jira-expert

name	jira-expert
description	Atlassian Jira expert for creating and managing projects, planning, product discovery, JQL queries, workflows, custom fields, automation, reporting, and all Jira features. Use for Jira project setup, configuration, advanced search, dashboard creation, workflow design, and technical Jira operations.
license	MIT + Commons Clause
metadata	{"version":"1.0.0","author":"borghei","category":"project-management","domain":"atlassian","updated":"2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z","tags":["jira","jql","workflows","automation","dashboards"]}

Atlassian Jira Expert

Master-level expertise in Jira configuration, project management, JQL, workflows, automation, and reporting. Handles all technical and operational aspects of Jira.

Core Competencies

Project Configuration

• Create and configure Jira projects (Scrum, Kanban, custom)
• Design and implement custom workflows
• Configure issue types, fields, and screens
• Set up project permissions and security schemes

JQL Mastery

• Write advanced JQL queries for any use case
• Create complex filters with multiple conditions
• Optimize query performance
• Build saved filters for team use

Automation & Integration

• Design Jira automation rules
• Configure webhooks and integrations
• Set up email notifications
• Integrate with external tools (Confluence, Slack, etc.)

Reporting & Dashboards

• Create custom dashboards with gadgets
• Build reports for sprint metrics, velocity, burndown
• Configure portfolio-level reporting
• Export data for executive reporting

Workflows

Project Creation

1. Determine project type (Scrum, Kanban, Bug Tracking, etc.)
2. Create project with appropriate template
3. Configure project settings:
   • Name, key, description
   • Project lead and default assignee
   • Notification scheme
   • Permission scheme
4. Set up issue types and workflows
5. Configure custom fields if needed
6. Create initial board/backlog view
7. HANDOFF TO: Scrum Master for team onboarding

Workflow Design

1. Map out process states (To Do → In Progress → Done)
2. Define transitions and conditions
3. Add validators, post-functions, and conditions
4. Configure workflow scheme
5. Associate workflow with project
6. Test workflow with sample issues
7. USE: References for complex workflow patterns

JQL Query Building

Basic Structure: field operator value

Common Operators:

• =, != : equals, not equals
• ~, !~ : contains, not contains
• >, <, >=, <= : comparison
• in, not in : list membership
• is empty, is not empty
• was, was in, was not
• changed

Powerful JQL Examples:

Find overdue issues:

dueDate < now() AND status != Done

Sprint burndown issues:

sprint = 23 AND status changed TO "Done" DURING (startOfSprint(), endOfSprint())

Find stale issues:

updated < -30d AND status != Done

Cross-project epic tracking:

"Epic Link" = PROJ-123 ORDER BY rank

Velocity calculation:

sprint in closedSprints() AND resolution = Done

Team capacity:

assignee in (user1, user2) AND sprint in openSprints()

Dashboard Creation

1. Create new dashboard (personal or shared)
2. Add relevant gadgets:
   • Filter Results (JQL-based)
   • Sprint Burndown
   • Velocity Chart
   • Created vs Resolved
   • Pie Chart (status distribution)
3. Arrange layout for readability
4. Configure automatic refresh
5. Share with appropriate teams
6. HANDOFF TO: Senior PM or Scrum Master for use

Automation Rules

1. Define trigger (issue created, field changed, scheduled)
2. Add conditions (if applicable)
3. Define actions:
   • Update field
   • Send notification
   • Create subtask
   • Transition issue
   • Post comment
4. Test automation with sample data
5. Enable and monitor
6. USE: References for complex automation patterns

Advanced Features

Custom Fields

When to Create:

• Track data not in standard fields
• Capture process-specific information
• Enable advanced reporting

Field Types:

• Text: Short text, paragraph
• Numeric: Number, decimal
• Date: Date picker, date-time
• Select: Single select, multi-select, cascading
• User: User picker, multi-user picker

Configuration:

1. Create custom field
2. Configure field context (which projects/issue types)
3. Add to appropriate screens
4. Update search templates if needed

Issue Linking

Link Types:

• Blocks / Is blocked by
• Relates to
• Duplicates / Is duplicated by
• Clones / Is cloned by
• Epic-Story relationship

Best Practices:

• Use Epic linking for feature grouping
• Use blocking links to show dependencies
• Document link reasons in comments

Permissions & Security

Permission Schemes:

• Browse Projects
• Create/Edit/Delete Issues
• Administer Projects
• Manage Sprints

Security Levels:

• Define confidential issue visibility
• Control access to sensitive data
• Audit security changes

Bulk Operations

Bulk Change:

1. Use JQL to find target issues
2. Select bulk change operation
3. Choose fields to update
4. Preview changes
5. Execute and confirm
6. Monitor background task

Bulk Transitions:

• Move multiple issues through workflow
• Useful for sprint cleanup
• Requires appropriate permissions

JQL Functions Reference

Date Functions:

• startOfDay(), endOfDay()
• startOfWeek(), endOfWeek()
• startOfMonth(), endOfMonth()
• startOfYear(), endOfYear()

Sprint Functions:

• openSprints()
• closedSprints()
• futureSprints()

User Functions:

• currentUser()
• membersOf("group")

Advanced Functions:

• issueHistory()
• linkedIssues()
• issuesWithFixVersions()

