Sean Blake
About Sean Blake
Sean Blake is a Senior Agile Project Manager and SAFe Agile Coach currently working at Bixal in Fairfax, Virginia. He has extensive experience in agile project management, having held various roles at multiple organizations, and provides coaching expertise for the HHS.gov website.
Current Role at Bixal
Sean Blake serves as a Senior Agile Project Manager, SAFe Agile Coach, and Scrum Master at Bixal, a position he has held since 2020. In this role, he focuses on implementing agile methodologies to enhance project management and team collaboration. He operates from Fairfax, Virginia, and is responsible for guiding teams through the transition from traditional waterfall methods to agile practices. His work involves establishing frameworks that promote effective project delivery and team performance.
Previous Experience in Agile Project Management
Before joining Bixal, Sean Blake held several significant roles in agile project management. He worked at RELI Group, Inc. as an Agile Project Manager for five months in 2019, and at Tantus Technologies, Inc. as a Program Manager/Product Owner for three years from 2016 to 2019. Additionally, he served as a Junior Project Manager at Edaptive Systems, LLC for six years from 2010 to 2016. His diverse experiences across these organizations contributed to his expertise in agile methodologies.
Agile Coaching and HHS.gov Expertise
Sean Blake provides agile coaching expertise specifically for the HHS.gov website, which serves as the primary online platform for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His role includes maintaining a Confluence repository that houses essential project documentation such as user interviews, wireframes, and workflow diagrams. This work supports the agile transformation efforts within the department, ensuring that project teams have access to critical resources.
Educational Background
Sean Blake studied at Lebanon Valley College, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management from 2006 to 2010. His educational background laid the foundation for his career in project management and agile methodologies, equipping him with the necessary skills to lead teams and manage complex projects effectively.
Agile Methodology Implementation
Sean Blake has established the SAFe agile methodology framework from concept to implementation across six Scrum teams, known as the Agile Release Train. He adopts a player-coach approach, embodying a servant leader mentality to facilitate the transition of teams from waterfall to Scrum/agile methodologies. His responsibilities include creating and maintaining a product backlog in Jira, which encompasses various aspects such as UI Design, Content Strategy, Information Architecture, and UX Research.