Scrum Master Career Progression: From Delivery Leadership to Agile Coaching

Scrum Master is an essential role in the Agile world, playing a crucial part in ensuring the success of teams’ daily operations. As a Scrum Master, you work closely with team members, resolve challenges, and engage with stakeholders to deliver value. With your experience and skills, there are several career progression options available to you, including Delivery Leadership, Product Management/Ownership, and Agile Coaching.

1. Delivery Leadership

If you find fulfillment in your current role as a Scrum Master, you may want to consider advancing in the Delivery Leadership field. There are two paths you can pursue in this area.

a. Group Scrum Master or Release Train Engineer:

The first option is to work with multiple teams, facilitating delivery across multiple teams as a Group Scrum Master or Release Train Engineer (in case of SAFe). If your organization uses multiple Agile teams, program management could be an option for you. To move into program management, expanding your skillset in facilitation techniques, mentoring and coaching skills, and stakeholder engagement is crucial. Obtaining certifications such as SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (Scaled Agile) , Leading SAFe (Scaled Agile) or Advanced Certified Scrum Master (A-CSM) certification could help increase your knowledge and credibility in the delivery space. 

b. Project Manager:

The second option is to become a Project Manager. If you work for an organization that provides services, you can become a hybrid Project Manager and Delivery person, managing both Agile and non-Agile projects. To acquire the necessary skills, such as budgeting, reporting, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and more, furthering your education and pursuing the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification would be beneficial. 

2. Product Management

The second option for career progression is in the Product Management space. If you work in a product-focused organization and have an interest in expanding your domain expertise, you may want to consider moving into Product Management or Ownership. Your experience in requirements and facilitating product owners will come in handy, and you can further develop your skills by assisting the product owner with tasks such as user story splitting and prioritization. Studying your domain area and obtaining certified courses in Product Ownership, such as the Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification, will help you grow in this field. 

3. Agile Coaching

The third option for career progression is coaching, mentoring, and enabling others. If you enjoy building capabilities in teams and enabling them to deliver, growing as an Agile Coach could be an option for you. An Agile Coach’s role is to create and develop Scrum Masters within an organization and help in adapting agility at the organizational level. This role requires expertise in coaching and mentoring skills, as well as the ability to train individuals on various aspects of Scrum, Agile and Kanban. Investing in coaching, mentoring, and training activities, and obtaining certifications like ICAgile’s ICP-ACC certification, can help you grow as an Agile Coach.

In conclusion, as a Scrum Master, you have several options to advance your career. Whether it be in Delivery Leadership, Product Management, or Agile Coaching, the choice ultimately depends on your interests and strengths. Pursuing further education and certifications can help you develop the necessary skills and knowledge to grow in your chosen field. Each person’s career progression will be unique, but these high-level ideas can help you design your career path and reach your goals.