What are the different roles in an agile team?

The Agile methodology is an alternative to traditional project management. Following this method, teams break down projects into short segments, or sprints, that they can work on at pace. When done well, this approach fosters adaptability and flexibility.  To know how to apply this method with your team, let’s explore the Agile team roles.

This article seeks to clarify what Agile team roles are needed and why, the responsibilities of those key Agile roles, and how to incorporate these roles into your organization.

How Agile teams work

An Agile team is made up of individuals from across different functions, brought together to work collaboratively. The idea of such teams is that they can work faster and be more adaptable than traditional project groups. Agile teams are designed to work iteratively, completing one part of the project at a time, which increases productivity and reduces risk.

For this to work, Agile teams need to operate around the principles of self-organization, meaning individuals on the team have to take on key responsibilities

Agile team roles

In each Agile team, there are several important Agile team roles. How many you use in your organization will vary according to the size of your team and the complexity of your project. However, at a minimum, you need two team roles.

Here is a full list of the Agile team roles:

1. Product owner

Product owners manage the product roadmap and prioritize the backlog. They also define the product vision and manage stakeholders. They have the authority to make key decisions and in particular, are responsible for making sure the team is working on the right items. It is helpful for the product owner to be able to communicate effectively with stakeholders. 

The Product owner should be able to understand what customers want and make adjustments accordingly. They can liaise between engineering and business teams, and they can offer insights to marketing and sales teams about the product if needed. 

2. Developer

An Agile team consists of more than one developer, but these are the next essential role after the product owner. Developers will build your product, and they are responsible for programming, testing, and debugging the product. 

3. Scrum master

Scrum master facilitate scrums – the Agile framework that focuses on time-boxed iterations called sprints. Scrum masters act as coaches to the rest of the team.

They facilitate daily stand-up meetings and oversee sprint planning meetings where they help to keep the team focused and prevent scope creep. They manage sprint reviews and gather feedback, and they also remove roadblocks that could hamper the team’s productivity. 

4. Team leader

Where the scrum master is a role specific to scrum, the team leader is a role in an Agile team using Kanban methodology. 

Team leaders are there to ensure that the team is following the Agile process, while also facilitating effective communication within the team. 

Looking for a tool to implement your project? Check out the best Kanban tools list.

5. Stakeholders

As the name suggests, stakeholders are anyone internal or external to an organization who has an interest in the project being worked on. Internal stakeholders work for the organization developing the product and can include employees and managers – all the same up to senior leaders. External stakeholders tend to include customers, suppliers, partners, and investors. 

Stakeholders count as part of the broader Agile team because they provide input on how the product should develop. They can also help to decide how to deal with any issues that arise during development.

6. Integrator

Integrators are responsible for larger projects with multiple separate teams and sections, and therefore for integrating these different aspects into a cohesive whole. This Agile team role is usually only needed in larger teams developing complex systems, or where multiple teams are working together on a larger project. 

7. Independent testers and auditors

This is another Agile team role that is largely optional and usually only needed on complex projects. Independent testers and auditors are there to catch any mistakes the Agile team has made before delivering the project to a client, much as an editor at a magazine checks articles before sending them to be published. 

When integrators and independent testers are both involved in complex projects, they collaborate closely on testing. This helps to function as a kind of quality assurance to prevent mistakes and errors from slipping through and reaching the client or customer.

8. Technical and domain experts

These are often brought into a team on an ad-hoc basis to help overcome specific challenges. They advise on technical decisions to ensure a project is technically coherent and meets the appropriate standards.

They will manage the technical aspects of a solution and approve it before deployment. They are also likely to have the final say on any differences between members of the Agile team when it comes to technology.

9. Architects

Architects may be needed to ensure a solution works within the context of an enterprise structure. They do not set the architectural direction of a project, but they facilitate architectural decision-making and planning. There can be multiple architects in a single sub-team, depending on the complexity of the project. 

 

Agile team roles	Responsibilities
Product owner	Manage product roadmap and prioritize the backlog.
Developer	Works on prioritized work by the product owner in the sprint​.
Stakeholder	Identify customer needs and feedback to the product owner during the course of the project.
Scrum master	Remove obstacles to team progress, including scope creep, and support team.
Team leader	Remove obstacles to team progress.
Tester	Work with product owners to define acceptance criteria and check for mistakes before sending the product to the client.
Architect	Maintain the agreed-upon structure of the product and ensure that it meets the requirements​​.
Technical and domain expert	Advise on technical and technological decisions in line with the agreed project scope.
Dev Ops	Work on version control, testing, security, integration, and deployment.
UX designer	Work with the product owner to come up with designs for the product.

Reference:

https://teamhood.com/agile-resources/agile-team-roles/