Lead Agile Consultant

We are looking for an Agile expert to join our team as a Lead Agile Consultant. This is an exciting opportunity to champion and develop the Agile offering within the business and with clients. The type of work can vary, from leveraging your experience to offer Agile consulting and advise to clients, hands on ‘active’ Agile delivery through to service and capability development within the business. So if your passionate about Agile and recognise when it’s use is appropriate and can add value – we want to hear from you.

You will be responsible for planning, leading, organizing, and motivating agile project teams to achieve a high level of performance and quality in delivering agile projects that provide exceptional business value to users. We have a varied client base, and as such you may be responsible for managing several concurrent high visibility projects using agile methods in a diverse environment. A flexible approach will be required, playing a number of different roles:

• At an enterprise level, leading and managing large, complex enterprise-level projects consisting of multiple Agile teams and/or requiring integration with other activities outside the scope of the Agile teams
• At a team level, playing a consultative role to help put in place the appropriate people, methodology, process, and tools and coaching members of the team as needed to optimize the efficiency of the project team
• In situations that require a hybrid Agile approach, using good judgment and skill to develop a project management approach that is suitable for planning and managing the effort to achieve the project goals within designated project constraints
• Help identify, bid for and manage new Agile and hybrid Agile opportunities
• Help coach and develop internal client and our own resources

In performing these roles, you will be expected to use a high level of knowledge and experience in blending traditional project management principles and practices with an Agile development approach in the right proportions to fit large, complex, mission-critical, enterprise-level projects and with the appropriate level of planning and provide the right balance of agility and predictability.

As part of the Atkins team, you will be expected to contribute to practice development activities, such as thought leadership, brand development, innovation & contribution to strategy.

This position is based in the South-East; however, travel will be required to work from other Atkins offices or client locations around the UK.

Responsibilities
• Project Planning and Management – Define project scope and schedule while focusing on regular and timely delivery of value; organize and lead project status and working meetings; prepare and distribute progress reports; manage risks and issues; correct deviations from plans; and perform delivery planning for assigned projects
• Consulting and Advice – leverage Agile experience and capabilities to help clients (internal or external) understand if, where and how adopting an Agile approach can benefit them and where it’s use may be most appropriate (including coaching and upskilling stakeholders in Agile understanding)
• Agile champion – be at the forefront of Agile developments in industry to enable active contribution to Agile service offering internally and with clients
• Team Management – Assist in team development while holding teams accountable for their commitments, removing roadblocks to their work; leveraging organizational resources to improve capacity for project work; and mentoring and developing team members
• Product Owner Support – Support the Product Owner in managing customer expectations for project deliverables, managing stakeholder communications, and helping to implement an effective system of project governance
• Process Management and Improvement – Define and manage a well-defined project management process and champion ongoing process improvement initiatives to implement best practices for Agile Project Management
• Team building – promote empowerment of the team, ensure that each team member is fully engaged in the project and making a meaningful contribution, and encourage a sustainable pace with high-levels of quality for the team
• Build client relationships at local level and understand the need to help to identify & develop business opportunities.

Requirements:
• Solid understanding of solution development life cycle models as well as expert knowledge of both Agile and traditional project management principles and practices and the ability to blend them together in the right proportions to fit a project and business environment
• A proven track record of successfully implementing projects using Agile methodologies across a range of sectors and/or industries
• Experience as a Project Manager managing large, complex projects in a high-tech development environment with multi-function teams.
• Proven ability to lead solution development projects and ensure objectives, goals, and commitments are met.
• Prior experience with SCRUM/Agile methodologies with enterprise-level application development projects.
• Scaled agile or related qualification such as SAFe along with a PRINCE2/APM or equivalent preferred
• Experience overseeing multi-function project teams with at least 10-15 team members including Developers, Business Analysts, and Quality Assurance Personnel. You will need strong interpersonal skills including mentoring, coaching, collaborating, and team building
• Balanced business/technical background:
-Sufficient level of technical background to provide highly-credible leadership to development teams and to be able to accurately and objectively evaluate complex project risks and issues
-Ability to provide leadership to business analysts and collaborate with customers and develop strategies and solutions of high business value• BA or BS or equivalent experience
• Strong interpersonal skills including mentoring, coaching, collaborating, and team building
• Leadership skills, able to evidence management & influencing skills within client organisations
• Strong analytical, planning, and organizational skills with an ability to manage competing demands
• Ability to develop knowledge and understanding of business needs, and able to establish/maintain high level of customer trust and confidence
• Solid understanding of and demonstrated experience in using appropriate tools:
- Agile Project Management tools such as Jira, Rally, VersionOne or equivalent
- Microsoft Project, Visio, and all Office Tools
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills and experience interacting with both business and IT individuals at all levels including executive level
• Creative approach to problem-solving with the ability to focus on details while maintaining the “big picture” view

Benefits
• Please refer to our website for full details of our benefits package, which includes the opportunity to purchase up to 15 days additional annual leave per year on top of our standard 25 days paid annual leave.
• Flexible working options will be considered for this vacancy.

Training
Atkins develops individuals through a tailored portfolio of training and development courses designed to help successful candidates make the best of their abilities and talents.

Security
This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary it will be discussed with you at interview.
If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.


About Us
The ADS&T business provides a wide range of consultancy services addressing IT enabled business change: policy and regulatory advice, strategy and planning, complex programme and project management, change management, performance improvement, HR strategies, IT systems solutions and IT managed services. We work with a wide range of clients in the public and private sector we can offer individuals an interesting and diverse career working with many likeminded staff. We support equal opportunities as we believe that diverse teams provide the best mix of interpersonal and technical skills needed to exceed our customers’ expectations.

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