Title: Scrum Master
Location: Hybrid 3 days every other week (6 days a month) onsite in Bolingbrook, IL
Duration : 12 months to start
Job Overview:
They are looking to schedule interviews for next week.
For UBM their Scrum for the AdProduct and AdTech pods is moving to a PO role. Therefore, we need to fill the Scrum role.
Client Sizzle (Why might someone want to work here?)
We re engineering for the future of retail, and it s no-holds-barred. But for those motivated by continual change and ambiguity, by superior leadership, by smart colleagues who will press you daily for your very best, you ll find that virtually nothing s impossible at Ulta Beauty.
DISCUSSION Questions:
- Tell me about how you plan for multiple sprints in advance. How far out do you typically plan, and what does that process look like?
Optional follow-ups:
- How do you adjust plans if priorities change mid-PI?
- What s your process for ensuring sprint goals stay aligned with business goals?
What to listen for:
- Strategic planning over 2 3 sprints or a full Program Increment (PI)
- Use of historical velocity to estimate team capacity
- Flexibility to adapt based on team priorities or business shifts
- Collaboration with Product Owners for roadmap alignment
Keywords/Buzzwords:
Sprint planning, backlog refinement, velocity, roadmap alignment, PI Planning, SAFe
- How do you handle dependencies between teams or across projects?
Follow-up questions:
- Can you give an example of a time when a dependency caused a delay? How did you handle it?
- How do you ensure alignment between teams?
What to listen for:
- Proactive dependency identification and resolution
- Use of tools (e.g., JIRA, JIRA Align) for visibility
- Stakeholder communication and risk mitigation
- Collaborative mindset and structured problem-solving
Keywords to listen for: Dependency Management, JIRA, JIRA Align, Risk Mitigation, Cross-functional Teams
- Tell me about a time you led a team through a tight deadline or a delivery crunch. How did you ensure success?
Follow-up questions:
- What was your role in keeping the team focused?
- How did you balance speed and quality?
What to listen for:
- Leadership under pressure
- Concrete steps taken to maintain morale, focus, and communication
- Practical trade-offs made to hit MVPs or key dates
- Focus on outcomes and accountability, not just ceremony
Keywords to listen for: MVP Delivery, Agile Execution, Timeboxing, Prioritization, Iterative Delivery
Qual Call Notes
- Senior level hire (ideally 7-10+ years of experience)
- Strong abilities in planning sprints for development teams. Knows how to prioritize with an emphasis on delivery.
- Should be comfortable with SAFe but flexible based on team priorities and needs
- Understands dependency management across multiple projects
- Should be self-sufficient, knows how to lead teams, know how to transform, how to plan sprints
- Familiarity with JIRA, at least basics. More advanced is very nice to have. Any experience with JIRA Align is a huge plus.
- Someone who is able to be hands on with the development team from a planning and prioritization standpoint (not hands on from a development standpoint)
- Quite a bit of dependency management across different projects, so communication and an ability to understand the broader context / ripple effects is key
- Are they able to do quarterly planning?
- To navigate Ulta landscape, candidates out of similar scale or larger corporations will be most successful. Candidates out of a start up may struggle.
We are looking for:
Senior-level Scrum Master (7 10+ years) who is delivery-focused, confident leading planning sessions, and comfortable with multiple project dependencies. This person needs to operate in a flexible SAFe environment, use JIRA effectively (JIRA Align is a plus), and bring experience from larger corporate settings. Strong communication, a results-driven mindset, and the ability to manage cross-functional complexity are musts. Local candidates preferred.
Profile:
- 7 10+ years as a Scrum Master in large enterprise settings
- Local to Illinois strong preference
- Proven experience leading teams to delivery, not just facilitating ceremonies
- Strong skills in sprint planning, backlog management, and cross-team coordination
- Experienced with JIRA. Experience with JIRA Align is a huge plus
- Ability to communicate clearly and directly must answer questions with precision
- Comfortable navigating matrixed environments and aligning with business priorities
- Experience in retail, eCommerce, or similarly scaled orgs is a plus but not required
Not a Fit If:
- More theory than execution
- Can t clearly explain your process for sprint planning, delivery, and managing dependencies
- Experience is primarily in startup environments or isolated teams
- Lack hands-on experience with JIRA
Prep Notes / How Kyle (hiring manager) assesses candidates:
- Direct, pointed questions around planning and delivery. Expects direct and succinct communication in return:
- Wants to gauge how they manage various aspects of their role: How do you plan, how do you story point, how do you do ideal development days, how to plan at least 3 sprints, how do you deliver an MVP, how do you plan an MVP?
- Looks for delivery and results oriented Scrum Masters (as opposed to philosophical answers around methodology). Champion the team, sure, but needs to really emphasize delivery. Purists vs. more hands on?
