Information Technology (IT) Change and Release Manager

Job Summary

The IT Change and Release Manager plays a critical role in ensuring that IT changes and releases are delivered efficiently, safely, and with minimal disruption to business operations. This position is responsible for managing the lifecycle of IT changes and releases, from planning and coordination to implementation and review, while adhering to best practices such as ITIL standards.

The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical and organizational skills, a solid technical background, and the ability to lead cross-functional teams through complex IT processes.

Key Responsibilities

Release Management

Plan, coordinate, and oversee IT releases, ensuring successful deployments of applications, updates, and infrastructure changes
Create and maintain a centralized release calendar to provide visibility across IT teams
Conduct release readiness reviews, ensuring all dependencies and risks are addressed
Oversee deployment processes, validating that releases meet quality and compliance standards
Perform post-release evaluations to document lessons learned and improve future processes

Process and Policy Development

Develop and refine release management policies, ensuring alignment with industry and Cient standards (e.g., ITIL)
Implement tools and automation to enhance efficiency and reduce manual effort in the release workflows
Measure and analyze KPIs to identify trends and areas for continuous improvement

Collaboration and Communication

Act as the primary liaison between IT and business units for release activities
Ensure clear communication of change and release plans, risks, and outcomes to all stakeholders
Address escalations related to changes or releases and ensure swift resolution

Governance and Compliance

Ensure all releases comply with organizational policies, security standards, and regulatory requirements
Maintain detailed documentation for audit purposes and historical reference
Provide training and awareness sessions to promote understanding and adherence to IT change and release processes

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
ITIL certification (Foundation level required; Intermediate or Expert level preferred)

Experience

5+ years of experience in IT service management, with a focus on change and release management
Demonstrated success managing complex IT changes and releases in a dynamic environment
Hands-on experience with ITSM tools (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira, BMC Remedy)
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and Agile methodologies is advantageous

Skills

Strong project management and organizational abilities
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to manage cross-functional teams and stakeholder relationships
Analytical mindset with a proactive approach to problem-solving
Expertise in risk assessment, mitigation strategies, and root cause analysis

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Percentage of successful changes/releases without incidents
Change implementation time vs. schedule
Frequency of unplanned outages or rollbacks
Stakeholder satisfaction scores for change and release management processes
Compliance rate with internal and external standards

Best Candidate

Analytical
Political
Project Management skills (project portfolio management)
Risk
Process