Senior SAFe Scrum Master

Cognizant is seeking a highly motivated Senior SAFe Scrum Master to lead Agile teams in delivering innovative, high-quality products and solutions within a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environment. In this role, you will serve as a servant leader, coach Agile teams, facilitate key Agile ceremonies, support Program Increment (PI) Planning, and collaborate with Product Owners, stakeholders, and Agile Release Train (ART) participants to drive successful business outcomes. The ideal candidate combines Agile expertise, strong facilitation skills, and a passion for continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate Scrum ceremonies including Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews, Retrospectives, and Backlog Refinement sessions.
• Coach Agile teams on Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe principles and best practices.
• Support Agile Release Train (ART) activities such as PI Planning, Inspect & Adapt workshops, and Scrum of Scrums.
• Track and communicate Agile metrics including Velocity, Burndown, Capacity, Lead Time, and Cycle Time.
• Identify, manage, and remove impediments that impact team productivity and delivery.
• Coordinate dependencies across teams and stakeholders to ensure seamless execution.
• Partner with Product Owners to maintain a healthy backlog and ensure well-defined user stories.
• Promote continuous improvement through Agile coaching, mentoring, and team development.
• Facilitate risk, issue, and dependency management activities.
• Drive transparency through dashboards, status reporting, and stakeholder communications.
• Support release planning and adherence to organizational Agile governance standards.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, servant leadership, and continuous learning.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Scrum Master leading Agile teams.
• Strong experience working within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
• Deep understanding of Agile methodologies including Scrum and Kanban.
• Experience supporting PI Planning and Agile Release Train (ART) execution.
• Strong Agile coaching, facilitation, and mentoring skills.
• Experience with risk, dependency, and stakeholder management.
• Excellent communication, leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with enterprise-scale Agile transformations.
• Ability to coach multiple teams and influence stakeholders across the organization.
• SAFe certifications are a plus.

Tools & Technologies

• Azure DevOps (ADO)
• Jira Align (preferred)

Why Apply?

At Cognizant, we help clients modernize technology, reimagine processes, and transform experiences. Join a collaborative team where innovation, continuous learning, and leadership are valued. You will have the opportunity to work in a dynamic Agile environment, influence strategic initiatives, and help drive meaningful business outcomes while advancing your professional growth.

Salary and Other Compensation:
The annual salary for this position is between $60K-95K, depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

Benefits:
Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance, Paid Holidays and Paid Time Off, 401(k), Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and other benefits in accordance with company policy.

Work Authorization: Cognizant will only consider applicants who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship.

Employee Status: Full Time Employee

Shift: Day Job

Travel: No

Cognizant is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.