The Release Train Engineer (RTE) is a servant leader and coach for the Agile Release Train (ART). The RTE’s major responsibilities are to facilitate the ART events and processes and assist the teams in delivering value. RTEs communicate with stakeholders, escalate impediments, help manage risk, and drive relentless improvement. 
RTEs typically fulfill the following responsibilities: 
• Manage and optimize the flow of value through the ART and Solution Train using various tools, such as the Program and Solution Kanbans and other information radiators 
• Establish and communicate the annual calendars for Iterations and Program Increments (PIs) 
• Facilitate PI Planning readiness by fostering a Continuous Exploration process which drives the synthesis of a Vision, a Roadmap, and Backlogs, and through Pre- and Post-PI Planning meetings 
• Facilitate the PI planning event 
• Summarize Team PI Objectives into Program PI Objectives (the RTE) and publish them for visibility and transparency 
• Summarize program PI objectives into Solution PI Objectives (the STE) and publish them for visibility and transparency 
• Assist tracking the execution of features and capabilities (see Metrics) 
• Facilitate periodic synchronization meetings, including the ART sync at the Program Level and the value stream sync for Solution Trains 
• Assist with economic decision-making by facilitating feature and capability estimation by teams and the roll-up to Epics, where necessary 
• Coach leaders, teams, and Scrum Masters in Lean-Agile practices and mindsets 
• Help manage risks and dependencies 
• Escalate and track impediments 
• Provide input on resourcing to address critical bottlenecks 
• Encourage collaboration between teams and System and Solution Architects/Engineering 
• Work with Product and Solution Management, Product Owners, and other stakeholders to help ensure strategy and execution alignment 
• Improve the flow of value through value streams by improving and assessing the DevOps and Release on Demand competency 
• Help drive the Lean User Experience (UX) innovation cycle 
• Work with the Agile Program Management Office (APMO) on program execution and operational excellence (see Lean Portfolio Management) 
• Understand and operate within Lean Budgets and ensure adherence to Guardrails 
• Facilitate System Demos and Solution Demos 
• Drive relentless improvement via Inspect and Adapt workshops; assess the agility level of the ART and Solution Train and help them improve 
• Foster Communities of Practice and the use of engineering and Built-In Quality practices 

Characteristic servant leader actions include: 
• Listen and support teams in problem identification and decision-making 
• Create an environment of mutual influence 
• Understand and empathize with others 
• Encourage and support the personal development of each individual and the development of teams 
• Coach people with powerful questions rather than use authority 
• Think beyond day-to-day activities; apply systems thinking 
• Support the teams’ commitments 
• Be open and appreciate openness in others