Agile Coach

Sanlam -
Bellville, Western Cape

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Job Details

Permanent

Full Job Description

Who are we?

Sanlam Life and Savings (SLS) is focused on serving our retail and corporate clients in South Africa and further developing our strategic advantages in the South African market. Sanlam Life and Savings consists of the following business units Retail Mass, Corporate, Risk and Savings, Glacier and various business enabling functions. The Sanlam Life and Savings Office provides strategic direction, coordination and support to the four clusters, as well as performing governance oversight that includes assurance provided by second line of defense functions in SLS, to enable us to meet our business objectives.

What will you do?

Job Purpose:

The Agile Coach is responsible for building, enabling, and scaling organisational agility across Sanlam Life and Savings (SLS) by strengthening the enterprise delivery system.

Operating as part of the Lean Agile Centre of Excellence (LACE) within the Office of the CTO, the role partners with teams, leaders, and value streams to embed Agile, product, and flow-based ways of working that improve delivery effectiveness, predictability, and value outcomes.

The Agile Coach operates beyond individual teams to:

Shape and embed enterprise guardrails, patterns, and standards
Drive system-level improvements across Technology and Business
Enable the shift from project-based to product- and value-oriented delivery

The role acts as a change agent and system enabler, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, evidence-based decision-making, and sustainable organisational capability uplift

Role Requirements:

Output/Core Tasks:

Capability Development & Guardrails

Define, evolve, and maintain enterprise Agile guardrails (e.g., team design, product ownership, ways of working)
Develop reusable patterns and playbooks (e.g., lean portfolio practices, value stream alignment)
Ensure guardrails are practical, adaptable, and outcome-focused, avoiding compliance-heavy implementation

Implementation & Enablement

Support pilots and targeted interventions to embed new ways of working
Enable teams and leaders to adopt and adapt Agile and product practices effectively
Translate strategic intent into practical delivery improvements

Coaching Across Levels

Coach delivery teams on Agile practices, flow optimisation, and continuous improvement
Coach leaders and stakeholders on:
o Product thinking
o Outcome-based decision-making
o Operating model evolution
Enable behavioural and mindset shifts required for organisational agility

Flow & Delivery Improvement

Diagnose and address systemic constraints (e.g., dependencies, WIP overload, slow decision cycles)
Improve flow metrics, including:
o Cycle time
o Throughput
o Predictability
Promote visibility of work and data-driven decision-making

Enterprise Alignment & Operating Model Evolution

Align delivery practices with portfolio and value stream priorities
Support the transition to product-aligned, long-lived teams
Influence organisational design and interaction models across Business and Technology

Continuous Improvement & Experimentation

Embed Lean Startup and Build–Measure–Learn practices
Facilitate retrospectives and improvement loops at team, programme, and enterprise levels
Promote a culture of experimentation, learning, and evidence-based improvement

Community & Capability Growth

Build and enable Communities of Practice across Agile, Product, and Delivery disciplines
Support training, onboarding, and capability development journeys
Contribute to internal knowledge sharing and organisational learning

Delivery Support (Where Required)

Provide coaching support to in-flight initiatives and strategic programmes
Improve delivery execution without becoming embedded as a delivery resource
Ensure Agile practices drive meaningful outcomes, not mechanical compliance

What will make you successful in this role?

Experience

Essential

3–5+ years’ experience in Agile Coaching, delivery transformation, or similar roles
Proven experience working in large, complex organisations
Demonstrated ability to scale Agile practices beyond individual teams
Experience coaching across multiple levels, including:
o Delivery teams
o Senior stakeholders and leadership
Strong experience in:
o Agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, Lean, Disciplined Agile)
o Flow-based delivery and continuous improvement practices
Track record of improving delivery outcomes (flow, predictability, quality)

Advantageous

Experience in enterprise Agile transformations
Exposure to product management and product operating models
Experience influencing or supporting operating model design
Familiarity with:
o Value stream mapping
o Flow metrics and analytics
o Portfolio and funding models in Agile environments
Experience in financial services or regulated environments
Exposure to DevOps and continuous delivery practices

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)

Preferred Certifications:

Agile certifications (e.g., Certified Scrum Professional, PSM/CSM, Disciplined Agile)
Coaching or facilitation certifications (advantageous)
Scaled Agile or Lean certifications (advantageous)

Competencies

Technical & Professional Competencies

Strong knowledge of:
o Agile, Lean, and product delivery principles
o Flow-based delivery and value stream thinking
o Organisational design (e.g., Team Topologies)
Skilled in:
o Coaching (team, leadership, system-level)
o Facilitation (workshops, retrospectives, alignment sessions)
o Diagnosing delivery system issues using data and observation
Ability to translate complex concepts into actionable practices
Strong capability in data-driven decision-making and flow metrics

Behavioural Competencies

Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing without authority
Excellent communication and facilitation skills
Systems thinking and problem-solving ability
High adaptability and comfort with ambiguity
Ability to challenge constructively and drive behavioural change

Leadership & Impact Competencies

Strategic thinking with a strong execution focus
Ability to operate across team, programme, and enterprise levels
Outcome-oriented mindset (value over activity)
Strong collaboration and relationship-building capability
Commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, and learning

Attributes

Curious and learning-oriented
Pragmatic and outcome-driven
Resilient in complex organisational environments
Influential without relying on positional authority
Passionate about customer value and team effectiveness

Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies

Cultivates innovation - Contributing through others

Customer focus - Contributing through others

Drives results - Contributing through others

Collaborates - Contributing through others

Being resilient - Contributing through others

Turnaround time

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers.

Closing Date: 2 June 2026

Our commitment to transformation

The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensuring a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa. The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.

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