IT Release Manager

IT Release Manager - Job Description Overview The IT Release Manager is responsible for planning, scheduling, coordinating, and managing the deployment of software releases across the organization. This role ensures that releases are delivered efficiently, on time, and with minimal disruption to business operations, while maintaining high quality and compliance standards.

Key Responsibilities Release Planning & Coordination Define and manage the release strategy, schedule, and roadmap

Coordinate across development, QA, operations, and business teams to ensure readiness

Manage release calendars and maintain visibility of all upcoming releases

Deployment & Delivery Oversee end-to-end release lifecycle, from development through production deployment

Ensure smooth, controlled deployments with minimal downtime

Validate production readiness, including risk assessments and rollback plans

Change & Risk Management Work closely with Change Management to ensure proper approvals and compliance

Identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with releases

Ensure adherence to ITIL processes and organizational policies

Communication & Stakeholder Management Act as the central point of contact for all release-related communications

Provide regular updates to stakeholders, leadership, and business units

Coordinate release status reporting, including issues and escalations

Quality Assurance Ensure releases meet quality standards and have passed all testing requirements

Collaborate with QA teams to verify test plans, results, and sign-offs

Monitor post-release performance and manage incident resolution

Process Improvement Continuously improve release management processes and tools

Implement automation and DevOps best practices where applicable

Conduct post-implementation reviews and lessons learned sessions

Required Qualifications Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field

5+ years of experience in IT, including release or change management

Experience with software development lifecycle (SDLC) and DevOps practices

Strong understanding of ITIL processes (Certification preferred)

Experience with release management tools (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow, Azure DevOps)

Key Skills Strong project management and organizational skills

Excellent communication and stakeholder management

Risk management and problem-solving abilities

Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and automation tools

Ability to work under pressure in fast-paced environments

Attention to detail and commitment to quality

Preferred Qualifications ITIL certification

PMP, Scrum Master, or Agile certifications

Experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud Platform)

Familiarity with version control and deployment tools (Git, Jenkins, etc.)