Release Train Engineer (RTE)

Pipeline requisition for a federal-contract role supporting the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) in modernizing enterprise case-management systems.

About the role

The Release Train Engineer (RTE) serves as the Chief Scrum Master for the Agile Release Train (ART) within the Case Management Modernization (CMM) Program. This position facilitates the flow of value across multiple Scrum teams developing, integrating, and deploying modern cloud-based solutions using Agile and SAFe delivery practices. The RTE ensures synchronization of development and testing activities, fosters continuous improvement, and maintains transparency in a federal contracting environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as servant leader and facilitator for the ART, ensuring alignment with the CMM Dev modernization roadmap.
• Plan, organize, and facilitate Program Increment (PI) Planning, System Demos, Inspect & Adapt workshops, and Scrum of Scrums to synchronize delivery across multiple Agile teams.
• Support Agile and SAFe adoption through coaching, mentoring, and process standardization across architecture, development, testing, and operations functions.
• Proactively identify and manage program-level risks, dependencies, and impediments; escalate to stakeholders as needed.
• Ensure cross-team coordination and visibility of sprint objectives, deliverables, and milestones across ARTs supporting CMM modernization.
• Maintain and communicate ART metrics (velocity, feature completion rate, defect trends, predictability, and PI objectives) to program leadership.
• Collaborate with Product Managers, System Architects, and Scrum Masters to ensure cohesive execution of the program vision and roadmap.
• Drive continuous delivery pipeline improvement through automation, CI/CD optimization, and DevSecOps culture alignment.
• Ensure compliance with federal Agile delivery standards, documentation requirements, and performance metrics as defined in the SOW.
• Promote a culture of transparency, accountability, and servant leadership, ensuring ARTs deliver measurable business value each PI.

Deliverables

• Program Increment (PI) Planning Artifacts: roadmaps, PI objectives, dependency maps, and iteration schedules.
• ART and Sprint Metrics Reports: burndown charts, velocity trends, feature progress dashboards, and risk registers.
• Retrospective and Continuous Improvement Reports: actionable items and improvement roadmaps aligned to CMM performance objectives.
• Cross-Team Coordination Deliverables: consolidated status reports, integration plans, and release readiness checklists.
• Governance Documentation: SAFe process adherence records, risk logs, and compliance matrices for Agile governance audits.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Agile software delivery environments, with 8+ years as a Release Train Engineer or Senior Agile Program Manager supporting large-scale, multi-team programs.
• Deep knowledge of SAFe principles, Lean-Agile leadership, and value stream optimization.
• Experience orchestrating 6–12+ concurrent Scrum teams delivering under a single ART.
• Proven success implementing Agile at scale in federal contracting or enterprise modernization programs.
• Expertise in Agile lifecycle tools (Jira, Rally, Azure DevOps, VersionOne) for planning, tracking, and metrics reporting.
• Strong understanding of DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and Agile release management.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills with the ability to influence without authority.
• Experience with incremental delivery planning, metrics-driven execution, and continuous improvement.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related discipline (Master’s preferred).
• Experience with federal Agile transformation efforts, including SAFe implementation within secure environments.
• Familiarity with cloud-based development (AWS/Azure) and modern full-stack ecosystems (React, NodeJS).
• Understanding of FinOps, cloud cost optimization, and governance frameworks in Agile delivery.
• Hands-on experience with Agile coaching, Kanban systems, and flow metrics analysis.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of general experience in information systems.
• 8+ years of specialized experience.
• Minimum education: MA/MS. Experience may be considered in lieu of degree as follows: HS (16+ years), AA/AS (14+ years), BA/BS (12+ years), Doctorate Degree/Ph.D. (9+ years).

Skills

• Agile Delivery, Collaboration, Scrum.
• Excellent presentation and communication (oral and written) skills.
• Consultant mindset with the ability to work with high-level customer stakeholders and build strong customer relationships.
• Experience identifying and applying industry tools, solutions, methods best practices, and emerging technologies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to formulate and communicate recommendations for improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively, independently, and as part of a team.

Certifications

• SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE) — required.
• SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) — highly preferred.
• PMP, PMI-ACP, or Agile Certified Practitioner — preferred.
• ITIL 4 Foundation — beneficial for integration with IT service management.

Tools & Technologies

• Jira Align, Azure DevOps, Rally, Confluence, Miro, Lucidchart.
• CI/CD orchestration: Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions.
• Metrics dashboards: Power BI, Tableau, or Jira dashboards.
• Documentation and collaboration: SharePoint, MS Teams, ServiceNow Agile.

Performance Outcomes

• >95% PI Objective Achievement Rate across ARTs.
• 100% on-time completion of PI Planning and System Demos.
• Improved velocity predictability (variance ≤10% over three consecutive PIs).
• Reduction of cross-team impediments by 25%+ through improved dependency tracking.
• Sustained program transparency and stakeholder confidence through measurable ART metrics and governance reporting.

Pay

The likely salary range for this position is $147,292 – $199,278. Salary will be set based on experience, geographic location, and possibly contractual requirements.

Schedule

• Scheduled weekly hours: 40.
• Telecommuting options: Remote.
• Work location: Any Location / Remote.

Benefits

• Medical plan options, some with Health Savings Accounts.
• Dental and vision plan options.
• 401(k) plan with pre- and post-tax contribution options and company match.
• Paid time off: 15 days vacation, sick, and personal time per calendar year (prorated based on hire date), plus 10 paid holidays.
• Paid Family Leave: up to 160 hours of paid leave in a rolling 12-month period for eligible employees.
• Short- and long-term disability benefits, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, personal accident, critical illness, and business travel and accident insurance.