Information Technology Release Manager II

L.A. Care Health Plan•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

The Information Technology (IT) Release Manager II plays a pivotal role in the successful delivery of software releases by collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with business priorities. This position coordinates release readiness planning, release schedules and manages resources during release execution. Collaborates with IT cross functional teams to ensure change control requirements are met. Key responsibilities include overseeing the packaging and deployment of software, ensuring all components are accurately bundled and documented. The Release Manager II works closely with quality assurance teams to optimize testing processes and validate release readiness. Additionally, this position involves assessing and mitigating risks associated with releases, ensuring any potential impacts are communicated to stakeholders in a timely manner. The Release Manager II also establishes and tracks key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of release processes, facilitating continuous improvement. Monitoring post-release performance, this position requires collaboration with support teams to address customer issues swiftly. This position serves as a critical link between development, operations, and business stakeholders, contributing to a seamless release process and enhancing overall software quality.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in strategic release planning and execution, including contributing to the development of release strategies and roadmaps aligned with business objectives and customer needs.
Experience assisting in the execution of release plans to deliver quality software products on time.
Experience implementing best practices and tools to support change and release management workflows and participating in measuring KPIs for performance insights.
Experience supporting IT teamwork, assisting Release Managers, and fostering a culture of accountability and learning.
Experience in stakeholder communication, managing relationships with senior management, customers, and partners, and sharing updates on release plans and progress.
Experience in risk management, participating in assessing risks associated with releases and supporting informed decision-making to mitigate potential impacts.
Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to align change control, develop release readiness plan, schedule and execute release schedules aligned with development milestones, customer needs, and business priorities, while ensuring clear communication and accountability.
Expert in managing software release packaging, ensuring proper bundling, documentation, and adherence to Change Management processes, as well as defining and managing deployment processes in collaboration with development and operations teams.
Ability in planning test pipelines and optimizing testing processes, ensuring testing environments are configured correctly and test cases cover all relevant scenarios to uphold high-quality standards.
Proficient in conducting risk assessments and developing mitigation strategies, along with the ability to communicate release plans, progress, and identified risks to stakeholders for informed decision-making.
Proficient in monitoring software performance in production environments and collaborating with support teams to address customer-reported issues promptly, ensuring timely resolution and customer satisfaction.
Strong background in software development and release management.
Excellent communication and leadership skills.
Strong organizational skills.
Scrum Master or ITIL - Intermediate certification (Service Transition)

Responsibilities

Release Planning and Coordination: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and coordinate release schedules, aligning them with development milestones, customer needs, and business priorities. Manage the execution of release plans and communicate effectively with stakeholders to ensure smooth operations.
Release Packaging and Deployment: Oversee the packaging of software releases, ensuring all components are bundled and documented accurately. Review and approve Requests for Change (RFC), and define deployment processes in collaboration with development and operations teams.
Quality Assurance and Testing: Work closely with testing teams to establish and optimize test pipelines for release activities. Ensure testing environments are configured correctly and on time for Test Releases.
Risk Management and Communication: Assess and document risks associated with each release, developing mitigation strategies to minimize potential impacts. Communicate release plans, progress updates, and risks to stakeholders, including senior management and support teams.
Post-release Support and Monitoring: Monitor software performance and reliability post-release, coordinating with support teams to address issues reported by customers, ensuring timely resolution and adherence to service level agreements.
Perform other duties as assigned.