Elijah Fetter

Creative, passionate, and innovative coach, Scrum Master, Delivery Manager, and Engineering Manager with nearly 20 years of software engineering and agile delivery experience. Extensive background in leadership and coaching cross-functional engineering- and non-engineering teams using a variety of agile frameworks. Right to work without sponsorship on a valid 5-year Ancestry Visa.

Senior Delivery Manager - xDesign - Edinburgh

January 2023 - May 2024

Worked end-to-end on a variety of projects in different industries as Delivery Manager, Scrum Master, and Agile Coach, leading and enabling cross-functional teams of 2-10 engineers, QAs, designers, and copywriters, to deliver excellent results using a combination of agile and waterfall strategies for iOS, Android, and Web apps - enabling, removing blockers, and supporting team members’ professional development.

Responsibilities

• Worked directly with clients to identify needs, coaching product owners to build effective value-driven backlogs with User Stories and Epics
• Led workshops and training days to support continuous improvement and psychological safety
• Maintained roadmaps, RAID logs, budgets, and led all Scrum ceremonies
• Drove internal initiatives to enhance department ways of working

• Recognised as the company’s premier agile practitioner
• Executed agile process transformation for Yorkshire Building Society
• Created, and ran, a PSM1 training course (95% exam pass rate)
• Built the company’s agile maturity assessment framework

August 2021 - December 2022

Revitalised a struggling, under-performing SaaS project, providing structural and procedural support for two cross-functional, geographically dispersed teams, enabling both to achieve delivery excellence using Scrum and Kanban as servant leader, engineering manager, and process coach - enabling, removing blockers, and supporting my team members’ professional development.

Responsibilities

• Managed agile transformations for internal projects for the establishment of a new company department
• Maintained roadmaps, RAID logs, budgets, and led all Scrum ceremonies
• Educated the company in Scrum and Kanban best practices, and coached other departments in adopting agile ways of working
• Led workshops and training days to support continuous improvement and psychological safety
• As proxy Product Owner, wrote User Stories and Epics, and assisted in the development of value-driven product backlog and product goals
• Managed software delivery schedules and oversaw releases
• Line managed engineers and participated in staffing decisions

• Improved delivery metrics by 40% within the first 3 months
• Established ways of working to support teams spread across 3 time zones

November 2020 - July 2021

Managed, coached, and provided structure to an under-performing, geographically dispersed teams of Python, iOS and Android engineers at a fast-paced start-up developing an English-language proficiency app using Scrum and Kanban strategies - enabling, reducing distractions, removing blockers, and shielding the teams from uncertainties.

Responsibilities

• Wrote scoping documents, User Stories and Epics, and assisted in the development of value-driven backlogs
• Drove the adoption of Scrum and Kanban best practices
• Maintained roadmaps, RAID logs, and led all Scrum ceremonies
• Superuser for the Atlassian suite
• Led workshops and training days to support continuous improvement and psychological safety

• Reviewed, edited, and delivered new questions for assessments
• Managed the deployment of the speaking proficiency processing model

January 2020 - July 2020

Worked end-to-end on a variety of projects in different industries on the Emerging Accounts team with geographically dispersed squads of DevOps, Android, iOS, and web engineers using blended waterfall and agile strategies.

Responsibilities

• Led all Scrum ceremonies, and facilitated educational workshops
• Assumed many accountabilities as required, including Product Owner, Business Analyst, Scrum Master,
• Worked directly with the customer, writing User Stories and Epics, and assisted in the creation of value-driven backlogs
• Maintained roadmaps, RAID logs, led all Scrum ceremonies
• Provided forecasting estimates for project deadlines, project plans, progress reports, and tracked all project budgeting
• Led on-site client training sessions on Scrum and agile ways of working

• Led the discovery for People’s Postcode Lottery’s new website
• Delivered a mobile banking training app for the Fife Society for the Blind

July 2019 - December 2019

Managed two geographically dispersed teams of React/React Native engineers, QAs, designers, and business analysts as process coach and servant leader using a combination of Scrum and Kanban strategies - enabling, reducing distractions, removing blockers, and improving morale.

Responsibilities

• Maintained roadmaps, RAID logs, led all Scrum ceremonies
• Coached and assisted the business analyst in the mapping and writing of User Stories and Epics, and helped to develop the product backlog
• Negotiated with key stakeholders and subject specialists to clarify product and company vision
• Facilitated educational workshops and team events
• Provided forecasting estimates for project deadlines

• Successfully advocated for, and transitioned one team’s development framework from Scrum to pure Kanban

Software Developer - GBGSoft - Newmarket, Canada - 2006-2013

Advanced Project Manager certificate from Stanford Center for Professional Development at Stanford University in California: This shows I have demonstrable knowledge in how to run complex projects and programmes, as well as run effective teams and lead from the middle.

Professional Scrum Master II (PSM2) with Scrum.org: This shows that I have an advanced understanding of agile principles and the application of the Scrum framework in real-world scenarios.