Excelsior University’s Information Technology Services is seeking a highly organized and experienced IT Release Program Manager, reporting to the Sr. Director of Application Management & Business Intelligence. The ideal candidate will be responsible for managing and coordinating software releases, ensuring that applications are deployed successfully and on time. This role requires a deep understanding of the software development lifecycle, excellent project management skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.  This is a full-time hybrid role with a minimum of two days each week worked at the Albany, NY campus with the remainder of the week worked from home.

Roles and Responsibilities: 

• Plan, schedule, and manage software releases, ensuring alignment with project timelines and business objectives.
• Coordinate release activities across various teams including development, quality assurance, and operations.
• Establish and maintain release management processes, ensuring compliance with industry standards and best practices.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to release processes, ensuring minimal impact on business operations.
• Communicate release plans, schedules, and changes to stakeholders effectively.
• Ensure that all documentation related to releases is accurate and up-to-date.
• Monitor and report on release performance, using metrics to drive continuous improvement.
• Manage release-related issues and escalate as necessary to ensure timely resolution.
• Collaborate with DevOps teams to enhance automation and streamline release processes.
• Conduct post-release reviews to identify areas for improvement and implement necessary changes.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.

Experience:

• Proven experience (3+ years) in IT Release Management.
• Proven track record of managing complex software releases in an enterprise environment.

Skills: 

• Strong understanding of ITIL framework and best practices.
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and agile methodologies.
• Proficiency in project management with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency using release management tools (BMC Helix, Jenkins, Git, Jira, etc.)
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to work outside regular business hours as needed to support releases.

 Required Certifications: 

• ITIL Foundation (Foundation or higher) is required.

Preferred Certifications: 

• Certified Release Manager (e.g., Release Management Professional (RMP) certification) is preferred.
• Agile or Scrum certifications (e.g., Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), PMI-ACP) are a plus.
• DevOps certifications (e.g., AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert) are a plus.

The hiring salary range for this position is $80,000.00 - $90,000.00. The hiring salary range above represents the University's good faith estimate at the time of posting.