Lead Scrum Master

Salary : $126,177.00 - $164,579.00 Annually Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA Job Type: Full Time - Permanent Job Number: 1452 Department: Health Benefits Exchange Opening Date: 10/21/2025 Description The mission of Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) is to radically improve how Washington residents secure health insurance through innovative and practical solutions, an easy-to-use customer experience, our values of integrity, respect, equity and transparency, and by providing undeniable value to the health care community. The Exchange is a public-private partnership that operates Washington Healthplanfinder, the eligibility and enrollment portal used by one in four Washington residents to obtain health and dental coverage. Through this platform, and with support from a Customer Support Center and statewide network of in-person navigators and brokers, individuals and families can shop, compare and enroll in private, qualified health plans (as defined in the Affordable Care Act) or enroll in Washington Apple Health, the state Medicaid program. The Exchange embraces the following equity statement adopted by our Board of Directors: Equity is fundamental to the mission of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. The process of advancing toward equity and becoming anti-racist is disruptive and demands vigilance to dismantle deeply entrenched systems of privilege and oppression. While systemic racism is a root cause of many societal inequities, we must also use an intersectional approach to address all forms of bias and oppression, which interact with and often exacerbate racial inequities. To be successful, we must recognize the socioeconomic drivers of health and focus on people and places where needs are greatest. As we listen to community, we must hold ourselves accountable to responding to recommendations to remedy inequitable policies, systems, or practices within the Exchange's area of influence. Our goal is that all Washingtonians have full and equal access to opportunities, power and resources to achieve their full potential. We will be giving priority to applications received through November 21, 2025. To ensure your application is considered, we recommend submitting your materials as soon as possible within this timeframe. SUMMARY The Lead Scrum Master is a pivotal leadership role within our organization's Agile transformation journey. Reporting directly to the Deputy CIO, this position is responsible for overseeing the work of Scrum Masters across all teams at WAHBE and is a key resource on the Delivery Management Team. The Lead Scrum Master will champion Agile best practices, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and ensure consistent and effective adoption of Scrum and other Agile methodologies across the enterprise. This role will facilitate key program-level ceremonies and events aligned with our customized implementation of Scrum@Scale, helping to drive alignment, transparency, and collaboration across teams and stakeholders. As a servant leader and Agile coach, the Lead Scrum Master will mentor Scrum Masters, remove organizational impediments, and promote Agile values throughout the organization. In addition to Agile leadership, this position will play a critical role in supporting and overseeing our DevSecOps and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) initiatives, ensuring that Agile and technical practices are integrated to accelerate delivery, enhance security, and improve operational efficiency. This position possesses deep expertise in Agile frameworks, exceptional facilitation and coaching skills, and a strong understanding of enterprise-level Agile scaling and modern DevOps practices. Duties • Provide guidance and support to Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Agile teams within the organization. • Facilitate the scaling of Agile practices across multiple teams and departments. • Champion the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto, fostering an environment of continuous improvement. • Serve as a change agent, actively promoting Agile transformation initiatives and best practices. • Mentor and coach team members to enhance their Agile skills and remove barriers to success. • Oversee the planning, execution, and optimization of Scrum ceremonies such as Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-Ups, Sprint Reviews, and Retrospectives across teams. • Ensure teams are empowered to self-organize and make decisions within the framework of Scrum. • Promote effective collaboration and communication among cross-functional teams. • Identify, track, and resolve impediments or blockers that affect team performance and delivery. • Facilitate escalation and resolution of issues that span multiple teams or departments. • Collaborate with teams to implement continuous process improvements based on feedback, metrics, and retrospectives. • Analyze key Agile metrics (velocity, burn-down charts, cycle time, etc.) to identify areas for optimization. • Report on team progress and process maturity to stakeholders and leadership. • Drive adoption of tools and technologies that enhance Agile practices. • Communicate effectively regarding team progress, risks, dependencies, and delivery timelines. • Facilitate communities of practice for Scrum Masters and other Agile practitioners. • Lead the adoption of the Scrum@Scale scaling framework or as appropriate to the organization's needs. • Drive integration of Agile and DevSecOps practices. • In coordination with the Lead Product Owner, accountable for successful delivery outcomes with mission-critical operational activities, including Open Enrollment. • Other duties as assigned. Qualifications Required: • 5+ years working as a Scrum Master in an enterprise environment. • 3+ years experience operating Scrum in a scaled fashion. • 3+ years experience as a Lead Scrum Master in an enterprise. • 2 years of experience and deep