As an increasing number of businesses turn to Agile project management, the demand for Agile coaches is rising. Presenting team members with a range of tools and documentation for implementing Agile methodologies and leaving them to execute the project alone isn't the best approach in this people-centric approach. Smart companies hire able Agile Coaches who can work closely with their teams, collaborating and supervising from project kickstart to completion. Quick and appropriate hiring requires a well-structured Agile Coach job description that ensures transparency in expectations from the very beginning. Here is how you can create a perfect job description for an Agile coach that lures the skilled lot.  

Agile Coach Job Role 

Understanding the Agile Coach job role is a must for formulating the right job description. Agile coaches enable the organization to embrace Agile as a culture shift. They use their experience, negotiation, and influencing skills to bring about a change from a command-control culture to a collaborative one. They work at a tactical level in close coordination with the management and individual team members, enhancing their proficiency in accomplishing Scrum processes. 

Agile coach’s role is not bound to a set of coaching duties; rather, they serve as both part consultants and part trainers. They motivate the team to procure strategies to increase productivity and the market value of the company. When needed, they carry forward one-on-one sessions with the team members to ensure that the directives are clear to all, diminishing the scope of any impediment or inefficiency.

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ITIL 4 FoundationExplore Program
Earn Upto 19 LPA or More - Upskill Now

Writing an Agile Coach Job Description 

An Agile coach job description is a document responsible for conveying every important information about the duties of a hired candidate. A lengthy job description with vague information serves no purpose. You must present easy-to-understand yet succinct information in the following sections:  

Agile Coach Job Brief

The initial paragraph contains five to six statements highlighting the industry and position. You will provide a high-level overview of the role and scope of responsibility, answering the important question, "Why does the job exist?"

Responsibilities

This section will contain bulleted points describing the duties the Agile coach will have to carry out when hired. To give insight into the fundamental nature of the job, you must add the following:

  • Explanatory sentences on why, how, or where the tasks will be performed
  • The expected outcome 
  • Areas where the Agile coach will influence or impact
  • The financial responsibilities
  • The people they will have to contact

Opt for a gender-neutral tone and present tense in your statements while describing the responsibilities of an Agile coach. 

Agile Coach Requirements and Skills

Specify the minimum requirements an eligible candidate must satisfy for the position. You can include the following details:

  • A degree in management 
  • X years of experience as a Scrum Master/ Agile Coach 
  • Certification 

You can also include hard skills and soft skills essential for the position, such as

  • Patience 
  • Effective time management skills 
  • Ability to give constructive criticism
  • Ability to meet deadlines
  • Communication skills

Additionally, you can add a 'Preferred Qualifications' section to talk about the qualities that would give the potential Agile coaches a competitive edge, such as knowledge of certain Agile project management tools that your company has been using. However, remember that this section of the Agile coach job description contains qualifications that are "good to have" but not mandatory for the job.  

Earn Upto 19 LPA or More - Upskill Now

ITIL 4 FoundationExplore Program
Earn Upto 19 LPA or More - Upskill Now

Agile Coach Job Description Example 

Review the following Agile coach job description sample for inspiration. You can also access the Agile Coach job description pdf and use it as a template to create a job description for your company.  

Agile Coach

We are looking for an efficient Agile Coach who can help our organization in the Agile transition. A team worker with exceptional supervising skills will be an ideal match for the position. You will be responsible for suggesting organizations' policies to support Agile ways of working. Scrum and Kanban are the most popular Agile methodologies; we expect our Agile coach to train managers in their applications and educate them on dealing with any cultural shifts the project may cause. 

Responsibilities:

  • Mentoring Agile teams to enable the transition to Agile 
  • Coach Scrum Masters and Product Owners
  • Formulating governing policies in view of the organization's principles to support Agile-based approaches
  • Identify relevant metrics and define the measurement system 
  • Apply system thinking to uncover bottlenecks
  • Improve engagement between teams and stakeholders 
  • Setup regular audits for measuring process readiness and adherence
  • Identify project risks 
  • Assist scrum masters with meeting pre-planning, scheduling, daily scrum, and review
  • Address team member questions
  • Assist Product Owners in crafting user stories
  • Mentor Product Owners in daily decisions to keep the project in motion
  • Empower managers to partner with business stakeholders and make more strategic decisions
  • Cultivate an Agile mindset so that every team member can approach problems 
  • Instruct teams on the basics of Agile tools, like Scrum and Kanban

Requirements 

  • Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Communications, Operations, Business, or Technology 
  • Minimum of 5+years related work experience 
  • Minimum 8+ years of combined business or technology experience within an Agile environment
  • Expertise in Scrum and Kanban
  • At least one of the following certifications: ICP-ACC, PSPO 2 or A-CSPO, PSM 2 or A-CSM, Safe, Scrum@Scale, or any relevant certification would be added advantage
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Team player who understands people's concerns  

Conclusion

Upskill and qualify for a better Agile coach offer with a certification. Sign-up for Simplileran's ITIL® 4 Foundation and learn the difference between mentoring, coaching, facilitating, and consulting and inculcate the skills required for collaboration and problem resolution in an Agile team.

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