Director of Enterprise Release Management

Empower • Overland Park, KS

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them. Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time, including CPT/OPT. The Director of Enterprise Release Management is responsible for defining, leading, and scaling the enterprise-wide release management capability across all technology platforms and portfolios. This role establishes the strategy, governance, and operating model required to deliver software changes in a controlled, predictable, and risk-aware manner at scale. The Director serves as the enterprise authority for release management, ensuring alignment across Development, Infrastructure, Security, Change Management, and Business stakeholders. This role is accountable for reducing release-related risk, improving release quality, and enabling consistent delivery through standardized processes, governance, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in Release Management, Change Management, DevOps, or IT Operations
• 5+ years of experience leading teams or enterprise-level functions
• Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, Engineering or related field or equivalent expereince.
• Proven experience building or scaling enterprise release management or similar operational capabilities
• Experience operating in large, complex environments with multiple applications, platforms, and stakeholders
• Deep knowledge of ITIL Change and Release Management processes
• Experience coordinating large-scale, cross-functional releases across multiple portfolios
• Strong understanding of infrastructure and application ecosystems, including cloud, network, and middleware
• Experience with tools such as ServiceNow, Jira, or similar platforms
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present to both technical and executive audiences
• Highly motivated self-starter with the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Ability to balance speed, risk, and quality in decision-making

Nice To Haves

• Proven experience building a Release Management program from the ground up
• Large scale release management experience
• Demonstrates executive presence and effectively presents to senior leadership

Responsibilities

• This leader will establish a centralized enterprise release management function that enables consistent, scalable, and risk-aware delivery across all technology portfolios.
• Define and implement the enterprise release management strategy, operating model, and governance framework.
• Establish standardized processes, workflows, RACI, and release controls to ensure consistency across teams and platforms.
• Develop and manage an integrated enterprise release calendar, coordinating dependencies across applications, infrastructure, and shared services.
• Drive alignment between release management, change management, support and delivery teams.
• Establish release KPIs and performance frameworks to measure success.
• Provide oversight and coordination for complex, high-risk, and cross-functional releases.
• Identify and mitigate release risks, ensuring appropriate controls, rollback strategies, and readiness criteria are in place.
• Partner with Change Management to strengthen governance, including CAB effectiveness and decision-making.
• Improve release execution by standardizing processes, reducing manual effort, and increasing automation in partnership with DevOps and engineering teams.
• Provide executive-level reporting and insights on release performance, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing release management team, including defining roles, staffing models, and on-call coverage.
• Drive continuous improvement through post-release reviews, lessons learned, and process optimization.

Benefits

• We offer an array of diverse and inclusive benefits regardless of where you are in your career. We believe that providing our employees with the means to lead healthy balanced lives results in the best possible work performance.
• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• Retirement savings – 401(k) plan with generous company matching contributions (up to 6%), financial advisory services, potential company discretionary contribution, and a broad investment lineup
• Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year
• Business-casual environment that includes the option to wear jeans
• Generous paid time off upon hire – including a paid time off program plus ten paid company holidays and three floating holidays each calendar year
• Paid volunteer time — 16 hours per calendar year
• Leave of absence programs – including paid parental leave, paid short- and long-term disability, and Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)
• Business Resource Groups (BRGs) – BRGs facilitate inclusion and collaboration across our business internally and throughout the communities where we live, work and play. BRGs are open to all.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees