Release Manager

Job Title: Release Manager
Location: Seattle, WA (Hybrid)
Duration: 6 Month Contract to Start
Pay Rate: 60-80/hr

Job Description: The IT International eCommerce team is seeking a skilled and experienced Release Manager to lead our dynamic team in delivering cutting-edge solutions to our diverse global markets. This person is someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has a track record for enabling timely and efficient IT releases that meet the highest standards of quality and reliability.
Release Managers collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to coordinate, orchestrate, and execute the efforts required to introduce application changes into production for delivery to end-users. Among other responsibilities, they are accountable for creating detailed and executable integrated release plans across several products and dependencies, improving the software build process, and optimizing the release pipeline. The Release Manager will provide leadership and oversight through the release process for quarterly feature releases, monthly maintenance releases, hot fixes, and configuration changes as needed. They will establish and maintain relationships with stakeholders, team members, and peers, and are responsible for communicating release expectations, milestones, and status reports to all involved parties and impacted users - from end-user to enterprise leadership - throughout the release lifecycle

Job Duties/Essential Functions: Develops and stewards the Release Management process, establishing specific standards to govern it.
Facilitates integrated release planning sessions in conjunction with teams and product team members (e.g., Product Managers, Solution Architects) to align on release objectives, identify dependencies across product teams and value streams, define milestones, and provide automated deployments, and set configurations.
Creates deployment plans and accompanying checklists to ensure dependencies are identified and managed.
Outlines and manages the Request For Change (RFC) end-to-end process, including logging formal release tickets, creating/maintaining all required release documentation, gaining required approvals, executing release plans, and maintaining a release calendar in line with IT standards.
Coordinates the release/deployment of the QA build to support User Acceptance Testing (UAT) activities as part of the client's release schedule.
Communicates release milestones, activity progress, and impediments to all program stakeholders and team members.
Facilitates the documentation of rollback strategies, hypercare support, and handoffs to production support teams.
Builds operational readiness plans (e.g. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), run book, escalation plans, etc.) to ensure broader teams are prepared for deployment.
Partners with the appropriate team members to coordinate the execution of all code deployments to production environments using appropriate tools and tracking mechanisms, documenting and managing any production issues that are the result of the deployment process.
Provides teams and program stakeholders with coaching on organizational release management practices and disciplines.
Assembles and leads multiple cross-functional teams to support IT application releases of varying sizes, including building and maintaining release distribution lists.
Defines, manages, and leads release readiness activities and success criteria in conjunction with program stakeholders.
Builds and maintains relationships with stakeholders, team members, and peers.
Identifies automation tools to automate build and release pipelines to improve the speed and reliability of the release process.
Ensures version control for added traceability and reliability of code to track code evolutions.
Identifies critical success factors and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure and report on release quality.
Generates and publishes release-related reports and facilitates post-release retrospectives in an effort to drive continuous improvement of the release process and minimize the risk of future deployments.
Connects development, QA, Project Management, Infrastructure, Operations, and other IT teams to support the related changes for product and project portfolio roadmaps, and ensure the Build, Deploy, Release team can proactively prepare for future needs.
Coordinates environment refresh cycles with various enterprise teams to minimize release impact and sustain system integrity and availability.
Works with the various enterprise teams to proactively plan system patching and application upgrades/enhancements to minimize release impact and risk.
Regular and reliable workplace attendance at your assigned location.

Experience, Skills, Education & Licenses/Certifications: Quantifiable and demonstrated experience as an IT Release Manager.
Knowledge and experience of Change Management processes.
Strong organizational and planning skills, with experience building and executing tactical plans.
Strong process knowledge of System Development Life Cycles and Agile Methodologies.
Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
Ability to negotiate timelines and deliverables with a strong sense of urgency.
Flexible; able to change priorities quickly, focus on new ones without distraction, able to deal with conflict, and work under pressure to meet deliverable dates/timelines.
Scheduling flexibility to meet the needs of the business, including evening, weekend, and holiday work required during release cycles; 24x7x365 operations.

Our benefits package includes: Comprehensive medical benefits
Competitive pay
401(k) retirement plan
...and much more


About INSPYR Solutions
Technology is our focus and quality is our commitment. As a national expert in delivering flexible technology and talent solutions, we strategically align industry and technical expertise with our clients' business objectives and cultural needs. Our solutions are tailored to each client and include a wide variety of professional services, project, and talent solutions. By always striving for excellence and focusing on the human aspect of our business, we work seamlessly with our talent and clients to match the right solutions to the right opportunities. Learn more about us at inspyrsolutions.com.

INSPYR Solutions provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, INSPYR Solutions complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities