Agile Manager

Job Title: Agile Manager

This position has a hybrid work schedule located at the WoodmenLife Tower in Omaha, NE

WoodmenLife is looking to hire an Agile Manager to join our team!

This role leads the Agile Scrum Masters and serves as an agile coach within the organization, while leveraging the SAFe framework or other Lean/Agile frameworks as necessary. Provides expertise in organizational change and must demonstrate experiences as a hands-on organizational change agent working across multiple teams and organizational boundaries. Helps drive organizational impact by growing Scrum Masters capabilities and agile best practices while mentoring others.

Enables new and existing Agile teams to deliver increased business impact by building and reinforcing sustainable Agile behaviors and ways of working. This will be achieved through coaching, constructive challenge, and by sharing of experience with Agile leaders and teams. Ensures Agile values, ways of working and frameworks are understood and applied effectively across the organizations and teams. Coaches in an inclusive way which encourages creativity and the application of problem-solving techniques to Agile and non-Agile topics.

WoodmenLife is one of the best places to work in Omaha, with more than 135 years of service rooted in purpose and community. Since 1890, WoodmenLife has been dedicated to helping hardworking Americans secure their families’ financial futures and leave a lasting legacy. As a purpose‑driven, not‑for‑profit life insurance company, our commitment is to our members and the communities they call home.

As a member of the WoodmenLife family, you’ll join others who share a commitment to family, community, and country. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, 401(k), life insurance, and more. Apply today to learn more!

Essential Job Functions

• Coaches, mentors, and leads by example both business and IT leaders on the value and benefits of SAFe and how to lead in a SAFe/Agile/Lean organization.
• Coaches and mentors Scrum Masters and Agile teams on SAFe and Agile values and principles to improve how they manage and optimize predictable flow of value.
• Responsible for overall recruitment, coaching, mentoring, developing, and evaluating Scrum Masters.
• Moving away from traditional waterfall practices, initiates and leads our teams thru the cultural transition required to shift the mindset towards lean and agile concepts, decision making and execution.

• Responsible for maintaining and continuously evolving the suite of agile tooling & reporting to ensure meaningful standards, and information radiators are in place to illuminate efficiencies around value delivery, team agility, and opportunities for improvement of the agile transformation.
• Leads the design and execution of Team agility health assessment and recommends development plans and roadmaps for the skills and practices necessary to improve and align with organizational practices. Responsible for the design, maintenance, and continuous improvement of standard multi-channel team agile training programs in support of the organizations desire to develop Lean-Agile Leaders.
• Guides leaders on cadence and synchronization at the Team Level to improve effectiveness of progress towards the sprint or increment goals. Instills the discipline within the Agile teams to commit to small batches of work, reducing feedback cycles, and adjusting to changing needs. Advises on key Iteration (Product Increment, Sprints, etc.) practices, on how to effectively and pragmatically teach teams how to break work into small features and user Story backlogs and groom for the next product increment or sprint.

• Negotiates the organization for impediment removal and risk management.
• Fosters open communication between the teams and disciplines. Welcoming feedback and collaboration.
• Actively contributes to the company’s Lean Agile Community.
• Recognizes challenges adopting the agile framework and makes recommendations with any needed adjustments to the teams and leadership to ensure forward movement of Agile.
• Coaches the scrum masters to leverage a data driven approach to coach and analyze productivity levels within a team to ensure the highest levels of productivity and flow of value.
• Coach on and partner in problem-solving practices and techniques that identify root cause and iterative feedback cycles.

Minimum Qualifications

This job requires a background that demonstrates the following minimum knowledge, skills, talents, and traits:

• Advanced knowledge of SAFe and Agile software development lifecycle along with the techniques, principles, and values.
• Experience with processes and tools supporting SAFe and Agile methodologies (ADO, VSTS).
• 4+ years’ experience as an Agile Coach required
• 7+ years’ experience successfully running agile projects of varying size and complexity with demonstrated experience
• Experience coaching and mentoring organization(s) and team(s) to their highest potential.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work with diverse personality types and communicate with all levels and technical aptitudes.
• Facilitation skills in leading planning meetings, reviews, retrospectives and pointing sessions. Ability to build consensus on a decision; comfortable with not necessarily making the decision.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail. Self-motivated/self-directed ability to identify and prioritize issues, then mobilize efforts to quickly resolve the issues.
• Ability to demonstrate discretion, objectivity, integrity, and confidentiality in all interactions.
• Ability to successfully act as a Servant Leader; capable of coaching/mentoring without owning
• Ability to embrace and implement an Agile mindset and its associated values and principles.
• Ability to operate with a Kaizen mindset by continuously seeking to improve self, teams, and organization.
• Engages well with others and passionate about delivering high quality products while providing an exemplary customer experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Organizational Change Management (OCM) and adoption strategy experience for Agile Transformation is preferred.
• SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC) certification
• Experience with SAFe Agile Transformation

If you're ready to make an impact in your community, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today!

WoodmenLife will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Please ensure your resume includes your current contact information, including:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Current city and state of residence

As part of WoodmenLife’s employment process, candidates will be required to complete a criminal background check, credit check (when required for position), fingerprint check (when required for position), drug screen and reference checks. Any offer of employment will be contingent upon successfully passing the above.

WoodmenLife is welcoming to all regardless of background and beliefs. WoodmenLife respects every associate’s unique perspective and contribution. We are committed to creating an environment that values differences, and creates opportunities for growth, leadership and service. This commitment includes providing equal opportunity in recruitment, employment and promotion, training and community outreach. WoodmenLife is also dedicated to strengthening the communities in which its employees live.

APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES SHOULD ADVISE THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION IF SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED.

WoodmenLife is equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.