Associate Scrum Master (Entry Level) in Alexandria, Virginia at National Motor Freight Traffic Association Inc

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc.® (NMFTA)® is hiring an Associate Scrum Master to help its Engineering, Quality Assurance, Documentation, and Product teams work well together using Scrum. This is an entry-level role for someone with 0-2 years of experience who is curious, organized, analytical, and eager to learn agile practices on the job.

You will begin by supporting an experienced Scrum Master and gradually facilitate a team’s events independently as your confidence grows. We value how you work with people more than the number of years on your resume.

Key responsibilities

• Facilitate Scrum events (Daily Scrum, Sprint Refinement, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, and Retrospective), first alongside a Scrum Master and then on your own.
• Help the team keep its board accurate and up to date using Jira.
• Build, analyze, and share sprint metrics such as velocity, burndown, and sprint goal completion.
• Spot impediments that slow the team down, log them, and follow up until they are resolved or escalated.
• Support Product Owners with backlog refinement and organization.
• Coach team members on Scrum basics, such as the Definition of Done and working within sprint goals.
• Take notes, capture action items from retrospectives, and make sure agreed improvements are followed through.
• Keep stakeholders informed with short, clear status updates.
• Protect the team’s focus by helping manage interruptions and out-of-sprint requests.

Required qualifications

• 0–2 years of professional experience in any field; internships, co-ops, and project work all count.
• Basic understanding of Agile values and the Scrum framework (roles, events, and artifacts).
• Strong communication skills, written and spoken, with comfort speaking up in group settings.
• Organized and detail-oriented, able to keep track of action items and follow-ups.
• A service mindset: you enjoy helping others succeed more than taking credit.
• Willingness to learn quickly, ask questions, and accept feedback.
• Comfort with common collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Confluence, and SharePoint.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, IT, communications, data science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred qualifications

These qualifications are optional, but please let us know if any apply to you.

• An entry-level certification such as Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) or Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) or plans to earn one within your first 6 months.
• Hands-on time with Jira, Azure DevOps, or a similar work-tracking tool.
• Familiarity with agile methodology.
• Exposure to a software, IT, or product development team, even as an intern.
• Experience leading a group, such as a student club, volunteer project, or team at work.
• Experience running meetings or workshops, in person or online.

What success looks like

By day 90, you will be running a team’s Scrum events on your own, with a mentor on call.

1. First 30 days: Shadow a Scrum Master, receiving coaching, learn the team’s tools and workflow, and take notes in every Scrum event. Complete entry-level Professional Scrum Master certification.
2. Days 31–60: Co-facilitate Daily Scrums and Retrospectives, keep the team board current, and start tracking impediments. If necessary, continue Professional Scrum Master certifications.
3. Days 61–90: Lead all Scrum events, report sprint metrics to stakeholders, and run at least one sprint cycle through to completion.

Growth path: We support certification costs and provide you with dedicated mentors.

What we offer

• Paid Scrum certification (PSM I or CSM) and ongoing training budget per year.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid time off, paid sick leave, plus company holidays.
• 401(k) match.
• Remote work with three (3) in-office events (Alexandria, VA) per year.

NMFTA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate against applicants or employees based on any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. NMFTA is committed to providing an inclusive workplace and reasonable accommodations throughout the hiring process.