IT Release Train Engineer

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan • Detroit, MI

3d

About The Position

The Release Train Engineer (RTE) serves as the servant leader and coach for an Agile Release Train (ART), enabling cross-functional teams to plan, execute, and continuously improve the delivery of business value. The RTE partners with Product Management, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Business Owners, System Architects, and Agile Teams to foster alignment, remove impediments, and improve flow across the ART.

The role champions Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) principles and values, promoting collaboration, transparency, continuous learning, and servant leadership. It focuses on the flow and effectiveness of the ART while partnering with Enterprise Agile leadership to advance Lean-Agile practices and contribute to broader organizational value delivery. The RTE leads through influence rather than authority, aligns diverse stakeholders and teams around outcomes, and creates an environment for continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• At least 7 years of experience leading Agile delivery or transformation initiatives.
• At least 5 years serving as a Release Train Engineer, Senior Scrum Master, Agile Coach, or in a comparable leadership role.
• Demonstrated success facilitating value delivery within Agile Release Trains in a large, complex organization.
• Strong facilitation, coaching, conflict resolution, and stakeholder management skills.
• Deep knowledge and experience with SAFe principles, practices, and events.
• Working knowledge of other Lean-Agile and product-focused frameworks and methodologies.
• Proven ability to improve ART predictability, flow, and delivery through Lean-Agile leadership and continuous improvement.
• Experience supporting multiple Agile Release Trains or participating in enterprise-level Agile transformation initiatives.
• Experience leveraging AI on an ART.
• Ability to communicate effectively with executives and team members in complex environments.
• Servant-leader approach and a Lean-Agile mindset.
• Skilled at navigating highly matrixed organizations with demonstrable leadership.
• Strong active listening, relationship-building, and collaboration skills, including the ability to influence and manage up to senior leadership.
• Ability to solve problems and provide consultation in complex environments.
• Strong oral and written interpersonal and communication skills, including conveying ideas and issues to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Public speaking ability in front of large groups.
• Knowledge of SAFe Lean Portfolio Management methodology.
• Proficient knowledge of Agile, DevOps, and program management lifecycle methodologies and standards.
• Experience managing enterprise and large-budget initiatives.
• Proficiency with PPM tools, Jira, Confluence, MS Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Visio.
• Exceptional analytical ability, including insight to design and implement dashboards based on accurate data and metrics.
• Experience working in a geographically distributed and culturally diverse workgroup.
• SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE) certification.
• Scrum Master certification.
• Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to manage unexpected situations with flexibility and patience.

Nice To Haves

• Experience within healthcare, health insurance, or another highly regulated industry.
• SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) certification.

Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate Agile Release Train events, including PI Planning, WSJF prioritization, ART Syncs, System Demos, and Inspect & Adapt workshops.
• Coach Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Business Owners, and leaders in Lean-Agile and servant leadership principles.
• Facilitate the removal of organizational impediments and improve the flow of value across teams.
• Foster collaboration, transparency, and psychological safety while aligning teams around shared business outcomes.
• Apply systems thinking to resolve cross-team dependencies and improve overall ART performance.
• Use data and objective metrics to drive continuous improvement of flow and predictable delivery, understanding the story behind the data.
• Adhere to applicable compliance mandates and regulations.
• Mentor and coach ART members, especially Scrum Masters and agile delivery teams.
• Manage effective governance within SAFe and/or other agile methodology frameworks.
• Build relationships and collaborate with diverse leaders, helping build trust and catalyze collaboration.
• Communicate effectively with executives, team members, and technical and non-technical audiences.
• Design and implement dashboards based on accurate data and metrics.
• Partner with Enterprise Agile leadership to advance Lean-Agile practices and organizational delivery of value.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior