Agile Coach
Under minimal direction, Norfolk Southern’s Agile Coach will assist our teams in shifting towards Scaled Agile methodologies. The Agile Coach will provide training, mentoring, and coaching to Agile Teams with specific focus on the Product Owner and Product Manager roles in both a Scaled Agile and non-scaled environment as we transition to SAFe. The Agile Coach will develop standards and processes as necessary to support the growing Product Management roles at Norfolk Southern. Additionally, this position will provide mentoring and guidance to other Agile Coaches and will be responsible for assisting leadership in tracking progress towards goals and maintaining consistent standards across the Agile Coaching team. May be asked to lead, facilitate, and participate in value streaming exercises.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Trains new teams in agile and SAFe methodologies & practices, and mentors team members in their individual roles and responsibilities
- Able to organize and facilitate SAFe Team, Program and Portfolio events.
- Able to organize and facilitate SAFe value streaming exercises.
- Trains Product Owners and Product Managers utilizing SAFe certification process and creates additional materials as necessary.
- Develops tools, processes, and standards to support Product Owners and Product Management
- May assist Product Leadership in hiring and onboarding new Product Owners and Product Management.
- Develops processes and standards to track Agile and SAFe implementation progress across multiple Agile Coaches and helps to ensure consistency
- Assists in onboarding, mentoring, and supporting other Agile Coaches
- Facilitates discussions and resolutions regarding misalignment and conflict as needed
- Excels at communication and collaboration.
- Remains flexible to move quickly on ideas and maintains ability to pivot and move in new directions as conditions present themselves.
- Continually drives to improve and contribute to business processes and culture to rapidly deliver results.
- Encourages teams to collaborate, take ownership, be transparent and continually strive for improvement.
- Identifies gaps and opportunities in team and enterprise value stream and makes recommendations to improve.
Education, License, or Certification:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/technical area or related field preferred
SAFe SPC certification required
SAFe Product Management/Product Owner certification required
Experience:
- 6-8 years of experience in IT program project delivery
- Minimum of 2 years coaching SAFe methodologies
- Previous experience as a Product Manager and/or Product Owner required
- Experience creating and facilitating virtual and in person training
- Experience in process improvement and process documentation
- 1-2 years of experience in servant leadership role
- Proven ability to advocate for organizational agility, provide recommendations and influence at all levels.
- Experience facilitating SAFe Team, Program and Portfolio events
- Experience facilitating value streaming exercises
