South Africa Job Openings

Sanlam

Scrum Master (IT / Junior)

Bellville

FULL TIME

September 19, 2024

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

The Finance Solutions team in Santam Business Information and Technology Solutions department (BITS) has an opportunity for a Scrum Master who will be based in Cape Town (Head Office) in our BITS (Business Information Technology Services) department.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The role of the Scrum Master to support the Agile team as a team-based servant leader, who coaches, supports and reinforces the core Agile philosophy, principles and practices
This role will consistently collaborate with the Product Owner, outside stakeholders and other third parties, protecting the team from uncontrolled injection of work and/or changing priorities (Shields the team from outside interference).
This role will act as a servant leader to the Scrum Team and organisation, helping them to adopt Scrum and drive agility within Santam.
This role operates within the BITS environment, working on products and features that is utilised by the Santam Group.
BITS has introduced Agile for delivery of software projects and various teams are at different levels of maturity and thus are not at a matured state of delivery and practices.
The Agile methodology and its roles are also at introductory levels within the broader Santam landscape and BITS is driving adoption thereof with support mechanisms including training and various support channels and communities.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Exhibits a Lean-Agile leadership and behaviour mindset.

Coaches the team to embrace core Agile values, reinforcing Agile principles and practices.
The Scrum Master ensures that Scrum practices and rules are followed and help the team adhere to Scrum values and principles.
Scrum Master is not expected to drive technological decisions nor its external delivery, but is required to understand the scope, quality & delivery framework of any upcoming enabler work sequencing them with the team’s delivery.
Fosters a culture of delivery quality improvements, technical discipline, expertise by supporting relevant communities of practice

Facilitates the agile ceremonies

Product Backlog Refinement (Main input from PO) (Facilitated by PO)
Sprint Planning (Ensures that it takes place)
Daily Scrum (Ensures that it takes place) /
Represents team at Scrum of Scrums (So S)
Creating transparency through metrics (through use of tools such as Jira, Confluence)
Sprint review and End-of-Sprint (Facilitated by PO and Dev team)
Sprint Retrospective and implement improvements that arise. This also includes escalation to management as applicable

Agile/Scrum Team:

Focuses on continuous improvement of team dynamics, efficiencies and performance. Help the team deliver at a velocity that is acceptable/contracted as at the beginning of the sprint and based on the expected burn down velocity.
Helps the team manage intra-personal conflicts, challenges, and opportunities for growth
Escalates people problems and non-performance to line management as appropriate
Assist the self-organising, multi-skilled Agile team to achieve its delivery goals through effective collaboration and delivery of velocity & Sprint goals, team ownership, estimation (predictability) and flow.
Guides the team in establishing normalised US estimating and larger release features and epics
Help the team identify and eliminate blockers (impediments) or escalate as appropriate, and facilitating flow
When blockers are beyond the team’s control or authority demanding support from people outside the team, the Scrum Master actively addresses these issues so that the team can remain focused
Facilitates that the software development team members adopt the correct software engineering practices
Liaise with stakeholders to identify any challenges and/or opportunities with regard to process improvement and work with all the relevant stakeholder to address those concerns and/or opportunities appropriately. – Scrum Master ensures that continuous improvements happen within the team and any impediments will be taken up with stakeholders
It is expected of the scrum master to be a coach to the Dev Team and the PO as well as the rest of the organisation as applicable within the agile delivery Framework.

Supports the Product Owner:

Helps Product Owner with planning and facilitates a vigorous intra-team dynamic and collaboration
Facilitates the establishment of Team Working Agreements, Definition or Ready (Do R) and Definition of Done (Do D).
Help to understand the need for clear backlog items and how to arrange the product backlog to maximise value
Helps the Scrum Team determine the Sprint Goal.
Finding techniques for effective backlog management and grooming

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

±6 Years Agile experience
2 - 4 years being a Scrum Master
Certified Scrum Professional (CSM, PSM I or similar recognised certification)
Advantageous: Change Management, Process Management

A formal degree qualification is advantageous

SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

Working knowledge of the agile framework and Scrum practices. There is a deeper understanding of the above and a deeper knowledge of the practical application on most of the practices and principles.
Excellent people and delivery skills.
Coaching and mentoring the Agile team and practices.
Potential or demonstrated Leadership and management experience.
Strong communication and presentation skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Conflict resolution
Able to facilitate Agile Estimating and planning.
Agile tooling skills (e.g. JIRA/Confluence)
Forecasting
Attention to detail
Analytical orientation
Proactive and self-motivated
Good planning and decision-making skills
A good team player – integrates and shares knowledge and skills
Exceptional problem solving skills
Ability to perform under pressure
Time management and focussed delivery of deadlines

COMPETENCIES

Client focus
Collaborative
Flexibility and adaptability
Innovative
Drive results
Sprint methodology

ABOUT THE COMPANYiption

Santam is the market leader in the general insurance industry in Southern Africa. We are a large, diversified, expanding and transforming company and whilst based in South Africa, we are rapidly moving into a number of emerging markets, both in Africa and Asia.

Our success is rooted in our passion for our clients and everything we do is centered on our delivery of Insurance Good and Proper. We’re about people. People drive our business so it follows that we want to recruit the best people possible whether they work for us permanently or for a short time as temporary employees.

At Santam we are committed to transformation and embracing diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse workplace with employment equity as a key goal to create an inclusive workforce, representative of the demographics of our society. In achieving our employment equity goals we give preference to applicants from the designated groups in alignment with the Divisions Employment Equity targets.

Qualified applicants are invited to submit their cover letter, CV, and salary requirements in MS Word format online at www.santam.co.za / careers. Should you be aware of a qualified individual, please pass this vacancy on to them.

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