Senior Agilist / Scrum Master (Hybrid)
Job Summary
We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Agilist / Scrum Master to lead Agile delivery initiatives and guide cross-functional teams in adopting Scrum and customer experience (CX)-focused Agile practices. The ideal candidate will bring 8–10 years of hands-on Agile delivery experience, strong facilitation and coaching skills, and a proven ability to drive predictable delivery, continuous improvement, and stakeholder alignment.
In this role, you will help teams maximize business value, improve customer outcomes, and foster an Agile culture that supports collaboration, transparency, and operational excellence in a hybrid work environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Facilitate and lead all Scrum ceremonies, including Sprint Planning, Daily Standups, Sprint Reviews, and Retrospectives for multiple Agile teams.
- Partner with Product Owners to refine, prioritize, and maintain healthy product backlogs that align with customer needs and business objectives.
- Remove impediments and proactively address risks and dependencies to ensure consistent sprint execution and achievement of delivery goals.
- Champion customer experience-focused Agile practices by incorporating customer feedback, user journey considerations, and outcome-based measurements into team delivery processes.
- Coach teams on Scrum principles, Agile values, servant leadership, and continuous improvement practices.
- Establish and maintain Agile metrics and dashboards, including sprint health, velocity, flow efficiency, predictability, and customer value indicators.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives through retrospectives, Agile experimentation, lessons learned, and implementation of best practices.
- Coordinate with business, technology, operations, and support teams to manage cross-functional dependencies and facilitate successful delivery outcomes.
- Foster a culture of psychological safety, collaboration, accountability, and inclusion across Agile teams.
- Support hybrid work models through the establishment of effective communication protocols, working agreements, and collaboration frameworks.
- Provide Agile delivery insights and forecasting guidance to stakeholders, ensuring realistic planning and informed decision-making.
- Lead risk and issue management activities, ensuring potential blockers are identified and mitigated proactively.
- Mentor and support Scrum Masters, Agile practitioners, and team members to strengthen overall Agile maturity across the organization.
- Promote alignment between team objectives, customer outcomes, and enterprise strategic goals.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
- 8–10 years of experience leading Agile delivery initiatives in Scrum environments.
- Minimum 3+ years of experience serving as a Scrum Master for multiple Agile teams.
- Strong expertise in Scrum frameworks, Agile methodologies, and Agile delivery best practices.
- Experience driving customer experience (CX)-focused Agile practices and customer-centric product delivery.
- Proven ability to facilitate Agile ceremonies and coach teams through organizational change and process improvement.
- Experience managing complex stakeholder relationships and aligning delivery priorities with business objectives.
- Strong understanding of Agile metrics, reporting, forecasting, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Demonstrated success managing risks, dependencies, and impediments across multiple teams.
- Experience working with Agile lifecycle management tools such as Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar platforms.
- Strong communication, facilitation, conflict resolution, and leadership skills.
- Experience supporting distributed and hybrid teams within fast-paced enterprise environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience coaching Agile teams across large-scale enterprise programs.
- Familiarity with Scaled Agile Frameworks (SAFe), Lean, Kanban, or other Agile scaling methodologies.
- Experience supporting digital transformation, customer experience, or enterprise modernization initiatives.
- Strong understanding of change management and organizational agility practices.
- Experience mentoring junior Scrum Masters and Agile practitioners.
Preferred Certifications
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
- Professional Scrum Master (PSM I / PSM II)
- SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)
- SAFe Agilist (SA)
- ICAgile Certified Professional (ICP)
- Certified Agile Coach (ACC)
- CX Scrum Master Certification
Work Model
Hybrid – Candidates must be comfortable working in a hybrid environment and collaborating with distributed teams across multiple locations.
Why Apply?
We’re excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don’t hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.
Salary and Other Compensation
The annual salary for this position is between $84,000 – $135,000, depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.
This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.
Benefits
Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:
- Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
- Paid Holidays plus Paid Time Off
- 401(k) Plan and Contributions
- Long-term/Short-term Disability
- Paid Parental Leave
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Disclaimer
The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.
Important Disclaimers
Please note: A few of our roles may require in-person interviews at Cognizant offices or client locations, depending on project or client needs.
Candidate must be legally authorized to work in Canada without the need for employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.
About Cognizant:
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.
Additional employment information
Compensation information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.
Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.
Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
