6 min read
This post was inspired by a LinkedIn post shared by Dave Westgarth.
In 2025, we formally changed the title of Scrum Master to Agile Delivery Manager (ADM) in our technology division. This renaming wasn’t a rebrand for the sake of optics. It reflected a deeper evolution already happening—one rooted in the expanding scope of delivery leadership, the adoption of Flow Metrics and Value Stream Management, and our real-world shift from strict Scrum toward a more customized Kanban-based model.
It was this year that the name finally clicked. After assigning Value Stream Architect responsibilities to our Scrum Masters and giving them ownership of delivery metrics, team-level delivery health, and collaboration across roles within their Agile team, I realized the title “Scrum Master” no longer fit their role. I even considered Agile Value Stream Manager, but it felt too narrow and platform-specific.
That’s when Agile Delivery Manager stood out—not only as a better label but also as a more accurate reflection of the mindset and mission.
I’m not alone in this. My wife, who is also a Scrum Master, noticed a rise in Agile Delivery Manager roles. These roles are emerging as a natural evolution of the Scrum Master role—broader in scope but still grounded in servant leadership and Agile values. This shift is becoming more common across industries, and I believe it’s here to stay.
Why We Made the Change
This wasn’t an overnight decision—it was the culmination of years observing the gap between traditional agile roles and modern delivery demands. I’ve written extensively about the evolving nature of delivery roles in the modern product and engineering ecosystem. In “Navigating the Digital Product Workflow Metrics Landscape”, I highlighted how organizations that have matured beyond Agile 101 practices shift their attention upstream—toward value creation, flow efficiency, and business impact.
In that article, I shared:
“Organizations that have invested in high automation, eliminated waste, and accelerated CI/CD cycles are now shifting left—seeking broader visibility from idea to operation.”
— Navigating the Digital Product Workflow Metrics Landscape
Similarly, in “Dependencies Are Here to Stay,” I discussed why frameworks couldn’t box delivery leadership in:
“We can’t measure agility in isolation. Dependencies are part of the system, not a failure of it. Leadership roles must evolve to manage flow across those dependencies, not just within a team board.”
This evolution is what our former Scrum Masters were doing. They were coaching teams and guiding delivery conversations, navigating delivery risks, managing stakeholder expectations, and tracking systemic flow. The title needed to grow with the responsibility.
The Agile Role That Connects It All
Agile leadership roles and responsibilities vary across organizations. Some have Scrum Masters or Agile Leaders, while others use titles like Technical Project Manager or Agile Coach. In some cases, responsibilities shift to Engineering or Product Managers, and some companies distribute these duties among team members and eliminate the role entirely. Despite these differences, we believe a dedicated Agile leadership position is valuable. This role plays a key part in improving team performance, delivery efficiency, and optimizing workflows.
The Agile Delivery Manager role is unique in that it is the only role on the team not incentivized by a specific type of work.
- Product Managers focus on growth and prioritize new features.
- Technical Leads concentrate on architecture and managing technical debt.
- Information Security leaders work to reduce security risks.
- QA teams ensure defects are identified and fixed.
The Agile Delivery Manager operates at a higher level, overseeing workflow across the distribution of work types, including features, technical debt, risks, and defects. It fosters continuous team improvement while ensuring that deliveries consistently drive tangible business value.
Inside the Agile Delivery Manager Role
It’s worth clarifying: In our model, Agile Delivery Managers remain focused on their assigned Agile team or teams. While the title may sound broader, the role is not intended to operate across multiple delivery teams or coordinate program-level work. Instead, ADMs guide and improve the delivery flow within their own team context—coaching the team, optimizing its workflow, and partnering with product and engineering to ensure value is delivered efficiently.
Here’s how we now define the Agile Delivery Manager in our updated job description:
“As an Agile Delivery Manager, you’ll lead strategic transformation, champion Flow Metrics and VSM, and shape how teams deliver real business value.”
Key responsibilities include:
- Agile Leadership & Flow-Based Delivery
Coaching teams while enabling clarity, cadence, and sustainability in customized Kanban-style systems. - Team Collaboration & Dependency Management
Collaborating with Product, QA, InfoSec, and Engineering roles within the team to resolve blockers, ensure quality, and maintain delivery flow. - Flow Metrics & Value Stream Optimization
Leading metric reviews using Flow Time, Load, Efficiency, and Distribution to drive better delivery outcomes. - Value Stream Architecture
Acting as system-level delivery architects—not of code, but of how work flows from concept to value. - Strategic Reporting & Outcome Alignment
Building quarterly delivery reports that tie execution to business value, supporting leadership visibility and continuous improvement.
This role no longer fits the narrow scope that Scrum once offered. It combines delivery leadership, agile stewardship, and flow optimization.
What This Means for Scrum Masters
If you’re a Scrum Master wondering what’s next, you’re not alone. You’re likely doing many things this role demands—it’s just time to widen the lens.
As Dave Westgarth shared on LinkedIn:
“You’re using the same core competencies: facilitation, servant leadership, coaching, and team empowerment. They just get applied at different levels and from different perspectives.”
This evolution isn’t about abandoning Agile. It’s about scaling its intent.
Many of our ADM team members still value their strong Scrum foundation. However, they’ve broadened their focus to improve delivery efficiency, enhance team coordination, manage delivery risks, and ensure smooth team workflows across competing work types and stakeholder needs.
If you’re already guiding delivery beyond team ceremonies, influencing system flow, and navigating complexity—this evolution is your next chapter.
Final Thoughts
The shift to Agile Delivery Manager reflects a modern reality: frameworks alone don’t scale agility—people do. The ADM role honors the coaching mindset of the Scrum Master while embracing the delivery complexities of today’s hybrid, platform-heavy, and outcome-driven organizations.
For our division, the name change signaled to our teams and business stakeholders that delivery leadership had evolved. More importantly, it gave our people permission to grow into that evolution.
Poking Holes
I invite your perspective on my posts. What are your thoughts?.
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