Consultant, Agile Leader

Nationwide Mutual Insurance•Columbus, OH

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Nationwide’s Software Engineering Solutions team is seeking a Consultant, Agile Leader to drive software delivery excellence across Personal Lines Solutions and the broader P&C Technology organization. This role focuses on coaching agile teams, removing impediments, and fostering collaboration to ensure alignment and continuous improvement. You will monitor team progress, support iteration goals, and enable delivery of high-quality solutions using Agile principles. As an Agile Lead, you will coach a robust, self-organized Agile Team(s) responsible for building software solutions with the best technology, processes, and tools. You will collaborate to deliver business outcomes, using appropriate software delivery practices (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, Lean) to continuously improve software delivery efficiency, and quality. You will play a key role in guiding delivery from idea inception to implementation and participate in user communities to learn and implement optimal practices. Responsible for applying secure software and systems engineering practices throughout the delivery lifecycle to ensure our data and technology solutions are protected from threats and vulnerabilities. Collaborates at the highest level to prioritize work to maximize value towards business outcomes. Collaborates with the Agile Team(s) to provide guidance in the areas of analysis, design, development, testing, automation, and deployment while ensuring the usage of the best capability practices. Guides and enables DevOps, DataOps, AI/MLOps through the adoption and refinement of Agile practices on our most complex and strategic efforts. Monitors and reports on team progress and performance through enterprise and industry metrics while maintaining data quality supporting metric accuracy. Collaborates with senior leadership on demand and financials. Actively participates in variable staffing functions for the line. Facilitates team cadences on business critical, complex efforts (e.g., retrospective, daily standups, and show-and-tell meetings) to encourage collaboration, communication, and feedback within the team; promote a learning culture and challenge the team to be innovative.

Requirements

5-7 years of experience in the Agile Leader or Scrum Master role
Strong facilitation and coaching skills
Deep understanding of Agile principles
Experience across the software delivery lifecycle
Typically, Six years of experience in Agile including three years as an Agile Leader or similar role.
Strong technical expertise in one or more Agile practices and frameworks, including Scrum, Kanban, and Lean.
Plus, a technical background in Software Engineering.
Three or more years working with ALM tools and Microsoft Office Suite.
Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor team members and peers.
Ability to manage multiple teams and lead cross team initiatives.
Strong candidates will put the team first, have excellent communication skills, robust problem-solving ability, conflict resolution skills and be active in the industry.
Candidates must be based within a commutable distance to Columbus, Ohio or Des Moines IA
This role does not qualify for employer-sponsored work authorization.
Nationwide does not participate in the STEM OPT Extension program.

Nice To Haves

Jira, Planview, and Power BI proficiency
A-CSM certification
Familiarity with Policy Center
Knowledge of Personal Lines insurance
Undergraduate studies in computer science, management information systems, mathematics or related field is preferred.
Agile certification (Certified ScrumMaster – CSM, SAFe ScrumMaster Certification - SSM, Professional ScrumMaster Certification - PSM) and proven experience across multiple teams is a plus.
Insurance and/or financial services industry knowledge a plus.

Responsibilities

Coaching agile teams, removing impediments, and fostering collaboration to ensure alignment and continuous improvement.
Monitor team progress, support iteration goals, and enable delivery of high-quality solutions using Agile principles.
Removing blockers, escalating issues when necessary, and mentoring team members on frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, and Lean.
Influences, coaches and mentors team members on Agile practices and principles.
Removes impediments to the team’s progress; escalate obstacles requiring outside resolution.
Identifies risks and issues that might have an impact on delivery and provides thought leadership, facilitation, and communication on a mitigation strategy.
Applies secure software and systems engineering practices throughout the delivery lifecycle to ensure our data and technology solutions are protected from threats and vulnerabilities.
Collaborates at the highest level to prioritize work to maximize value towards business outcomes.
Collaborates with the Agile Team(s) to provide guidance in the areas of analysis, design, development, testing, automation, and deployment while ensuring the usage of the best capability practices.
Guides and enables DevOps, DataOps, AI/MLOps through the adoption and refinement of Agile practices on our most complex and strategic efforts.
Monitors and reports on team progress and performance through enterprise and industry metrics while maintaining data quality supporting metric accuracy.
Collaborates with senior leadership on demand and financials.
Actively participates in variable staffing functions for the line.
Facilitates team cadences on business critical, complex efforts (e.g., retrospective, daily standups, and show-and-tell meetings) to encourage collaboration, communication, and feedback within the team; promote a learning culture and challenge the team to be innovative.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

medical/dental/vision
life insurance
short and long term disability coverage
paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date
nine paid holidays
8 hours of Lifetime paid time off
8 hours of Unity Day paid time off
401(k) with company match
company-paid pension plan
business casual attire