Scrum Master

Job Description:
The Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), through the Office of Information Technology (MaineIT), provides information technology support to over 13,000 employees across the State of Maine. MaineIT oversees large-scale enterprise applications that support the critical and diverse business needs of state agencies.

Workday HRMS Scrum Master plays a key leadership role in enhancing the State of Maine's Workday Human Resource Management System (HRMS). This position supports cross functional teams including HR, Payroll, IT, and configuration analysts by ensuring Agile principles are effectively applied to deliver high-quality Workday solutions.

The Scrum Master acts as a servant leader and coach, helping teams operate efficiently, removing impediments, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This role partners closely with HR Product Owners/Managers and system leads to ensure backlog readiness, sprint execution, and alignment with organizational priorities.

This role serves as the primary liaison between MaineIT Application Development, HR, Payroll, and agency stakeholders, driving scalable solutions that ensure system integrity, compliance, and high-quality service delivery across the enterprise.

Key Responsibilities
Agile Facilitation & Delivery
Facilitate all Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, backlog refinement, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
Ensure the team adheres to Agile principles, Scrum practices, and established delivery standards.
Support the team in delivering committed sprint work with a focus on quality, transparency, and predictability.
Track and communicate sprint progress using Agile metrics (e.g., velocity, burn-down charts).

Team Enablement & Coaching
Serve as a servant leader, coaching team members on Agile best practices and continuous improvement.
Foster a collaborative, self-organizing, and high-performing team environment.
Provide guidance to stakeholders and team members on Agile roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
Promote accountability and ownership within the team.

Impediment Removal & Risk Management
Strong leadership and collaboration skills in a matrixed environment
Identify, track, and remove impediments that impact team progress.
Escalate risks and issues as needed to ensure timely resolution.
Coordinate across teams (HR, IT, vendors such as Workday partners) to resolve dependencies.

Backlog & Stakeholder Support
Partner with HR Product Owners and System Leads to ensure the backlog is well-defined, prioritized, and ready for sprint planning.
Work with Stakeholders or leadership to resolve issues outside the team's control.
Ensure user stories include clear acceptance criteria and are properly sized for delivery.
Support stakeholders in understanding Agile processes and managing expectations.
Ensure goals, scope, and product domain are understood by everyone
Facilitate effective communication between technical teams and business stakeholders.
Promote health coloration between the Product Owner and the development team.

Workday Delivery Coordination
Align Agile delivery with Workday HRMS specific timelines, including bi-annual releases and production deployments.
Coordinate testing activities, including system testing and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
Ensure production enhancements and support items are appropriately prioritized within the backlog.
Promote adoption of Workday HRMS best practices and delivered functionality.

Continuous Improvement
Align Agile delivery with Workday HRMS specific timelines, including bi-annual releases and production deployments.
Lead retrospectives and drive actionable improvements across team processes and delivery practices.
Monitor team performance and recommend adjustments to improve efficiency and outcomes.
Encourage innovation and continuous learning within the team.

Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in information systems, Business, Human Resources, or related field (or equivalent experience).
2 4+ years of experience as a Scrum Master or Agile facilitator.
Experience working with HR systems, preferably Workday HCM.
Strong understanding of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid models).
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications
Certified Scrum Master, Professional Scrum Master, or equivalent certification.
Experience supporting Workday implementations or post-production support.
Familiarity with HR processes (hire-to-retire lifecycle).
Experience with Agile tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps).
Experience in large, complex, or public sector organizations.

Key Competencies
Certified Scrum Master, Professional Scrum Master, or equivalent certification.
Strong facilitation and communication skills
Ability to influence without authority
Problem-solving and conflict resolution
Organizational and time management skills
Coaching and mentoring mindset
Adaptability and continuous improvement focus

Work Environment & Expectations
Remote work environment
Active participation in Agile ceremonies and delivery cycles
Collaboration across HR, IT, and vendor teams
Occasional coordination during releases or critical incidents