Scrum Master – Product Data & Merchandising Systems

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced Agile Scrum Master to drive Agile delivery for Item Management Technology initiatives at a leading automotive aftermarket retailer. This role will support technology solutions related to product data management, item lifecycle processes, and merchandising operations.

The successful candidate will work closely with Product Managers, Product Owners, Software Engineers, Quality Engineers, and business stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration, timely delivery, and alignment with business priorities.

As a servant leader and Agile coach, the Scrum Master will facilitate Scrum practices, remove delivery obstacles, improve team performance, and promote a culture of continuous improvement, ownership, and transparency.

Key Responsibilities

1. Agile Practices and Team Leadership

• Lead and facilitate Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, backlog refinement, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
• Guide teams and stakeholders in applying Agile principles, Scrum frameworks, and industry best practices.
• Encourage team ownership, self-organization, collaboration, and accountability.
• Help teams strengthen their Agile maturity and continuously improve delivery processes.
• Coach Product Owners and team members on effective Agile execution and team dynamics.

2. Sprint Planning and Delivery Execution

• Collaborate with Product Owners to maintain a well-defined, prioritized, and business-aligned product backlog.
• Track sprint commitments, team capacity, velocity, and delivery progress.
• Identify and resolve impediments, risks, and dependencies that could affect project timelines.
• Monitor Agile performance indicators, including sprint burndown, cycle time, velocity, delivery predictability, and team health.
• Coordinate with multiple teams to support release planning, quarterly objectives, and roadmap milestones.
• Participate in Program Increment (PI) planning and other scaled Agile activities, where applicable.

3. Item Management and Product Data Initiatives

• Facilitate Agile delivery for initiatives involving:
  • Item Master Data Management
  • Product Information Management (PIM)
  • Item creation, onboarding, and maintenance
  • Product hierarchies and classification
  • Merchandising and product lifecycle technology
• Work with business and technology teams to clarify priorities, dependencies, and delivery expectations.
• Help teams deliver technology enhancements that improve product data quality, consistency, and operational efficiency.

4. Stakeholder Collaboration and Communication

• Act as a liaison between business stakeholders, product teams, engineering, and quality assurance.
• Communicate sprint progress, delivery risks, blockers, and dependencies to relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate cross-functional discussions to resolve issues and maintain alignment on business objectives.
• Build strong working relationships with leadership and distributed delivery teams.
• Support coordination across teams to ensure smooth implementation and release of technology solutions.

5. Performance Optimization and Continuous Improvement

• Evaluate team performance and identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, and delivery predictability.
• Lead retrospectives and ensure agreed improvement actions are implemented.
• Use Agile metrics and team feedback to drive measurable improvements.
• Introduce effective practices, tools, and processes to streamline delivery.
• Mentor team members and contribute to broader Agile adoption and transformation efforts.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience as an Agile Scrum Master supporting technology delivery teams.
• Strong knowledge of Scrum, Kanban, Agile principles, and iterative software development.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating cross-functional teams and managing competing business priorities.
• Proficiency with Jira or similar Agile project management tools.
• Strong skills in communication, facilitation, conflict resolution, and stakeholder management.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to identify delivery risks, manage dependencies, and help teams achieve sprint and release objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting retail, merchandising, inventory management, supply chain, or Master Data Management (MDM) initiatives.
• Scrum Master certification such as Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), or SAFe Scrum Master.
• Background in automotive aftermarket, retail, e-commerce, or supply chain technology.
• Familiarity with Item Master Data, Product Information Management (PIM), product catalogs, and merchandising systems.
• Experience working with SAFe or other scaled Agile delivery frameworks.
• Exposure to product data governance, item lifecycle management, or enterprise product data platforms.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a proactive and collaborative Agile leader who can guide technology teams through complex delivery initiatives in a dynamic retail environment. They should be comfortable working across business and technical functions, facilitating productive discussions, resolving blockers, and using data-driven insights to improve team performance.

A strong understanding of item management, product data, and merchandising processes will help the candidate support the delivery of reliable technology solutions that enhance data quality, operational effectiveness, and the overall customer experience.