Head of Scrum Master

Location: Cambourne & Lutterworth (Hybrid - 3 days onsite, 2 days remote)
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Monday-Friday, 37 hours per week
Travel: UK & occasional international travel required

About the Role

Carl Zeiss Microscopy Ltd, a global leader in cutting‑edge technology, is looking to appoint an experienced and inspirational Head of Scrum Master. This is a senior leadership role, offering the opportunity to shape and drive agile transformation across a highly innovative R&D environment within Electron Microscopy.

Reporting into senior leadership and operating as part of the wider Electron Microscopy R&D Management Team, you will lead, develop, and empower a team of Scrum Masters while driving consistency, maturity, and excellence in agile delivery across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Management

Provide line management for the Scrum Master team within Carl Zeiss Microscopy Ltd, with dotted‑line responsibility across related global entities.
Lead by example, coaching and developing high‑performing Scrum Masters to deliver against ambitious technology and product roadmaps.
Partner closely with senior stakeholders to align agile practices with organisational strategy and objectives.
Set clear objectives, monitor performance through defined KPIs and OPIs, and ensure accountability across the team.
Recruit, develop, and retain a high‑performing Scrum Master function through coaching, mentoring, and training.
Foster a collaborative culture, proactively resolving conflicts and breaking down silos.
Conduct annual appraisals, set development objectives, and manage departmental budgets in line with company policy.
Act as deputy for the Head of Development when required.

Agile Transformation & Delivery

Champion Agile and Scrum practices across the organisation, embedding a consistent and effective approach to delivery.
Design and deliver training sessions and workshops for teams and stakeholders.
Establish, monitor, and continuously improve agile standards and frameworks across multiple teams.
Track and report on agile maturity, delivery effectiveness, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Facilitate organisational‑level retrospectives and implement data‑driven improvements.
Support scaled agile delivery where applicable (e.g. SAFe, LeSS).
Drive cross‑team coordination to ensure alignment on shared goals and dependencies.
Lead and support cultural change associated with agile transformation programmes, including major change initiatives such as the CTE programme.

Operational Planning & Development

Plan and coordinate team activities to deliver objectives within agreed timescales, budgets, and resource constraints.
Support Scrum Masters in deepening domain, technical, and methodological knowledge.
Mentor apprentices and students within the Scrum Master team.

Quality, Safety & Compliance

Ensure compliance with company procedures, quality standards (ISO 9001 & 14001), and regulatory requirements.
Implement and track actions arising from internal quality audits.
Stay informed of regulatory developments impacting the business.

Skills, Experience & Competencies

Essential

Proven experience leading and managing Scrum Masters in a complex, multi‑team environment.
Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at senior levels.
Demonstrated success driving agile transformation and continuous improvement.
Excellent coaching, mentoring, and people‑development capability.
Scrum Master certification(s).Desirable

A passionate, creative leader who thinks outside the box.
Willingness to challenge the status quo and design new processes to support business growth.
Experience working in highly technical or R&D‑driven environments.

What's on Offer

Competitive total reward package, including performance‑related bonus.
Hybrid working model with flexibility.
Opportunity to play a key leadership role within a globally recognised organisation.
Clear performance objectives, annual reviews, and ongoing development through regular one‑to‑one engagement.
The chance to influence large‑scale agile transformation in a highly innovative setting.

Interested candidates please apply today