Scrum Master (Information Technology/Software/Remote)
Black Pen Recruitment
Hirezar Summary for South African Applicants
This fully remote full time position at Black Pen Recruitment may be open to South African applicants — check the source listing to confirm eligibility before applying. This role is suited for mid-level professionals. As a remote position, you can work from anywhere in South Africa — whether you're based in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, or a smaller town.
Job Description
Our client, a leading Software, Information and Communication Technologies company, operates internationally (Athens, Brussels, Luxembourg, Copenhagen, Stockholm, London, Nicosia, Hong-Kong, Valetta, etc). Our client is a renowned supplier of IT services to government institutions, multinational corporations, public administrations and multinational companies, research and academic institutes.
Role Overview
Our client currently has a vacancy for a Scrum Master to offer his/her services as an expert remotely within the EU. In the context of the first assignment, the successful candidate will be integrated in the team of the company that will closely cooperate with a major client’s IT team on site.
Job Type:B2B Contract
Workplace:Remote
Requirements
* University Degree and at least 8 years of IT professional experience;
* Minimum of 3 of dedicated experience working as a Scrum Master at SM2 level or above;
* Led at least 2 production teams through full sprint cycles (planning, review, retrospective, and refinement);
* Implemented data-driven continuous improvement initiatives, such as increasing team velocity or reducing lead time;
* Experience coordinating cross-team work via Scrum-of-Scrums or PI Planning events;
* Deep knowledge of the Scrum Guide and Agile Manifesto principles and values;
* Good knowledge of facilitation techniques (e.g., Fist of Five, participatory decision-making, Liberating Structures);
* Good knowledge of systems-thinking and process tailoring to fit complex or evolving environments;
* Good knowledge of team motivation and stakeholder engagement techniques (e.g., information radiators, team empowerment models);
* Good knowledge of Agile metrics (velocity, cycle time, burn-up/down charts, cumulative flow diagrams) and the ability to build and interpret dashboards to support team performance and forecasting;
* Tool proficiency in Azure DevOps (preferred) or Jira, particularly in backlog management, dashboards, and workflow configuration;
* Possession of Scrum Master certifications: PSM II (or higher) and SAFe 5/6 Agilist;
* Experience with one or more scaled Agile frameworks (SAFe, Nexus, LeSS, etc.) is considered as an asset;
* Knowledge of integrating SAFe and Kanban approaches to optimize flow and delivery predictability is considered as an asset;
* Excellent command of the English language.
Responsibilities
* Organize and facilitate agile activities and ceremonies including daily stand-up meetings, sprint reviews, retrospectives, sprint and release planning, and product backlog refinement sessions;
* Ensure that all meetings are positive, productive, stay on topic, and are kept within the timebox;
* Collaborate closely with the product owner to manage the backlog;
* Coach team and Product Owner on empiricism, value‑based backlog slicing, and incremental delivery;
* Track and radiate flow metrics (velocity, sprint burndown, iteration burn rate) and guide the team in data‑driven improvement;
* Champion and facilitate adoption of agile standards, tools, and best practices;
* Proactively identify and resolve impediments to team progress;
* Promote empowered, self‑organising teams, shared vision, psychological safety, collaborative decisions (e.g., Fist‑of‑Five);
* Uphold Definition of Done, quality gates, and compliance with organisational standards;
* Communicate with other SCRUM masters and product owners across the organization to ensure transparency into delivery progress, challenges, and risks;
* Utilize team feedback and metrics (e.g., quality, delivery, cadence, etc.) to identify areas of opportunity and work with team to continuously improve;
* Support the team in using agile planning and development tools (e.g. Azure DevOps, Confluence);
* Experiment with new practices and frameworks to improve team outcomes;
* Actively participate in learning opportunities such as communities of practice or conferences to improve skills and better support the team;
* Contribute to the advancement and improvement of agile practices within the organization.
Originally posted onHimalayas
Tips for South African Applicants
Timezone Advantage
South Africa (SAST, UTC+2) overlaps well with European business hours and has a few hours of overlap with US East Coast. Mention your timezone flexibility in your application.
Salary in Context
Even without a listed salary, international remote roles typically pay 2-3x more than equivalent local positions in South Africa due to the exchange rate advantage.
Application Tips
Tailor your CV to international standards — use a clean format, highlight remote work experience, and include your English proficiency. Many SA applicants succeed by emphasising their strong work ethic and cultural adaptability.
Load Shedding Preparedness
If you're applying for a remote role, having a backup power solution (UPS, inverter, or generator) and mobile data as a backup internet connection shows employers you're prepared for South Africa's infrastructure challenges.
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About Black Pen Recruitment
Black Pen Recruitment is a company in the OTC-Sales-Manager industry that hires remote workers from South Africa. They currently have 4 open positions on Hirezar. View all Black Pen Recruitment jobs →