knowledge of DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, automated deployment, etc. • Scrum Master certification required • Experience as a Lead Scrum Master, Scrum Master or Agile Coach in an enterprise environment. • Experience implementing agile scaling frameworks in an enterprise environment. • Strong knowledge of Agile principles. • Strong knowledge of agile ceremonies and their purposes. • Thorough understanding of, and experience with, the servant leader role. • Able to clearly articulate agile principles, values, and SDLC processes. • Experience creating and maintaining industry best practices for SDLC processes. • Experience facilitating scaled agile meetings such as Scrum of Scrums. • Experience leveraging work tracking tools such as Jira on an Agile team. • Experience facilitating conversations between stakeholders to bring issues to resolution. • Strong knowledge of Agile and delivery best practices • Experience in identifying and implementing process improvements. • Strong knowledge of Agile metrics and their appropriate uses. • Experience leveraging work tracking and reporting tools such as Jira. • Experience leading meetings with organizational leadership. • Experience facilitating discussions. • Experience with DevOps and deployment automations. • Strong knowledge of the Scrum@Scale framework. Desired: • Agile coach certification is preferred. • Scrum@Scale experience is preferred. Supplemental Information APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS This position will be open until we find a suitable number of candidates to review. If interested, please submit an application as soon as possible. The Exchange reserves the right to close the recruitment at any time. SALARY INFORMATION Full Salary Range: $109,719 to $164,579 annually, with midpoint at $137,149. Hiring Range: $ 126,177 and $137,149 annually. This is an estimate of where a qualified candidate can expect to receive an offer. The actual salary offer will consider candidate experience, skills, qualifications, internal equity, and the market. Our compensation policy reserves the salary range above the midpoint for employees who are meeting and exceeding expectations and for growth and development, up to the maximum. BENEFITS Take a peek at our WORKING CONDITIONS Core business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. There are times where irregular hours will be required. The preferred duty station is our Olympia, Washington headquarters. The nature of this role relies heavily on remote and in-person collaboration. While a hybrid remote and on-site schedule may be considered, the position will require flexibility to allow for in-office availability as business needs dictate. Travel requirements will be limited, however there may be occasions where an employee is required to travel and work irregular hours to attend meetings or trainings. Duties of this position require the use of standard office furniture and equipment, including setup for remote work. The employee is responsible for providing and maintaining a safe, ergonomic, and secure workspace at their remote location. The working conditions and physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS A criminal background screen will be conducted for candidates under final consideration, and if hired, every five years of employment where highly sensitive data is processed or maintained by the position. The result of this background screen must meet the Exchanges eligibility standards. OTHER INFORMATION The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and levels of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills of personnel so classified. This is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice. The Washington Health Benefit Exchange is an All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We participate in You can view the Department of Justice's Right to Work poster More than Just a Paycheck! Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation. We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs. Read about our benefits: The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time. Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits. Insurance Benefits Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state. Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts. To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs. Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses. Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction. The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees. Retirement and Deferred Compensation State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site. Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options. Social Security All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system. Public Service Loan Forgiveness If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Holidays Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year. Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information. Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday. Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave. Sick Leave Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave. Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday. Vacation (Annual Leave) Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave. Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday. As provided in , an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165. Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave. Military Leave Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year. Bereavement Leave Most employees whose family member or household member dies, or for loss of pregnancy, are entitled to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave. Additional Leave Leave Sharing Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave Without Pay Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits. Updated 01-07-2026

Created: 2026-03-04