Agile Transformation SME

Role Overview

Senior Enterprise Agile Transformation Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Sprezzatura’s Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE). You will act as an internal Agile consultant and transformation leader deployed to strategic programs—about 75% of the time on a large enterprise-wide program supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

This is a transformation leadership role (not meeting facilitation or Scrum ceremonies). It requires deep SAFe expertise, organizational change management, strong executive presence, and the ability to establish and sustain delivery standards across complex organizations.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise IT Program Transformation (~75%)

• Own RTE-level authority for the program’s Agile Release Train (ART), transitioning into the role via structured knowledge transfer.
• Lead and continuously improve:
  • integrated Agile planning cadence
  • PI Planning activities
  • cross-team dependency management
  • delivery coordination across value streams (including Salesforce, Microsoft, Pega, Integration, and SaaS)
• Partner with program and value-stream leadership to define:
  • Agile roles and decision rights
  • escalation paths
  • planning calendars and delivery standards across all delivery partners
• Finalize and execute the PI Planning redesign, including:
  • event structure and readiness criteria
  • planning inputs and breakout guidance
  • dependency management, risk identification
  • confidence vote and VA stakeholder briefing
• Ensure PI Planning readiness by validating required artifacts such as:
  • prioritized Program Epic Backlog
  • documented requirements/dependencies
  • capacity/constraints
  • architecture and roadmap inputs
  • required planning artifacts by contractual/customer deadlines
• Establish objective success/readiness criteria for each PI cycle (backlog readiness, stakeholder alignment, dependency visibility, achievable team plans, risk ownership, PI objectives, and measurement methods).

Remaining Capacity (LACE & Company Programs)

• Contribute to Sprezzatura’s Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE).
• Support company-wide Lean-Agile governance infrastructure, cross-contract delivery standards, and other directed engagements with the Director of Agile Delivery and Process Automation.

Reporting & Collaboration

• Reports directly to the Director of Agile Delivery and Process Automation and operates as a member of LACE.
• Works closely with the Program Manager, delivery leadership, and customer stakeholders while assigned to client programs.

Requirements

• Deep SAFe expertise (required).
• Ability to operate as a functional Agile authority (RTE/ART level responsibilities).
• Strong organizational change management capability.
• Ability to establish, communicate, and sustain delivery standards across complex organizations.
• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident (Required).

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience redesigning PI Planning and improving Agile governance.
• Experience consolidating/enforcing tooling and reporting structures (e.g., Jira structures).
• Experience across enterprise/value-stream toolsets such as Salesforce, Microsoft, and Pega.