Program Manager / Scrum Master

Overview 

Catalyst:Ed is seeking a skilled and experienced Program Manager, Scrum Master to join our growing team. In this role, you will lead Agile practices, drive special projects, and ensure the seamless delivery of technology initiatives. Your work will empower nonprofits and education systems by driving efficiency and alignment across teams, ultimately strengthening organizations that serve communities across the nation. This position reports to the VP of Product and Technology.

Who We Are

Catalyst:Ed is a national nonprofit that improves outcomes for America’s children and youth by strengthening the schools and nonprofits that serve them. We do this by connecting them to the expertise, resources, and hands-on support they need to drive transformational outcomes for students, families, and communities.

We’re on an exciting growth trajectory, building a new technology platform from the ground up, designed to scale from supporting hundreds to thousands of organizations. This platform will empower nonprofits and education agencies by providing the technical capacity they need to become more effective, innovative, and equitable in their work.

Your Role & Responsibilities

As the Program Manager, Scrum Master, your responsibilities will include the following areas:

Agile Facilitation & Delivery (~50%)

• Lead Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and backlog refinement.
• Serve as a servant leader, empowering teams to deliver high-quality solutions in a timely manner.
• Monitor and track project progress, ensuring alignment with timelines, deliverables, and business objectives.
• Identify and mitigate risks and remove impediments to team success.

Program Management (~30%)

• Lead special projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with organizational goals.
• Coordinate across cross-functional teams to align resources, timelines, and deliverables for project success.
• Provide clear documentation and reporting to stakeholders, ensuring transparency throughout project lifecycles.

Continuous Improvement & Best Practices (~20%)

• Drive a culture of continuous improvement by identifying process gaps and implementing Agile best practices.
• Facilitate team retrospectives and lead initiatives to enhance productivity, collaboration, and morale.
• Track key Agile metrics, such as velocity and cycle time, to improve team performance over time.

 Qualifications

Required Skills & Experience

• 3-5 years of relevant experience, with a proven track record of impact
• Proven experience as a Scrum Master or Program Manager leading technical teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong knowledge of Agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban) and software development lifecycle (SDLC).
• Hands-on experience with Confluence and Jira for project management and documentation.
• Experience managing IT resources, processes, services, and business applications.
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and facilitation skills.
• A track record of fostering collaboration and ensuring high-quality project delivery across distributed teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with a proactive and adaptable mindset.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Certification in Scrum (CSM, PSM) or Agile methodologies (SAFe, PMI-ACP).
• Experience managing IT processes and improvements, with familiarity in CI/CD and DevOps practices.
• Experience working on IT services and business applications, including improving existing processes.
• Familiarity with cloud-based software development (e.g., AWS).
• Experience in nonprofits, education, or mission-driven organizations is a plus.

Good to Know

• Compensation: Commensurate with experience. Salary range: $80,000 – $130,000. Benefits include medical and dental insurance coverage, 403(b) with up to 5% match on base salary, and a generous leave policy.
• Preferred Start date: March 2025
• Team: You will work closely with our VP of Product and Technology, a team of engineers, and other cross-functional team members.
• Location: Catalyst:Ed works nationally. We are a remote team with an office in New Orleans. Team members can work from a location of their choosing. 
• Travel Requirements: Occasional travel is required for in-person team meetings. 
• Working Hours: We offer flexible work hours while ensuring effective collaboration across our teams in the USA and India. This role requires some overlap with our India-based team, including occasional early meetings (~7–8 AM Central Time) for in-depth technical discussions. Other collaborations include daily standups, which take place later in the day and can be scheduled flexibly.
• Physical Demands and Working Environment: The bullet points below are representative of the physical demands and working environment that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.Standard/remote office setting; proximity to office equipment that includes electronic devices.
• Multiple people-facing meetings and interactions a day using Zoom or other video call software
• Must remain at a workstation for at least 50% of the time; will need to use equipment that includes electronic devices.

How to apply

If this sounds like the right role and the right mission for you, please complete the application. We will review applications on a rolling basis shortly after they are received. The selection process includes a work exercise, 3-4 virtual interviews of 45-60 minutes each, and reference checks.

Please email hr@catalyst-ed.org with any questions about the role.

Catalyst:Ed is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.