Available to hire
Hi, I’m Pooja Panjala — Project Manager/Scrum Master and former Software Engineer with 15+ years of SDLC experience. I guide high-velocity software development teams by blending hands-on development roots with servant leadership to improve sprint predictability and reduce cycle times in complex financial environments.
I collaborate with product, stakeholders, and engineering to break down complex requirements into sprint-ready stories, manage dependencies across projects, and drive data-driven improvements. I also leverage AI tooling to accelerate backlog refinement and translate technical updates into clear, business-friendly status reports for leadership.
Language
English
Fluent
Work Experience
Project Manager/Scrum Master at Fidelity Investments
February 1, 2022 - PresentLed cross-team dependency management during PI Planning, increasing predictable delivery by 20%. Partnered with Product Owner to plan sprint backlog based on velocity. Established working agreements to enhance organization and productivity. Maintained stakeholder transparency with regular progress updates and risk escalation. Reduced average cycle time by 15% in 6 months through blockers mitigation. Facilitated Scrum ceremonies and coached teams on agile principles. Coordinated Scrum of Scrums to manage multi-team dependencies. Managed backlogs through Jira; tracked progress with burn-down charts and velocity. Conducted themed retrospectives and sprint reviews; used metrics to drive improvements. Led two Scrum teams concurrently with MS Copilot-assisted backlog refinement. Generated release notes and translated technical updates into business-friendly status reports.
Project Manager/Scrum Master at Satin Solutions
February 1, 2022 - PresentLed two Scrum teams; managed cross-team dependencies during PI Planning; partnered with Product Owner to plan and prioritize sprint backlogs based on velocity; established working agreements; provided consistent progress updates and risk escalation; facilitated Scrum ceremonies; coached teams on agile principles; conducted Scrum of Scrums and produced data-driven insights to improve predictability and reduce cycle times.
Scrum Master/ Production Support Lead at MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc
May 1, 2021 - February 28, 2022Coordinated Scrum ceremonies, coached teams in agile principles, and participated in Scrum of Scrums to communicate dependencies. Created product backlogs and epics broken into stories; tracked progress with burn-down charts and velocity. Allocated work to offshore resources; resolved impediments; shielded teams from production issues. Implemented deployment guidelines to minimize downtime; mentored junior developers; involved in production deployments and quick rollbacks; performed change management to review technical dependencies.
Scrum Master/ Production Support Lead at Satin Solutions
May 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022Coached agile teams for self-organization; participated in Scrum of Scrums; managed product backlogs, broke down epics into stories, tracked velocity and burn-downs; allocated offshore work; shielded teams from distractions and managed deployments; mentored junior developers; coordinated with stakeholders to deliver updates.
Software Engineer at Lincoln Financial Group
April 1, 2020 - April 30, 2021Worked on large XML processing tasks, memory management for 2GB files, built RESTful Web API services, and data processing with SQL Server. Wrote stored procedures and tested APIs with Postman and SoapUI. Implemented structured error handling and logging, documented technical specs, and demonstrated both business and technical aspects to stakeholders.
Software Engineer at Satin Solutions
April 1, 2020 - April 1, 2021Developed and tested software solutions for Lincoln Financial Group; collaborated with users and other teams; built RESTful services using ASP.NET Web API; manipulated XML and large data sets; wrote stored procedures; implemented error handling and logging.
Software Engineer at Court Support Services Division
January 1, 2018 - March 31, 2020Developed .NET/VB.NET applications; built WCF Web Services; applied MVVM/MVP patterns; utilized SQL Server. Contributed to production deployments, coordinated with onshore/offshore teams, and mentored junior developers. Managed version control with TFS and facilitated delivery through SCRUM processes.
Software Engineer at Satin Solutions
January 1, 2018 - March 1, 2020Contributed to Court Support Services Division project; built .NET applications; implemented WCF Web Services; authored technical specs; performed production deployments and troubleshooting; mentored junior developers.
Software Engineer at Nutrisystem
March 1, 2017 - December 31, 2017Migrated Call Center Application from Silverlight to MVC 5; created MongoDB documents; built reusable Partial Views; managed sessions and used Razor for UI. Contributed to rapid development cycles, identified and fixed defects, and supported the application lifecycle.
Software Engineer at Satin Solutions
March 1, 2017 - December 1, 2017Worked on Nutrisystem Call Center migration to MVC; developed and maintained the application; created Mongo DB docs; collaborated with analysts; delivered features on a rapid, agile schedule.
Software Engineer at RR Donnelley
June 1, 2013 - February 28, 2017Developed .NET and MVVM-based applications with a focus on Web (ASPX/Silverlight) using MVVM and Telerik controls. Coordinated onsite and offshore work, used TFS for version control, debugged production issues, and ensured timely delivery while adhering to project standards.
Software Engineer at Satin Solutions
June 1, 2013 - February 1, 2017Engaged with RR Donnelley as client; developed .NET-based solutions; coordinated offshore teams; debugged production issues; contributed to MVVM-based architectures; used Silverlight; participated in client calls and requirement reviews.
.Net Developer at BlueCross BlueShield Tennessee
September 1, 2012 - May 31, 2013Developed Windows applications using WPF, applied MVVM patterns, and worked with HL7 data in an enterprise setting. Contributed to agile SCRUM processes and produced maintainable, testable code for SQL Server-backed systems.
Software Engineer at Satin Solutions
September 1, 2012 - May 1, 2013Developed WPF/.NET applications for BlueCross BlueShield Tennessee; implemented MVVM patterns; designed data access via SQL Server; contributed to front-end and back-end integration.
Web Developer at Studio Center Total Production
August 1, 2011 - August 1, 2012Integrated ecommerce and CMS websites; built web-based applications; developed front-end components and maintained web portals; contributed to SDLC and team collaboration.
Intern at Studio Center Total Production
June 1, 2011 - August 1, 2011Gained exposure to graphic design, front-end development, PSD-to-HTML conversions; supported web production and learned core SDLC practices.
Research Assistant and Tutor at Old Dominion University
January 1, 2009 - May 1, 2011Assisted research projects; tutored students; built web pages using JSP and C#; managed departmental websites; contributed to role-based authorization and multiple classroom initiatives.
Education
Qualifications
Industry Experience
Software & Internet, Professional Services, Financial Services, Media & Entertainment
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