Release Manager

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF POSITION:

To oversee and manage software releases to production environments including monitoring of release progress through the entire lifecycle, assuring quality standards are consistently met, and coordinating releases and teams at the portfolio, program, and team levels. To oversee the adherence to deployment windows and release processes by software delivery teams for vendor packaged/hosted and internally developed applications, facilitate the appropriate communication channels among delivery roles and with stakeholders, and continuously improve release management practices.

MAJOR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

• Collaborates with business and Information Technology (IT) stakeholders to ensure smooth and reliable delivery of software and systems to fulfill business objectives, support business processes, and ensure business continuity.
• Works with executive team members, decision makers, and stakeholders to understand business requirements and systems goals that can be achieved with release management enhancements.
• Performs cost-benefit and return on investment analyses for proposed releases to aid management in making release and deployment decisions.
• Conducts research on leading release management practices, tools and technologies landscape, and provide recommendations to support implementing new practices and tools. Leads the effort of defining the IT strategic direction for release management tools.
• Builds and maintains a Release Calendar for releases across IT, vendor and business managed applications and software.
• Proactively monitors, tracks, and ensures software certificates and licenses are current and will not expire.
• Manages release projects and interdependencies to ensure milestone adherence and that the integrity of the release can be measured.
• Negotiates, plans, and manages all release activities. Proactively works with business partners, IT team members, and vendor partners to plan releases across projects and portfolios.
• Creates or ensures that a detailed deployment plan has been documented along with a back-out plan in the event anything goes wrong during deployment.
• Validates that the product has been correctly packaged before deployment and ensure that all release controls have been satisfied.
• Manages and communicates risks and issues that may affect release scope and schedule.
• Measures and monitors progress to ensure application releases are delivered according to plans and expectations.
• Conducts release readiness reviews, milestone reviews, and business go/no-go reviews.
• Develops the organization's release controls, document and ensure controls are well understood by development teams and support teams.
• Leads and coordinates lower environment and go-live activities associated with releases, including the execution of the deployment plans and checklists.
• Leads the creation and management of application operations playbooks. Keeps the application/infrastructure inventory documentation up to date.
• Coordinates and communicates plans and activities with others, as appropriate, to ensure a coordinated work effort and team approach.
• Keeps supervisor and others informed of important developments, potential problems and related information necessary for effective management. Coordinates and communicates plans and activities with others, as appropriate, to ensure a coordinated work effort and team approach.
• Performs related work as apparent or assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology or related field.
• At least 5 years of related work experience.
• Excellent grasp of effective IT operations procedures and methodologies.
• Proven experience in overseeing the design, packaging, testing, and deployment of software releases for vendor and internally developed applications.
• Proven experience with release management, environment management, and portfolio/program management best practices.
• Experience creating and implementing a release management function within an organization required.
• Working knowledge of current release and deployment standards.
• Experience with core software applications, including Azure Dev Ops (ADO), Microsoft D365, RF Smart, Medius Flow and SK Global is preferred.
• Excellent project, resource, and capacity management skills.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to conduct research into release issues and tools as required.
• Ability to communicate ideas in both technical and business languages.
• Highly self-motivated and directed, with keen attention to detail.
• Proven analytical and creative problem-solving abilities.
• Able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Ability to work in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.
• Experience with Retail industry a plus.
• Demonstrates Northern Tool + Equipment’s 12 Core Competencies.