Senior Associate - Scrum Master

New York Life•New York, NY

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Scrum Master to support Agile delivery within a Scaled Agile (SAFe) environment, working closely with one or more teams to ensure consistent, high-quality execution. This role is hands-on and execution-focused, responsible for facilitating Agile ceremonies, removing impediments, and driving team performance. The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a complex, cross-functional environment, supporting delivery across engineering, product, and data/AI teams, while ensuring alignment to PI objectives and program priorities.

Requirements

3–5+ years of experience in Agile environments, including Scrum Master or similar role
Experience working within SAFe or other Scaled Agile frameworks
Exposure to PI Planning and program-level coordination
Experience working in cross-functional teams with multiple stakeholders
Strong understanding of Agile metrics and team-level delivery tracking
SAFe Practitioner (SP) certification required (RTE preferred but not mandatory)
Strong facilitation, communication, and problem-solving skills

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting data or AI-driven projects
SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) or equivalent certification
Experience in financial services or regulated environments
Familiarity with tools such as Jira, Rally, or Azure DevOps
Experience working in complex enterprise delivery environments

Responsibilities

Facilitate all Scrum ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Daily Standups, Reviews, Retrospectives)
Support teams in adopting and following Agile and SAFe practices
Help teams stay focused on commitments and delivery goals
Identify and remove impediments to maintain team momentum
Support Program Increment (PI) Planning activities, including preparation and execution
Ensure team-level plans align with PI objectives and program priorities
Track team progress and escalate risks, blockers, and dependencies
Coordinate with other teams to manage cross-team dependencies
Track and report on team-level Agile metrics, including Velocity and sprint predictability, Throughput and cycle time, Sprint and PI commitments
Provide visibility into delivery progress through dashboards and status updates
Support continuous improvement by identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies
Support teams working on AI/ML and data-driven initiatives
Help manage delivery in iterative and experimentation-driven environments
Coordinate dependencies related to data availability, model development, and validation
Ensure transparency in progress where outcomes may be evolving or non-deterministic
Coach team members on Agile best practices and ways of working
Support Product Owners with backlog refinement and prioritization readiness
Encourage a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Help teams mature in their Agile practices over time
Work with product, engineering, and business stakeholders to ensure alignment
Communicate team progress, risks, and dependencies clearly
Operate effectively within a cross-functional, matrixed organization