IT Release Management Lead SAP & Integrated Applications

Role: IT Release Management Lead SAP & Integrated Applications

Location: Remote

Type: Contarct

Release Management Execution:

• Lead the end-to-end release management process for SAP and integrated applications.
• Manage release types including Major releases (Large projects, system upgrades, or program go-lives), Minor releases (Small project, large enhancements), Minor Enhancement releases (Small Enhancements)
• Coordination with other release planning and dependencies such as operations and technical / maintenance changes.
• Develop, own, and maintain the release calendar, ensuring alignment with project plans, business cycles, and operational needs, across stakeholders
• Collaborate closely with Project Managers and the Interdependency Management team to identify release conflicts, risks, and scheduling challenges and to ensure cohesive delivery across programs and initiatives.
• Facilitate regular release planning meetings with stakeholders to synchronize timelines and manage dependencies.

Release Governance, Standards, and Tools Management:

• Establish governance, standards, and best practices within a common release management platform such as Plutora, Planview, or equivalent.
• Ensure release processes, workflows, approval checkpoints, and reporting are accurately implemented and maintained within the platform.
• Drive adoption and effective usage of the release management toolset across technical and business teams.
• Lead the continuous improvement of release processes by leveraging automation, standardization, and tool enhancements.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure traceability between releases, changes, and deployment activities.
• Partner with leadership and the Interdependency Management team to ensure release governance aligns with enterprise priorities, program roadmaps, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Define, implement, and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure release management effectiveness, including metrics such as deployment success rates, change failure rates, lead times, and frequency of releases.
• Drive the creation and delivery of release management reporting, dashboards, and performance insights for leadership, project teams, and other stakeholders.
• Communicate release performance trends, risks, and improvement opportunities based on KPI data to leadership and stakeholder groups.

Environment and Deployment Management:

• Coordinate with Project Managers and leadership to align environment availability with critical project milestones, testing cycles, and release timelines.
• Oversee environment planning, reservations, and partner with technical teams to ensure environments are available, connected, and ready for release level activities such as regression testing, performance testing, deployment

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:

• Act as the primary point of contact for release management across SAP and integrated systems.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Enterprise Enablement, Accelerate Program, Interdependency Management, Project Managers, Global Service Delivery, Business Partner Organization, Infrastructure and Operations, Development and Testing teams, Managed service providers and third-party vendors
• Communicate release scope, schedules, risks, impacts, and outcomes effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Facilitate alignment between leadership, program managers, and delivery teams to ensure that release decisions support enterprise goals, minimize conflicts, and manage risks effectively.
• Provide regular reporting updates on release status, upcoming deployments, risks, KPIs, and lessons learned.

Leadership and Team Management:

• Manage and develop a team of up to three direct reports, providing coaching, performance feedback, and career development.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively with leadership stakeholders, providing transparency into release health, risks, KPIs, and performance trends.

Continuous Improvement and Performance Management:

• Implement and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for release management effectiveness, including deployment success rates, change failure rates, and release lead times.
• Regularly review KPI data to identify patterns, areas for improvement, and operational risks.
• Evaluate and drive improvements in tooling, processes, and collaboration models to enhance delivery speed and quality.
• Actively participate in cross-functional forums with Project Managers and the Interdependency Management team to refine processes, improve visibility, and optimize release cadence across the portfolio.

Education and Special Trainings Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Information Systems, or a related field required.
• Master's degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, or related fields preferred.
• Preferred certifications:
• ITIL Foundation or higher (focused on Release, Change, or Service Management)
• SAP Certifications in system administration, technical architecture, or relevant modules
• PMP or equivalent project management certifications
• Training or certifications in release management platforms like Plutora, Planview, or related tools is desirable.

Technical and Functional Experience:

• 7+ years of IT experience, including 3+ years focused on release management, environment management, or deployment management.
• Basic understanding of SAP landscapes, including SAP S/4HANA, middleware solutions, SAP Solution Manager
• Experience in release and deployment management for enterprise-scale projects, upgrades, enhancements, and operational releases.
• Demonstrated experience in supporting or administrating release management platforms such as Plutora or Planview, including configuration, process setup, reporting, and adoption.
• Proficiency with environment management, including system refreshes, data management, and deployment coordination.

Preferred Tools Knowledge:

• SAP Solution Manager for change, transport, and system management.
• Planview / Plutora for release portfolio management and governance.
• ServiceNow for change, incident, and release process integration.
• Azure DevOps for source control, work item tracking, reporting data.
• Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams) for documentation, reporting, presentations, and collaboration.

Process and Operational Expertise:

• Strong knowledge of ITIL Release, Change, and Deployment Management processes.
• Understanding of Agile, SAFe, and DevOps practices as they relate to enterprise release management.

Leadership and Communication Skills:

• Proven ability to manage diverse teams and influence cross-functional stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts to both technical and business audiences.
• Strong leadership presence, decision-making, and negotiation skills.

• Ability to handle high-pressure situations, especially during critical release windows.
• High degree of focus, attention to detail, and problem-solving ability.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and complex dependencies.
• Capacity to work outside of normal business hours occasionally, particularly during major deployments or issue escalations.