Lead, Release Management

The Lead, Release Management at our Secaucus location is responsible for overseeing the software release lifecycle, coordinating with various teams, and ensuring quality deployments. This includes managing release schedules, enforcing release governance, maintaining documentation, identifying risks, and leading production readiness reviews. You'll collaborate cross-functionally to drive improvements and optimize processes while communicating effectively with stakeholders.

To qualify for the Lead, Release Management position, you should hold a Bachelor's Degree and have significant experience in software development lifecycle management. Preferred qualifications include a background in Agile frameworks, coaching or mentoring experience, as well as project management certifications like Agile or Scrum. Familiarity with customer experience processes and knowledge of the healthcare industry can be beneficial.

The Lead, Release Management ensures successful software releases by developing and managing comprehensive release schedules, coordinating activities across cross-functional teams, and enforcing best practices in release governance. By identifying and mitigating risks, facilitating communication, and running post-deployment reviews, the Lead ensures that every release meets business and technical expectations effectively.

Yes, experience in Agile methodologies is necessary for the Lead, Release Management role. Candidates should demonstrate familiarity with Agile frameworks, as this role involves significant interaction with Agile teams. Knowledge of project management principles is also essential to effectively coordinate and manage software releases.

Lead, Release Managers drive continuous improvement by implementing automation initiatives, optimizing release processes, and leveraging data analysis to identify areas of enhancement. By fostering a culture of innovation and mentoring their teams on best practices, they contribute to efficiency and reduced risks in software deployments.

When answering this question, illustrate your method for creating and maintaining release schedules. Mention specific tools you’ve used, how you manage conflicts or dependencies, and how you ensure alignment with business goals. Provide examples that showcase your proactive communication style.

Discuss your proactive approach to risk management, such as conducting thorough assessments during planning phases, collaborating with teams to identify potential blockers, and establishing fallback plans. Use specific examples to demonstrate how your strategies have led to successful risk mitigation.

Share your communication skills and conflict resolution techniques. Talk about your approach to fostering collaboration among teams, understanding differing perspectives, and facilitating discussions to arrive at a consensus. Provide an example of a conflict you've resolved successfully.

Emphasize the importance of clear and comprehensive documentation in release management. Mention how you’ve developed documentation practices that ensure transparency and traceability throughout the release lifecycle, as well as how these practices align with industry standards.

Production readiness reviews are crucial in ensuring that everything is in place before a deployment. Discuss your experience conducting these reviews, what criteria you assess, who is involved in the process, and how successful reviews have contributed to positive release outcomes.

Be specific about the tools you’ve used for release management, such as Jira, Bamboo, or other CI/CD tools. Explain how these tools helped in managing schedules, coordinating tasks, and tracking progress. Discuss your experience in leveraging these tools for automation and improvement.

Highlight your approach to ensuring compliance through adherence to established best practices and processes. Talk about your experience in auditing release activities, conducting training sessions, and collaborating with quality assurance teams to meet compliance requirements.

Discuss how you’ve advocated for customer experience in your previous roles. Highlight specific examples where user feedback influenced release decisions, enhancements made to improve customer satisfaction, and the overall importance of considering the end-user in the release management process.

Talk about the resources you leverage to stay current, such as industry publications, webinars, or professional groups. Mention any relevant certifications you pursue and how your continuous learning contributes to your effectiveness in the Lead, Release Management role.

Share your mentoring style and techniques, emphasizing your approach to sharing knowledge and best practices. Discuss your experiences in coaching junior team members, facilitating workshops, and how you’ve created a supportive environment that fosters growth and development.