Interesting Job Description for Scrum Master
Just passed the PSM 1 and when I saw this, a couple things popped out as incorrect per the Scrum Guide. Am I wrong?
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
- Organize Sprint Planning meetings, which includes reviewing the Product Backlog and collaborating with the Product Owner and the Core Team to identify user stories to be included in the next Sprint.
- Conduct Sprint Review Meetings to review the scope and functionality delivered in previous Sprint.
- Organize Sprint Retrospectives with the Scrum Team to improve process & techniques continuously.
- Ensure the team abides by the SCRUM rules and guidelines.
- Hold Daily SCRUM meetings to enable Team to synchronize work and communicate issues and road-blocks to the Product Owner.
- Empower the Scrum Team, and shield the Scrum Team from outside influences and distractions.
- Assist the Product Owner in maintaining the Product Backlog.
- Encourage the timely completion of tasks in a cost-effective manner and ensure top quality results.
- Maintain an exceptional level of customer focus centered on integrity and transparency.
COMPETANCIES
- Lead meetings; keep team members focused and facilitate groups to reach timely consensus.
- Detect when a process is in trouble; draft impact analysis; propose and implement resolution.
- Listen to the customers; respond to their needs in a manner that provides added value.
- Provide the highest quality services which meet the needs and requirements of all customers.
- Committed to continuous improvement through empowerment and servant leadership.
- Sees ahead clearly; can anticipate future; broad knowledge and perspective, and is future-oriented.
REQUIRED SKILLS
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering.
- Minimum 7 years in-depth experience in the IT industry including recent experience performing Java development.
- Minimum 2 years’ experience as SCRUM Master ; Certified SCRUM Master preferred.
- Must have strong analytical skills, as well as the ability to “multi-task”.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills .
- Experience working with dynamic, highly collaborative teams, requiring close consultation and coordination.
- Demonstrated ‘servant’ leadership skills.
- Experience using leading Scrum/Agile tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
You can often find a number of false assumptions about Scrum in job postings. Spotting them can make a fun party game. I count 6 clear ones here.
Also, the misspelling of "competencies" in a job advertisement is a wonderful bonus.
I didn't catch that. That is funny.
Actually, I have never saw a "Scrum Master Job Description" matching our "official" view, offer by the Scrum Guide.
Did you ?
Why the hell are the job descriptions always wring the Scrum Master role ?
@Ian : +1, it's a funny game to count the "misunderstanding" of the Scrum Master position :-)
I haven't but I would think the shorter the better with terms like Servant Leader, Coach, Change Agent, etc.
Or just copy and paste the Scrum Master section of the Scrum Guide :-)
@Olivier this is my thinking exactly. The Scrum Guide gives us a great description of what is expected of the SM and yet no one uses it...
About 3 years ago I applied for a Scrum Master contract where the role description matched the Scrum Guide very closely. I was offered the contract, which was for an initial 3 months, and accepted it because I wanted the opportunity to perform the role with that quality of sponsorship.
After a few weeks I was taken aside by a middle-manager and told that Scrum would not be implemented, and I must cease trying to do so. When I pointed to the role description I was told that my contract would not be renewed. Evidently the job description was just to placate the higher-ups. This was a Government department.
Ian,
That is nice to learn that you were so blatantly deceived, but that they seemed to blow it off as just a part of doing business.
I would be quite upset at being lied to like that, along with the huge inconvenience to once again start up another job search.
I haven't but I would think the shorter the better with terms like Servant Leader, Coach, Change Agent, etc.
Personally, that would make me think someone just wrote down a list of buzzwords. Especially with job descriptions, people sometimes try to get the "lingo" right, so they put all those fancy words in them without knowing what it means. Though I recognise that may not always be the case ;-)
Maybe our best defense is to seek a description of the job close to the Scrum Guide, and to use the interview to challenge there own view of the Scrum Guide, in order to avoid Ian's mischance.
We go to the interview for a honest negotiation, not to sell our soul.