Release Train Engineer (RTE) – SAFe & Project Management
Summary
Release Train Engineer leading SAFe implementation and Agile Release Train coordination for a government-focused IT services firm. Day-to-day involves facilitating PI Planning and ART ceremonies, coaching Scrum Masters and teams, and managing project plans, schedules, risks, and governance to ensure predictable delivery.
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Release Train Engineer (RTE) to lead SAFe implementation, coordinate Agile Release Train (ART) activities, and manage cross-functional project delivery. The ideal candidate will have experience in enterprise Agile transformation, project planning, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and delivery coordination, preferably in a government or federal environment.
The RTE will serve as a servant leader and facilitator for the ART while applying project management best practices to ensure alignment with organizational goals, predictable delivery, effective resource utilization, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead SAFe transformation initiatives, assess Agile maturity, and develop improvement plans to strengthen Lean-Agile adoption.
- Coach Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile teams, and leadership on SAFe principles, practices, and continuous improvement.
- Facilitate SAFe ceremonies, including PI Planning, ART Sync, Scrum of Scrums, System Demos, and Inspect & Adapt workshops.
- Coordinate multiple Agile teams, manage cross-team dependencies, remove impediments, and ensure alignment with ART objectives and delivery commitments.
- Partner with the Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) and organizational leaders to align SAFe practices with enterprise goals and governance.
- Mentor teams and reinforce SAFe framework compliance throughout the organization.
- Develop and maintain project plans, integrated schedules, release calendars, roadmaps, milestones, and delivery forecasts.
- Manage project scope, timelines, resources, risks, issues, dependencies, and change requests to support successful project execution.
- Monitor project progress, delivery metrics, and schedule variances; implement corrective actions and escalate risks as needed.
- Coordinate resource and capacity planning, and support budget tracking and cost reporting where applicable.
- Establish project governance, maintain RAID logs and project documentation, and provide regular status reports and executive updates.
- Collaborate with Product Management, Business Owners, project sponsors, and technical stakeholders to align priorities and manage expectations.
- Support compliance, governance, and contractual requirements, particularly in government or regulated environments.
- Drive continuous improvement, promote DevOps and continuous delivery practices, and improve delivery predictability and quality.
Qualifications
Experience
- 10+ years of relevant experience in Agile delivery, Release Train Engineering, project management, or program coordination.
- Significant experience in SAFe implementation, enterprise Agile transformation, and coordinating multiple Agile teams.
- Experience in project planning, scheduling, risk management, resource coordination, stakeholder communication, and delivery reporting.
- Government, federal, or regulated-environment experience preferred.
Certifications
Required:
- SAFe® Scrum Master (SSM) or equivalent relevant SAFe certification, such as SAFe® Program Consultant (SPC).
Preferred:
- Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification.
- SAFe® Release Train Engineer (RTE) or other relevant SAFe certifications.
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field preferred.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.