Senior Release Manager

NTT DATA, Europe & LATAM, Branch in USA, Inc.•New Haven, CT

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

NTT DATA is a team of more than 190,000 diverse professionals, operating in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The sectors where we have activities include: telecommunications, finance, industry, utilities, energy, public administration and health. Our mission? Offer technological solutions, business, strategy, development and maintenance of applications, while being a benchmark in consulting. All thanks to the collaboration between teams, the human quality of our people and the fact that we do not conform to what is established, we always seek innovation that brings us closer to the future. Our essence has led us to the forefront of technology, breaking paradigms and providing solutions that truly respond to the needs of each client. Our talent has led us to be one of the top 6 technology companies in the world. Because #Greattech, needs #GreatPeople, like you NTT DATA is looking for high-achieving team players that are quickly adaptable to new challenges and entrepreneurial ventures. We are looking for a Senior Release Manager to work onsite (2-3 days per week) in Orange, CT with our global client. Overview: We are seeking an experienced Release Manager to lead a global SAP S/4HANA transformation initiative. This role is responsible for managing the end-to-end release lifecycle across functional, technical, and integration streams, ensuring high-quality delivery and alignment with program objectives. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in large-scale ERP environments, excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, and a strong command of release governance in complex, multinational settings.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in release management, program delivery, or IT project management.
Proven experience delivering large-scale global SAP programs, preferably S/4HANA (Greenfield or Brownfield).
Strong knowledge of SAP transports, development lifecycle, environments, and integration patterns.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent releases in complex, multi-vendor environments.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to drive alignment at all organizational levels.
Experience working across diverse global teams and time zones.
Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and organizational skills.
Proficiency with tools such as SolMan/ChaRM, Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with SAP Activate.
Background working in regulated industries or environments with strong compliance requirements.
PMP, SAFe, ITIL, or similar certifications.

Responsibilities

Develop, maintain, and execute the enterprise-wide release plan for all S/4HANA waves, sprints, and deployments.
Coordinate release activities across global workstreams, including functional, technical, data, testing, and change management.
Ensure cross-team alignment on release scope, timelines, dependencies, and milestone.
Establish and enforce release governance processes, quality gates, and documentation standards.
Facilitate release readiness assessments and go/no-go reviews.
Ensure adherence to change control, including defect triage, deployment checklists, and risk assessments.
Lead execution of deployment activities (cutover, transport management, hypercare stabilization).
Work closely with Basis, Infrastructure, and project teams to ensure successful transport movement, environment management, and system availability.
Track and resolve release-related issues, escalating as needed.
Serve as the central point of contact for release management across business and technical teams.
Communicate release schedules, status updates, risks, and impacts to a global audience including senior leadership.
Translate complex technical details into clear, concise messages for non-technical stakeholders.
Evaluate release management processes and identify opportunities to optimize cycle time, quality, and predictability.
Champion best practices for SAP S/4HANA release management, agile methodologies, and project enablement.