Scrum Master and Project Manager

University of Waterloo · Waterloo · CA$67,689–CA$84,611 (stated in the posting)

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At the University of Waterloo, we create and promote a culture where everyone can reach their full potential. As an employee, you get support & opportunities that empower you to advance your career. Explore how we can bring big ideas to life, together. The University is a welcoming workplace for those of all abilities, interests, and expertise. As part of our workforce, you can do what you do best, every day.

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Posting Information:
This posting is for an existing vacancy.

The internal posting deadline for this position is November 5 2026, at 11:59PM.” 

Job Description:

Primary Purpose 

Reporting to the Assistant Director, the Scrum Master and Project Manager role will fulfill a variety of critical responsibilities to promote the development of high performance teams that meet or exceed expectations established at activity initiation and align with departmental and institutional mission, vision, values, and objectives. As a Scrum Master the role facilitates and coaches scrum teams in how to use continuous improvement practices and principles to deliver high quality programs and services to students and other stakeholders. The role makes essential contributions to advance continuous improvement practices within the department. As a Project Manager the role is responsible for providing project management services to a variety of operational and strategic initiatives ranging from individual teams to department-wide or institutional-level activities.  

Key Accountabilities 

Scrum Master 

• Acts as a facilitator who coaches scrum teams in self-organization and cross-functional skillset, and communicates effectively, both internally and externally, while working within a team 

• Facilitates and provides primary support to all scrum events 

• Ensures team(s) use time efficiently and effectively by using visual management techniques, time boxing events, clarifying how actions will lead to outcomes, and aligning activities across the team, department, and institution. 

• Works with other Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and team members to increase the effectiveness of continuous improvement practices across the department 

• Advances scrum team(s) to a high performing level by helping members recognize problems and opportunities and implements appropriate coaching and development techniques 

• Provides training/education to ensure continuous improvement methods, values, practices, and standards are understood and followed by all team members 

• Anticipates and effectively deals with any project barriers by defining issues, examining alternatives, and effectively guiding the team(s) towards resolution 

• Applies expertise in estimating time, energy, and effort required by a team to produce desired outcomes within a given period of time.  

• Makes sure team(s) clarify desired outcomes by establishing definitions of done and acceptance criteria for actions at individual and team levels.  

• Conducts retrospective meetings to promote continuous improvement within a scrum team while developing a shared understanding of areas of improvement in the short- and long-term 

• Effectively manages scrum backlog to ensure work is visible to the team and stakeholders, ordered according to business value and aligned with the enterprise backlog to achieve the desired outcome(s) 

Project Management 

• Participates on multi-disciplinary team(s) providing oversight and coordination of projects. Employs project management best practices and methods to ensure work is planned and executed to meet applicable departmental and institutional standards and objectives 

• Adapts to support staff and teams on a wide variety of initiatives at all levels through a variety of actions, including but not limited to research, analysis, reporting, advising, coaching, facilitating, and leading.  

• Coordinates team(s) of various subject matter experts and decision makers in project scope definition, design, planning, resources allocation, and communications toward achievement of desired outcome(s) 

• Prepares, refines, and reviews comprehensive schedules and identifies/manages critical path milestones (CPM) 

• Provides strategic advice and process-related guidance to management and other stakeholders at all stages of project planning, execution, and follow-up.  

• Proactively identifies, evaluates and mitigates project risks to reduce impact on desired outcomes while providing basis for sound decision making 

• Uses visual management techniques to ensure project status is readily available to all stakeholders including resource usage, scheduling, and performance 

• Leads ongoing development of estimating project and program resource usage including, but not limited to, facilities, data, finances, and workload  

• Conducts or coordinates data gathering from internal and external resources for research and analysis to provide reports to management for efficient and effective decision making  

Continuous Improvement Advocate 

• Advocates for continuous organizational improvement by reviewing and recommending changes to refine existing business processes, procedures and policies  

• Create a culture that embraces problems as opportunities to improve the organization and the value it provides to students.  

• Proactively solicits quantitative and qualitative input from staff at all levels to make problems visible so the team(s) can apply continuous improvement methods  

• Supports change management initiatives with a focus on how a team(s) and the organization functions 

• Provides organizational system oversight and general review to ensure departmental and institutional process standards and value is provided to stakeholders or students 

Strategic Initiatives Coordinator and Advisor 

• Implements the processes which supports the management of projects, operational programs, and strategic initiatives including governance, team leadership, monitoring, prioritization, communication, and quality controls to ensure clarity exists for all parties regarding current and desired outcomes over the full planning cycle(s). 

• Supports management decision-making by analyzing and advising on the impact of alternative program and project scenarios to achieve the desire outcome(s) 

• Works with staff at all levels to clarify value and impact of programs and projects which includes supporting others to define actions required to achieve desired outcomes in a timely manner, effectively escalate problems to seek resolution, and make progress transparent.  

• Records and reports operational and strategic program and project performance using a variety of quantitative and qualitative approaches to ensure all stakeholders remain clear on status so action can be taken when problems are identified.  

• Supports management with building a positive and productive culture in line with departmental and institutional mission, vision, values, and objectives.  

• Represents the department on institutional groups or external organizations as appropriate

• Builds and maintains a current understanding of relevant university and industry standards

• Fosters relationships across the department, campus, external community and industry as required 

Other 

• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned and supports departmental activities 

Required Qualifications  

Education 

• Completion of post-secondary diploma or degree (or equivalent experience) is required  

• Must have continuous improvement training/education (e.g., Lean, Agile, Scrum) or project management professional training certification (e.g., PMP). Having both is preferred.  

Experience 

• 3-5 years of professional experience with multiple complex projects involving multiple people at the same time is required.  

• Working experience within medium to large organizations is required, with public sector organizations being preferred.  

• Experience as a scrum master or as a project management role is preferred.  

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities 

• Expertise in using Microsoft Excel and proficient technology skills generally is required. 

• Working knowledge of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) principles is required. 

• Proven success influencing, negotiating, and resolving conflict without authority, ability to delegate and achieve results through teamwork is required. 

• Must have experience taking initiative and seeking solutions to complex solutions while working autonomously and interdependently. 

• Ability to remain calm and organized during busy, changing, or challenging times 

• Excellent communication skills 

• Strong ability to think both broadly and deeply at an advanced level.  

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.

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