Scrum Masters play an important role in managing a product’s Scrum framework. The role requires a strong mix of technical skills, leadership skills, and communication skills, so it’s important to find the right person for the job.
If you’re planning to hire a Scrum Master or want to learn more about the role, take a look at the sample Scrum Master job description below. The job description provides an overview of the role, common Scrum Master job responsibilities, and the qualifications generally required for the job. We’ve also included some useful questions to ask Scrum Master candidates during job interviews. Feel free to use the below job description as a template and customize it to fit your organization’s needs.
What is a Scrum master?
Scrum masters are the go-to person for all things related to the company’s Scrum framework. Scrum Masters ensure that project, product, and software development staff follow the proper Agile practices and Scrum framework. They are the go-to person for questions, problems, and assistance on the Scrum framework within the organization.
Scrum Masters play an important role in leading agile projects and Scrum sprints. They help define the goals of each project, the timelines, delegate activities, and then collect feedback from the product owner and the Scrum team.
Scrum master job description template
Overview
The Scrum Manager will support the application and development of the Scrum framework. They will act as a servant leader while guiding the development team through Scrum sprints and ongoing projects. They will also demonstrate exceptional organizational skills by closely tracking project metrics in a detailed and organized manner. The ideal candidate has strong technical skills and a thorough understanding of agile methodology and practices. They should also possess great communication skills as well as prior experience in a leadership role.
Scrum Master Responsibilities
Train and coach teams on how to apply the Scrum framework.
Practice servant leadership while coaching the Scrum team, product development team, software developers, and other applicable team members.
Coordinate daily stand-up meetings.
Support the creation of user stories within a product backlog.
Engage in scrum sprint planning and manage the sprint process.
Facilitate effective teamwork and build a sense of product ownership within the Scrum team.
Engage in continuous improvement and identify ways to improve the current Scrum practices.
Track key metrics and accurately evaluate the outcomes of sprints, scrum events, and other initiatives.
Update product owner and key stakeholders on pending deliverables.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field.
Scrum master certification.
Excellent interpersonal skills and leadership abilities.
Three or more years of experience as a Scrum Master or Scrum team member.
Prior experience in a leadership role and willingness to act as a servant leader.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Experience with project management tools such as Jira.
Scrum master interview questions
Here are some helpful questions to ask when interviewing candidates for a Scrum Master role.
What agile frameworks have you utilized in past roles?
Scrum is the most popular agile framework, and the primary framework used by a Scrum Master, but it can be helpful to know if the candidate has experience using any other frameworks. Other agile frameworks include Kanban, Lean, Waterfall, Crystal, Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), and Feature-Driven Development (FDD).
If the candidate indicates that they have a lot of knowledge or experience using another framework, such as Kanban, you may want to follow up this question by asking what they like about that framework, how that framework compares to Scrum in their opinion, and in what circumstances they may prefer that other framework over Scrum. These clarifying questions are a great way to explore their expertise further.
Have you led Scrum sprints? If so, please tell me about that experience.
Overseeing Scrum sprints is an important component of a Scrum Master role. Scrum sprints are time-boxed events where the Scrum team focuses on a single project. These sprints usually last one to four weeks. Scrum Masters play an important role in setting the scope and timeline of the project, keeping the Scrum team focused and organized throughout the process, and leading the retrospective meeting at the end of the sprint. As such, you’ll want to dig into this experience during the interview to learn more about the candidate’s leadership and organizational skills as they relate to Scrum sprints.
Can you share an example of a time that you encountered an impediment in a project? What did you do to overcome the roadblocks and accomplish your goal?
Scrum Masters have to be excellent problem-solvers. They also need to be resilient and adaptable when roadblocks occur. This question will help you better understand how they approach and overcome challenges in order to lead their team to a positive outcome.
What is your approach to leading the daily Scrum stand-ups?
Scrum Masters need to be able to effectively lead meetings and create an interactive and collaborative environment during the daily stand-ups. Daily Scrum meetings are important as they help keep everyone on the same page and up-to-date on new project developments.
A strong Scrum master candidate should possess (and be able to explain) strong facilitation skills including having a clear goal for the meetings, encouraging everyone to contribute while keeping the conversation organized and focused, and ensuring that action items are listed and tracked. The candidate should also discuss how they work to create a team environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up.
How do you prevent scope creep?
Scope creep occurs when the scope of a project starts to expand in a disorganized fashion. The scope of Scrum sprints is supposed to be fairly narrow and specific with no other tasks assigned beyond the set scope of the project during the sprint period. This can derail the primary goal and extend the sprint timeline.
To prevent scope creep, Scrum Masters should clearly define and document the project requirements and the scope of the sprint. They should also have a clear change process in place to more formally evaluate potential scope expansions or changes.
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