Delivery Lead

Senior Software Delivery LeadContract - initial 6 months (extendable)Markham, ON 4 days per week in-officeOur client is seeking a seasoned and self-driven Senior Software Delivery Lead to oversee the full lifecycle of complex web-based initiatives. This role demands a strategic leader who can operate as a senior Scrum Master, independently guiding Agile processes, managing team capacity, and ensuring the successful delivery of high-quality software from inception to deployment.The ideal candidate brings a strong foundation in Servant Leadership, deep expertise in modern web technologies, and a proven ability to lead multiple cross-functional teams (10–20 members) concurrently.Key Responsibilities1. Delivery Ownership & Agile Process LeadershipAgile Execution: Independently lead the implementation of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, or Hybrid), facilitating all core ceremonies including sprint planning, reviews, retrospectives, and daily stand-ups.Capacity Planning: Evaluate and forecast team capacity across multiple workstreams, ensuring optimal resource allocation for developers, QA engineers, and designers.Process Improvement: Continuously refine delivery workflows by identifying and eliminating organizational and technical bottlenecks to enhance throughput and reduce cycle times.Tool Expertise: Act as the team’s authority on work management tools, particularly Azure DevOps (ADO), ensuring it serves as the central hub for backlog management, tracking, and reporting.2. Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic CommunicationExecutive Reporting: Deliver clear, high-impact status updates and forecasts to senior stakeholders, translating technical details into business-relevant insights and risks.Expectation Management: Influence strategic decisions around scope and timelines, proactively communicating risks and mitigation strategies to executive leadership.Work Intake & Prioritization: Own the intake process, transforming business goals into prioritized, actionable features and user stories within ADO.Dependency Resolution: Identify and manage cross-team dependencies, both internal and external, that could affect delivery timelines.3. Team Leadership & CoachingMentorship: Guide team members—especially junior developers and product stakeholders—on Agile best practices, story writing, and estimation techniques.Quality Assurance Collaboration: Partner with QA leads to define and implement robust testing strategies (manual and automated) to uphold code quality.Team Culture: Foster a psychologically safe, transparent, and accountable team environment that encourages motivation and alignment toward shared goals.Required QualificationsExperience: Minimum 10 years of hands-on experience leading software delivery projects.Leadership: At least 4 years in a senior delivery role (Scrum Master, Team Lead, or Delivery Manager) with a strong emphasis on Servant Leadership.Executive Communication: Demonstrated success in managing risks and expectations at the executive level.Technical Acumen: Solid understanding of web technologies, modern application architecture (e.g., microservices, APIs), and CI/CD pipelines.Certifications: Agile certifications such as CSM, PSM II, or equivalent are preferred.Tool Proficiency: Advanced expertise in Azure DevOps for backlog management and reporting.Tech Stack Familiarity: Experience leading teams working with full-stack JavaScript technologies including Node.js and Next.js.Vendor Management: Proven ability to manage delivery efforts involving external vendor partners.