudgeting & Vendor Oversight.

oResident Relations & Staff Supervision

AmerisourceBergen

Feb 2015 – April 2016

Scrum Master

Led two high-performing cross-functional teams (12+ members each) through full delivery cycles, consistently achieving milestones on time and within budget.

Spearheaded transition from Waterfall to Agile SDLC, converting 25 projects.

Facilitated team agreement sessions to establish working norms, clarify roles and responsibilities, and promote a culture of trust, accountability, and psychological safety.

Spearheaded the transition from Waterfall to Agile, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and adaptive planning.

Championed Agile ceremonies (Daily Standups, Sprint Planning, Reviews, Retrospectives) to drive team alignment, transparency, and accountability.

Leveraged Team Foundation Server (TFS) for backlog refinement, sprint tracking, and performance metrics, ensuring visibility and traceability across all workstreams.

Actively removed impediments by collaborating across functions, escalating blockers, and coaching teams toward self-management.

Designed and facilitated interactive Scrum workshops to deepen understanding of Agile values, roles, and frameworks—accelerating team maturity and stakeholder engagement.

Partnered with Product Owners to refine product vision, prioritize backlog items, and align delivery with business goals.

Promoted a data-driven mindset by introducing Agile metrics (velocity, burndown charts, cycle time) to inform decision-making and improve predictability.

Skills

Agile Frameworks: Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, XP, Lean

Agile Tools: Jira, Miro, Azure DevOps, Confluence, Smartsheet, TFS

Other Tools: SharePoint, MS Office Products, MS Teams, Zoom, Yardi, Webex, QuickBooks, Oracle, Peoplesoft, Buildium

Methodologies: Sprint Planning and Execution, Backlog Management, Facilitation, Agile Coaching, Risk Management, Impediment Resolution, Continuous Improvement Strategies, Servant Leadership, Stakeholder Management

Soft Skills: Effective Communication, Conflict Resolution, Team Facilitation, Strategic Planning, Team Leadership, Time Management, Change Management, Stakeholder Management, Problem-Solving, Adaptability, Mentoring

Certifications/Licenses

Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) - PMI

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) – Scrum Alliance

Project Management Professional (PMP) – PMI

SAFe 4 Agilist – Scaled Agile

NC Real Estate Broker

Education

Southern New Hampshire University

Master of Business Administration Business Administration 2019

Catawba College

Bachelor of Business Administration Business Administration May 2014

Central Piedmont Community College

Associates Applied Science Accounting May 2012

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