Job Title : Release Manager (SAFe / Agile Release Trains)

Role Overview :

The Release Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing releases across multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs) within a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environment. This role ensures seamless delivery of product increments from development through production by partnering closely with DevOps teams, Enterprise Release Management, and cross-functional product teams. The ideal candidate brings strong expertise in Azure DevOps (ADO), CI/CD pipeline management, and enterprise-level release orchestration.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Agile Release Train (ART) Coordination :

- Manage and govern release execution across multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs).

- Align release activities with PI (Program Increment) planning and delivery milestones.

- Coordinate cross-team dependencies, risks, and timelines.

- Participate in ART ceremonies (PI Planning, Scrum of Scrums, System Demos, Inspect & Adapt).

2. Release Planning & Execution :

- Develop and maintain integrated release calendars and roadmaps.

- Drive end-to-end release lifecycle : planning, build, test, deploy, validate.

- Ensure release readiness through structured go/no-go checkpoints.

- Coordinate release cutovers, rollback strategies, and contingency plans.

3. DevOps & CI/CD Enablement :

- Design, implement, and manage CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps.

- Collaborate with DevOps teams to automate build, test, and deployment workflows.

- Ensure adoption of best practices in : 1. Continuous Integration (CI), 2. Continuous Delivery (CD), 3. Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

- Optimize deployment frequency, lead time, and stability.

4. Enterprise Release Coordination :

- Act as the primary interface with the Enterprise Release Management team.

- Ensure compliance with enterprise release standards, governance, and audit requirements.

- Standardize and streamline production release processes across ARTs and products.

- Manage release approvals, CAB coordination (if applicable), and production deployment windows.

5. Portfolio-Level Release Management :

- Manage releases across a portfolio of products/platforms.

- Consolidate release plans across ARTs into a unified enterprise view.

- Identify and mitigate cross-product dependencies and conflicts.

- Provide executive-level reporting on release status, risks, and outcomes.

6. Risk, Issue & Dependency Management :

- Proactively identify release risks and drive mitigation strategies.

- Manage inter-team dependencies and sequencing conflicts.

- Lead escalation and resolution of release-related issues.

7. Tooling & Reporting (Azure DevOps) :

- Configure and maintain release pipelines, dashboards, and reporting in ADO.

- Track release metrics such as : 1. Deployment frequency, 2. Lead time for changes, 3. Change failure rate, 4. Release burn-up/down.

- Provide actionable insights to leadership and stakeholders.

8. Continuous Improvement :

- Drive continuous improvement of release processes and DevOps maturity.

- Introduce automation, standardization, and reusable templates.

- Support adoption of SAFe and Agile best practices.

Required Qualifications :

- Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.

- 7+ years of experience in release management, DevOps, or program delivery.

- Hands-on experience in Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environments.

- Strong expertise in Microsoft Azure DevOps (ADO) : 1. Pipelines (CI/CD), 2. Boards and workflows, 3. Release management.

- Proven experience managing releases across multiple teams / ARTs / product portfolios.

Preferred Skills & Experience :

- SAFe certifications (e.g., RTE, SA, or SPC).

- Experience with : 1. Git, branching strategies, 2. Automated testing frameworks, 3. Cloud platforms (Azure preferred).

- Familiarity with enterprise release governance models (CAB, ITIL).

- Experience implementing DevOps maturity models and metrics.

Key Competencies :

- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

- Ability to operate at both strategic (portfolio) and execution (team) levels.

- High attention to detail with excellent organizational skills.

- Proactive problem-solving and risk management.

- Ability to work in fast-paced, complex enterprise environment.