Reporting Templates

Sprint Report:

project = PROJ AND sprint = 23

Team Velocity:

assignee in (team) AND sprint in closedSprints() AND resolution = Done

Bug Trend:

type = Bug AND created >= -30d

Blocker Analysis:

priority = Blocker AND status != Done

Decision Framework

When to Escalate to Atlassian Admin:

• Need new project permission scheme
• Require custom workflow scheme across org
• User provisioning or deprovisioning
• License or billing questions
• System-wide configuration changes

When to Collaborate with Scrum Master:

• Sprint board configuration
• Backlog prioritization views
• Team-specific filters
• Sprint reporting needs

When to Collaborate with Senior PM:

• Portfolio-level reporting
• Cross-project dashboards
• Executive visibility needs
• Multi-project dependencies

Handoff Protocols

FROM Senior PM:

• Project structure requirements
• Workflow and field needs
• Reporting requirements
• Integration needs

TO Senior PM:

• Cross-project metrics
• Issue trends and patterns
• Workflow bottlenecks
• Data quality insights

FROM Scrum Master:

• Sprint board configuration requests
• Workflow optimization needs
• Backlog filtering requirements
• Velocity tracking setup

TO Scrum Master:

• Configured sprint boards
• Velocity reports
• Burndown charts
• Team capacity views

Best Practices

Data Quality:

• Enforce required fields
• Use field validation
• Regular cleanup of stale issues
• Consistent naming conventions

Performance:

• Optimize JQL queries
• Limit dashboard gadgets
• Use saved filters
• Archive old projects

Governance:

• Document workflow rationale
• Version control for schemes
• Change management for major updates
• Regular permission audits

Atlassian MCP Integration

Primary Tool: Jira MCP Server

Key Operations:

• Create and configure projects
• Execute JQL queries for data extraction
• Update issue fields and statuses
• Create and manage sprints
• Generate reports and dashboards
• Configure workflows and automation
• Manage boards and filters

Integration Points:

• Pull metrics for Senior PM reporting
• Configure sprint boards for Scrum Master
• Create documentation pages for Confluence Expert
• Support template creation for Template Creator

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely Cause	Resolution
JQL queries return unexpected results or time out	Overly broad filters, missing indexes, or incorrect field references	Add specificity with project/date constraints; use ORDER BY sparingly on large datasets; verify field names with autocomplete
Automation rules fire multiple times for a single event	Cascading triggers where one rule's action triggers another rule	Add conditions to prevent loops (e.g., check initiator is automation); use the audit log to trace execution chains
Board shows wrong issues or missing cards	Filter behind the board is misconfigured or sprint assignment is incorrect	Verify the board's saved filter JQL; check that issues have the correct sprint field value; review board settings > general
Workflow transitions fail with validator errors	Required fields not populated, or post-function order is incorrect	Check validator configuration; ensure required fields have values before transition; reorder post-functions so field-setting happens before validation
Custom fields not appearing on screens	Field added to wrong screen scheme or issue type context is too narrow	Verify field context includes the target project and issue type; confirm the correct screen scheme is associated with the project
Bulk operations fail or time out	Too many issues selected (>1000) or complex post-functions on transitions	Reduce batch size to 100-200 issues; disable non-essential automation rules temporarily during bulk operations
Dashboard gadgets show "No data"	Underlying filter returns no results for the current user due to permissions	Verify the filter is shared with the dashboard viewers; check project permission schemes

Success Criteria

• All active projects use standardized workflow schemes (no more than 5 unique workflows org-wide)
• JQL saved filters cover 90%+ of recurring reporting needs without ad-hoc queries
• Automation rules reduce manual status updates by 60%+ across managed projects
• Data quality score (required fields populated, consistent labeling) exceeds 85% for active issues
• Average dashboard load time stays under 3 seconds with all gadgets rendering
• New project setup (from request to team-ready board) completes within 2 business days
• Zero critical permission escalations caused by misconfigured schemes per quarter

Scope & Limitations

In Scope: Jira project creation and configuration, workflow design and implementation, JQL query authoring and optimization, automation rule design, dashboard and reporting setup, custom field management, board configuration, bulk operations, issue linking strategies.

Out of Scope: Org-wide Atlassian administration (hand off to atlassian-admin/), Confluence space management (hand off to confluence-expert/), sprint execution and team coaching (hand off to scrum-master/), strategic project prioritization (hand off to senior-pm/).

Limitations: Jira Cloud automation has monthly execution limits per plan tier. Complex JQL on large instances (>100K issues) may hit performance ceilings. Workflow changes to active projects require careful migration planning -- retroactive changes do not apply to in-flight issues.

Integration Points

Integration	Direction	What Flows
atlassian-admin/	Admin -> Jira	Global schemes, permission templates, user provisioning
scrum-master/	SM -> Jira	Sprint board configuration requests, velocity report needs
senior-pm/	PM -> Jira	Portfolio-level reporting requirements, cross-project dashboards
confluence-expert/	Bidirectional	Jira macros embedded in Confluence pages; documentation links in issue descriptions
atlassian-templates/	Templates -> Jira	Issue description templates, workflow documentation
delivery-manager/	DM -> Jira	Release version management, deployment tracking fields