Release Manager / Scrum Master

9th Way Insignia is looking for a Release Manager / Scrum Master to support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Enterprise Acquisition Systems Support (EASS) program, providing Agile delivery facilitation and release leadership across the EASS eCMS portfolio. This role ensures enhancements and fixes are executed using Agile methods with well-defined user stories, acceptance criteria, and requirements traceability, while coordinating and driving end-to-end release readiness and execution in support of the eCMS Release Management (RM) process within the EASS Configuration Management (CM) Repository—ensuring releases meet the Requirement Specification Document (RSD), infrastructure readiness is verified by the VA Release Manager, and stakeholders accept and validate operational stability. The Release Manager / Scrum Master facilitates monthly release schedule meetings and produces and maintains release-cycle artifacts including Requirements Verification Reports (RVR), Deployment Plans, Release Notes, Requirements Traceability Matrices (RTMs), and supports monthly patches/minor releases and interface documentation updates (ICDs) as required.

The Release Manager / Scrum Master position aligns as a Level 4 Project Manager (Manager) at 9th Way Insignia, a level typically requiring 7+ years of experience with at least 1+ year in a management capacity. In this role, the Project Manager is expected to accomplish project and program objectives by managing teams and delivery processes, evaluating performance, and planning, directing, and overseeing day-to-day execution to ensure successful outcomes, while demonstrating exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Facilitate Agile delivery for enhancements and fixes using clearly defined user stories, sprint planning, backlog refinement, acceptance criteria, and end-to-end traceability to requirements.
• Coordinate with VA stakeholders to prioritize work, remove impediments, and ensure the team delivers committed sprint and release outcomes.
• Lead end-to-end release planning and execution within the EASS configuration management and release management process, ensuring releases meet documented requirements, readiness is confirmed, and stakeholders accept and validate operational stability.
• Develop and maintain the Requirements Verification Report (RVR) each release cycle to document verification status and confirm requirements are satisfied through appropriate testing and validation.
• Develop Deployment Plans for each release that define roles and responsibilities across environments, release schedules, readiness and operational requirements, infrastructure needs, installation steps, rollback considerations, and required supporting artifacts; coordinate formal reviews with program stakeholders.
• Plan and facilitate recurring release schedule meetings with all parties involved in release implementation.
• Produce Release Notes within required timelines after each release, ensuring notes are complete, standardized, and include impacted components and interfaces.
• Coordinate monthly (or as-needed) patches and minor updates, ensuring releases and bug-fix deployments are executed reliably and predictably.
• Coordinate updates to Interface Control Documents (ICDs) following interface changes and ensure interface documentation remains current with each applicable release.
• Develop and maintain Requirements Traceability Matrices (RTMs) to ensure requirements are fully tracked from intake through development, testing, verification, and deployment.
• Support configuration management policies and procedures, including controlled updates to configuration items, repository maintenance, and ensuring appropriate access and auditability of release artifacts.
• Manage software change requests from intake through production implementation, tracking approvals and status, maintaining CM documentation, providing regular CM updates, and producing meeting notes/minutes within required timeframes.

• Bachelor’s degree (or 4 years equivalent experience in lieu of a degree).
• 7+ years of relevant IT delivery experience, including Agile/Scrum execution and release management in an enterprise environment.
• 1+ years of experience leading teams and/or serving in a formal delivery leadership capacity aligned to a Level 4 Project Manager.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, and execute recurring releases, patches, and production deployments, including readiness coordination and post-release validation.
• Proven experience ensuring requirements discipline (user stories, acceptance criteria, and traceability from intake through deployment).
• Experience managing configuration/change activities, including tracking change requests through approval, implementation, and documentation updates.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, including facilitation of delivery ceremonies and production of release artifacts (deployment plans, release notes, schedules, and meeting minutes).
• Proficiency with common delivery and collaboration tools (e.g., Jira/Azure DevOps, Confluence/SharePoint, Microsoft Teams).
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance at the Tier 2 (Moderate Risk) level (active preferred).

Preferred

• Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or related field.
• Scrum Master certification (CSM, PSM, or equivalent).
• Prior experience supporting VA or other federal programs in regulated delivery environments.
• Experience coordinating releases across multiple teams/vendors and working closely with O&M stakeholders.