Lead Agilist

THIS IS A W2 CONTRACT (NO C2C OR REFERRAL FROM C2C) OPPORTUNITY

CANDIDATES MUST BE USC, GC, H4, OR OPT-EAD HOLDERS (CLIENT CANNOT SUPPORT SPONSORSHIP OR C2C)

100% REMOTE

MAX RATE: $82HR

We are seeking an experienced Lead Agilist to support Agile teams in adopting and continuously improving Agile and Scrum practices. The Lead Agilist will serve as a servant leader, coach, facilitator, mentor, and change agent, helping teams maximize value delivery while fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, accountability, and innovation.

This role partners closely with Product Owners, Development Teams, stakeholders, and leadership to ensure Agile principles are understood, embraced, and effectively applied. The ideal candidate brings a strong Scrum background, exceptional coaching and facilitation skills, and a passion for helping teams achieve high performance.

Key Responsibilities

Agile Coaching & Team Development

Coach Agile teams on Scrum values, principles, and practices.

Foster self-organization, cross-functionality, continuous improvement, and team accountability.

Promote the growth and development of all team members through coaching, mentoring, and facilitation.

Use observation, active listening, and powerful questioning techniques to identify team needs and drive problem-solving.

Create an environment of trust where challenges can be openly discussed and resolved collaboratively.

Scrum Facilitation

Facilitate Scrum ceremonies including:

Sprint Planning

Daily Scrum

Sprint Review

Sprint Retrospective

Backlog Refinement

Ensure Scrum events provide value and support team effectiveness.

Guide Product Owners and Development Teams in effective Product Backlog management.

Help teams establish a clear understanding of priorities, goals, deliverables, and success criteria.

Continuous Improvement

Leverage Agile metrics, feedback loops, and information radiators to identify opportunities for improvement.

Facilitate inspect-and-adapt practices to improve team performance and delivery outcomes.

Encourage experimentation and continuous learning across teams.

Apply concepts from additional Agile frameworks and practices to improve team effectiveness.

Impediment Removal & Risk Management

Identify and remove barriers that hinder team productivity and value delivery.

Escalate impediments when organizational support is required.

Shield Agile teams from unnecessary interruptions and external distractions.

Support teams in managing dependencies, resolving conflicts, and mitigating risks.

Promote proactive identification, assessment, management, monitoring, and reporting of risks.

Organizational Agility

Coach stakeholders and leaders on Agile principles and organizational impacts.

Facilitate communication, collaboration, and alignment across teams and departments.

Support Agile transformation initiatives and contribute to broader Agile communities of practice.

Lead by example through servant leadership, collaboration, transparency, courage, and continuous learning.

Required Qualifications

Experience

5+ years of full-time business experience.

3+ years of Scrum Master or Scrum coaching experience.

Experience coaching Agile teams and facilitating Scrum ceremonies.

Experience identifying and addressing team impediments and organizational challenges.

Experience presenting, teaching, mentoring, and facilitating across multiple organizational levels.

Skills & Competencies

Deep understanding of Scrum principles, practices, and frameworks.

Strong coaching, mentoring, and facilitation skills.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Ability to resolve interpersonal and organizational conflicts.

Strong servant leadership mindset with a focus on team success.

Critical thinking and creative problem-solving abilities.

Ability to influence teams and stakeholders without direct authority.

Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.

Passion for fostering innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.

Technical Knowledge

Understanding of software development lifecycle disciplines, including:

Project Management

Requirements Management

Analysis & Design

Quality Assurance & Testing

Implementation & Deployment

Configuration & Change Management

Working knowledge of Agile engineering practices such as:

Continuous Integration (CI)

Continuous Deployment (CD)

Test-Driven Development (TDD)

Automated Testing

Familiarity with Agile methodologies and frameworks including:

Scrum

Kanban

Scrumban

Extreme Programming (XP)

Mob Programming

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Scrum Master certification (CSM, PSM, SAFe Scrum Master, or equivalent).

Experience supporting multiple Agile teams simultaneously.

Experience in Agile transformation initiatives.

Strong understanding of DevOps concepts, automation pipelines, and modern software delivery practices.

Leadership Expectations

Demonstrate servant leadership and lead by example.

Promote collaboration, transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Build high-performing teams focused on delivering customer and business value.

Maintain objectivity while coaching teams and stakeholders.

Champion Agile principles throughout the organization.