Agile Coach

Position: Agile Coach
Duration: 12-Month Contract-to-Hire
Locations: Reston, VA / Washington, DC
Work Arrangement: Hybrid / Onsite as required for training and coaching sessions
Must have LinkedIn
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Agile Coach with a strong background in SAFe, Lean-Agile transformation, Release Train Engineering (RTE), Agile Release Trains (ARTs), and Product Transformation.
The ideal candidate will help guide the organization through a significant transformation from a traditional project-based delivery model to a product-centric operating model. This person will coach teams, Scrum Masters, RTEs, ART leadership, and executives while helping establish and scale Lean-Agile practices across the organization.
The Agile Coach will also play a key role in the organization's Lean Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) and will be responsible for delivering SAFe training to teams, Scrum Masters, leaders, and other stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead and support Lean-Agile transformation initiatives across the organization.
• Coach Agile teams, Scrum Masters, RTEs, Product Managers, Product Owners, and ART leadership.
• Provide hands-on coaching for Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and Release Train Engineers (RTEs).
• Guide teams and leadership in applying Lean-Agile principles, values, and practices.
• Drive transformation from a project-centric delivery model to a product-centric operating model.
• Support Product Transformation initiatives and help establish product-based teams and ways of working.
• Apply and scale the SAFe Agile framework across multiple teams and Agile Release Trains.
• Support the launch and evolution of platform teams, using strong technology and engineering knowledge.
• Coach organizations on Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, Lean Portfolio Management, PI Planning, Inspect & Adapt, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with leadership to establish and mature a Lean Agile Center of Excellence (LACE).
• Develop and facilitate Agile training, workshops, coaching sessions, and transformation activities.
• Deliver SAFe training to teams, Scrum Masters, leadership, and other stakeholders.
• Track and communicate Agile maturity, transformation progress, impediments, and improvement opportunities.
• Facilitate organizational change and help teams adopt sustainable Agile practices.
• Support the implementation and scaling of Agile practices across multiple Agile Release Trains.
• Coach leaders on organizational alignment, value delivery, flow, and Lean-Agile ways of working.
• Help teams understand and implement technology-enabled Agile delivery practices.
Required Qualifications
• 5+ years of Agile Coach experience, including strong RTE experience. 
• SPC6 (SAFe Practice Consultant) certification — MUST HAVE. 
• Strong hands-on experience coaching RTEs, ARTs, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Agile teams. 
• Strong experience applying Lean-Agile principles at enterprise scale. 
• Proven experience with Lean-Agile transformation. 
• Experience driving Project-to-Product transformation. 
• AI experience — MUST HAVE, preferably coaching or supporting Agile delivery/transformation within AI, GenAI, ML, automation, or AI-enabled technology/product initiatives. 
• Strong SAFe training experience — MUST HAVE. 
• Demonstrated experience delivering SAFe/Agile training to teams, Scrum Masters, leadership, and executives. 
• Candidate should be able to quantify how many SAFe/Agile training sessions they have delivered. 
• Strong Scrum and Kanban experience. 
• Strong technology background with the ability to communicate effectively with engineering and technology teams. 
• Experience launching or coaching platform teams. 
• Experience supporting multiple Agile Release Trains; experience with 7+ ARTs/Agile Trains is highly relevant. 
• Experience establishing or working within a Lean Agile Center of Excellence (LACE). 
• Comfortable conducting occasional onsite training/coaching in Reston, VA and Washington, DC.