Release Train Engineer (RTE)

ZipStaff•Washington, DC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

ZipStaff is hiring an experienced, servant-leader Release Train Engineer for a national passenger transportation organization. The RTE will guide and optimize an Agile Release Train, serving as its chief scrum master and strategic facilitator and connecting enterprise strategy, cascaded OKRs, and technical execution. The role drives end-to-end Program Increment planning and execution, removes systemic delivery bottlenecks through Value Stream Mapping, and mentors Scrum Masters, Product Managers, and System Architects to strengthen Lean-Agile and DevOps capabilities. The position is an 11-month W2 contract based on-site in Washington, DC, including mandatory in-person PI Planning sessions, workshops, and ART ceremonies.

Requirements

Certified SAFe® 6.0 Release Train Engineer (RTE).
Certified SAFe® 6.0 Practice Consultant (SPC).
Certified AgilityInsights Facilitator.
At least 5 years facilitating Agile Release Trains and coaching multi-team delivery environments using SAFe.
Proven track record tracking and optimizing Flow Metrics, including Flow Velocity, Flow Time, Flow Efficiency, Flow Load, and Predictability.
Demonstrated ability to coach technical teams and executive Business Owners in Lean-Agile values, OKR alignment, and built-in quality.
Exceptional facilitation and public speaking skills, including comfort leading rooms of 100 or more participants during multi-day planning events.
Ability to work on-site in Washington, DC, including mandatory in-person PI Planning sessions, workshops, and ART ceremonies.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Lean Portfolio Management and Value Management Office practices.
Experience in large enterprise or transportation-sector Agile transformations.

Responsibilities

Lead preparation, backlog readiness, WSJF scoring, and facilitation of the two-day in-person PI Planning event, aligning outcomes with enterprise strategy and OKRs.
Track and report ART predictability, velocity, cycle time, and flow metrics.
Facilitate ART synchronization events, including Coach Sync, ART Sync, Architect Sync, PO Sync, System Demos, and Inspect & Adapt.
Partner with Business Owners to evaluate business value, manage inter-ART dependencies, and coordinate delivery roadmaps with other trains.
Establish pull systems, eliminate handoffs and cross-team bottlenecks, and facilitate Value Stream Mapping sessions.
Coach Scrum Masters, Product Managers, and Architects; champion built-in quality, DevOps practices, and Communities of Practice.
Partner with the VMO and LACE to run AgilityInsights TeamHealth Assessments and drive continuous improvement.
Serve as the face and voice of the ART, fostering psychological safety, transparency, and collaboration.