- Looks for Scrum Masters who are proactive and direct. Drive delivery, drive ROI
Title: Scrum Master
Location: Hybrid 3 days every other week (6 days a month) onsite in Bolingbrook, IL
Duration : 12 months to start
Job Overview:
They are looking to schedule interviews for next week.
For UBM their Scrum for the AdProduct and AdTech pods is moving to a PO role. Therefore, we need to fill the Scrum role.
Client Sizzle (Why might someone want to work here?)
We re engineering for the future of retail, and it s no-holds-barred. But for those motivated by continual change and ambiguity, by superior leadership, by smart colleagues who will press you daily for your very best, you ll find that virtually nothing s impossible at Ulta Beauty.
DISCUSSION Questions:
- Tell me about how you plan for multiple sprints in advance. How far out do you typically plan, and what does that process look like?
Optional follow-ups:
- How do you adjust plans if priorities change mid-PI?
- What s your process for ensuring sprint goals stay aligned with business goals?
What to listen for:
- Strategic planning over 2 3 sprints or a full Program Increment (PI)
- Use of historical velocity to estimate team capacity
- Flexibility to adapt based on team priorities or business shifts
- Collaboration with Product Owners for roadmap alignment
Keywords/Buzzwords:
Sprint planning, backlog refinement, velocity, roadmap alignment, PI Planning, SAFe
- How do you handle dependencies between teams or across projects?
Follow-up questions:
- Can you give an example of a time when a dependency caused a delay? How did you handle it?
- How do you ensure alignment between teams?
What to listen for:
- Proactive dependency identification and resolution
- Use of tools (e.g., JIRA, JIRA Align) for visibility
- Stakeholder communication and risk mitigation
- Collaborative mindset and structured problem-solving
Keywords to listen for: Dependency Management, JIRA, JIRA Align, Risk Mitigation, Cross-functional Teams
- Tell me about a time you led a team through a tight deadline or a delivery crunch. How did you ensure success?
Follow-up questions:
- What was your role in keeping the team focused?
- How did you balance speed and quality?
What to listen for:
- Leadership under pressure
- Concrete steps taken to maintain morale, focus, and communication
- Practical trade-offs made to hit MVPs or key dates
- Focus on outcomes and accountability, not just ceremony
Keywords to listen for: MVP Delivery, Agile Execution, Timeboxing, Prioritization, Iterative Delivery
Qual Call Notes
- Senior level hire (ideally 7-10+ years of experience)
- Strong abilities in planning sprints for development teams. Knows how to prioritize with an emphasis on delivery.
- Should be comfortable with SAFe but flexible based on team priorities and needs
- Understands dependency management across multiple projects
- Should be self-sufficient, knows how to lead teams, know how to transform, how to plan sprints
- Familiarity with JIRA, at least basics. More advanced is very nice to have. Any experience with JIRA Align is a huge plus.
- Someone who is able to be hands on with the development team from a planning and prioritization standpoint (not hands on from a development standpoint)
- Quite a bit of dependency management across different projects, so communication and an ability to understand the broader context / ripple effects is key
- Are they able to do quarterly planning?
- To navigate Ulta landscape, candidates out of similar scale or larger corporations will be most successful. Candidates out of a start up may struggle.
We are looking for:
Senior-level Scrum Master (7 10+ years) who is delivery-focused, confident leading planning sessions, and comfortable with multiple project dependencies. This person needs to operate in a flexible SAFe environment, use JIRA effectively (JIRA Align is a plus), and bring experience from larger corporate settings. Strong communication, a results-driven mindset, and the ability to manage cross-functional complexity are musts. Local candidates preferred.
Profile:
- 7 10+ years as a Scrum Master in large enterprise settings
- Local to Illinois strong preference
- Proven experience leading teams to delivery, not just facilitating ceremonies
- Strong skills in sprint planning, backlog management, and cross-team coordination
- Experienced with JIRA. Experience with JIRA Align is a huge plus
- Ability to communicate clearly and directly must answer questions with precision
- Comfortable navigating matrixed environments and aligning with business priorities
- Experience in retail, eCommerce, or similarly scaled orgs is a plus but not required
Not a Fit If:
- More theory than execution
- Can t clearly explain your process for sprint planning, delivery, and managing dependencies
- Experience is primarily in startup environments or isolated teams
- Lack hands-on experience with JIRA
Prep Notes / How Kyle (hiring manager) assesses candidates:
- Direct, pointed questions around planning and delivery. Expects direct and succinct communication in return:
- Wants to gauge how they manage various aspects of their role: How do you plan, how do you story point, how do you do ideal development days, how to plan at least 3 sprints, how do you deliver an MVP, how do you plan an MVP?
- Looks for delivery and results oriented Scrum Masters (as opposed to philosophical answers around methodology). Champion the team, sure, but needs to really emphasize delivery. Purists vs. more hands on?
- Looks for Scrum Masters who are proactive and direct. Drive delivery, drive ROI