The typical Job Description of a SAFe Agile Coach
In an increasingly agile business world, the number of different roles is becoming more and more confusing. For example, what is a SAFe Agile coach and what might their job description look like?
Scaled Agile Framework SAFe - Agile Coach Job Description
The SAFe Agile Coach: No official role
I should preface this with one thing. Contrary to the assumption of some practitioners, the official Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) does not actually have an explicit role of “Agile Coach.” According to SAFe guidelines, Scrum Masters/Team Coaches and Release Train Engineers take on the central coaching functions.
While Scrum Masters support teams on an individual level, Release Train Engineers focus on the coordination of agile teams on a program level. These specific roles reflect SAFe’s commitment to clear and specialized responsibilities in an agile environment.
Nevertheless, as I said, there are companies that don’t take the designations quite so seriously. So if we imagine the job description of a SAFe Agile coach, what might it look like and what qualifications might be desirable for the role?
Scaled Agile Framework SAFe - Agile Coach Job Description
SAFe Agile Coach Job Tender
Please note that this is only a general example of a job description and may vary depending on the organization and specific requirements:
Job title: SAFe Agile Coach
Tasks and responsibilities:
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Agile transformation support: Promote and support agile transformation in the organization by introducing SAFe principles and practices and ensuring that teams apply them successfully.
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Team coaching: Advise agile teams on the continuous improvement of their working methods, promote self-organization and support them in solving challenges.
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SAFe implementation: Lead the implementation of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) across the organization by collaborating with leaders, teams and other stakeholders.
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Training courses and workshops: Develop and deliver training and workshops on SAFe principles, roles and practices to promote understanding and application within the organization.
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Management consulting: Advise managers on adapting their management practices to agile principles and support them in creating an agile culture.
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Continuous improvement: Identify areas for continuous improvement and work with teams to solve problems and implement better ways of working.
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Coordination and communication: Coordinate collaboration between agile teams and other departments to ensure agile practices run smoothly. Encourage open communication and transparency.
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Metrics and reporting: Implement metrics to track the progress of the agile transformation and create regular reports for management.
Qualifications:
- Experience in the introduction and implementation of SAFe in organizations.
- Certification as SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) or comparable certifications.
- Comprehensive understanding of agile principles and practices.
- Experience in coaching agile teams and managers.
- Strong communication and training skills.
- Ability to collaborate with various stakeholders.
Educational qualification:
- At least a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, business administration or a related discipline.
As mentioned, this job description only serves as a general example. It is important to consider the specific requirements and culture of the organization for which the position is being advertised.
"Many team members are afraid to speak up!"
Solve this challenge
"We discover too many unexpected issues & bugs at a late stage!"
Solve this challenge
"Why does it sometimes take me hours to prepare a simple retrospective?"
Solve this challengeScaled Agile Framework SAFe - Agile Coach Job Description
A tip for SAFe Agile coaches
Are you a Agile coach? Do you sometimes have the feeling that the success of your work is difficult to measure? Then the Echometer tool could be of interest to you. It is particularly suitable for scaled agile contexts.
Echometer is a digital tool that helps agile team leads with agile retrospectives and team Health Checks. Whether remote, hybrid or on-site: it makes team coaching measurable and professionalizes your work while saving you a lot of work. Just take a look at our website to find out more: www.echometerapp.com.
The title of a role should always play a subordinate role.
Christian Heidemeyer, Psychologist & Scrum Master
Scaled Agile Framework SAFe - Agile Coach Job Description
Conclusion: SAFe Agile Coach
The SAFe Agile Coach can play a key role in creating an agile and innovation-promoting environment. Through continuous coaching, training and the promotion of best practices, the coach helps to strengthen agility and better prepare the organization for the dynamic demands of the market. At the same time, it should also have become clear that this title can also have a different focus.
Finally, one more note: If you would like to try out how it feels to develop your team further with our tool: You can start an agile retrospective without logging in below, in this case the “Keep, Stop, Start” workshop.
Alternatively, simply forward our website to the responsible colleagues: www.echometerapp.com.
