Job SummaryThe Change & Release Manager is responsible for building and maintaining a structured Change Management and Release Management framework to govern the full lifecycle of IT changes and releases. This role ensures changes and deployments are evaluated, approved, scheduled, and executed with minimal risk and disruption to the business. The role chairs the Change Advisory Board (CAB) and oversees release planning to ensure informed decision-making and operational stability.
Role DescriptionThe Change & Release Manager provides leadership and oversight for IT change and release processes, ensuring alignment with governance standards, operational requirements, and organizational objectives.
Governance & Process Ownership- Build and maintain Change Management and Release Management governance models.
- Develop, implement, and enforce policies, procedures, and standards.
- Govern change types (Standard, Normal, and Emergency) and release types (Major, Minor, and Hotfix).
- Ensure adherence to audit, compliance, and governance requirements.
Change & Release Lifecycle Management- Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of IT changes and releases.
- Ensure all requests satisfy documentation, risk assessment, and testing requirements.
- Maintain release calendars and change schedules.
- Coordinate and manage the bundling of changes into planned releases.
CAB & Release Coordination- Lead Change Advisory Board (CAB) and Emergency Change Advisory Board (eCAB) meetings.
- Facilitate release readiness reviews.
- Align Change Management, Release Management, Incident Management, and Problem Management processes.
- Resolve scheduling conflicts, dependencies, and operational risks.
Deployment & Execution Oversight- Oversee production deployments and release execution activities.
- Validate rollback and backout plans before implementation.
- Monitor releases and coordinate issue response activities.
- Partner with Incident Management teams to address failed changes and deployment-related incidents.
Continuous Improvement & Reporting- Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and key risk indicators (KRIs), including change failure rates, release success rates, and emergency change activity.
- Develop and maintain reporting, metrics, and dashboards.
- Conduct post-implementation reviews to identify lessons learned and improvement opportunities.
- Drive IT Service Management (ITSM) process maturity and continuous improvement initiatives.
Behaviors and Competencies- Strategic Thinking: Can analyze complex situations, anticipate future trends, and align and integrate strategies across departments or functions.
- Leadership: Can take ownership of complex team initiatives, collaborate with others in decision-making processes, and drive team performance.
- Digital Acumen: Can take ownership of complex digital initiatives, collaborate with others, and drive digital results.
- Communication: Can effectively communicate complex ideas and information to diverse audiences, facilitate effective communication between others, and mentor others in effective communication.
- Change Management: Can manage major changes in organizational processes or policies, can facilitate change management processes among others, can mentor others in effective change management, and can adapt change management style based on the situation and the organization's needs.
- Problem-Solving: Can proactively identify and take ownership of complex problem-solving initiatives, initiate preventative measures, collaborate with others to find solutions, and drive successful outcomes.
- Collaboration: Can take ownership of team initiatives, foster a collaborative environment, and ensure that all team members feel valued and heard.
- Project and Goal Focus: Can create new strategies or visions to enhance project focus and goal achievement.
- Decision-Making: Can facilitate group decision-making processes, build consensus, and commit to a course of action even in the face of uncertainty.
- Technical Expertise: Can demonstrate a high level of technical expertise in a specified area and can serve as a resource for others.
Skill Level Requirements- Strong understanding of ITIL processes, including Change Management, Release Management, Incident Management, and Problem Management.
- Experience utilizing ServiceNow Change and Release Management modules.
- Proven ability to lead CAB/eCAB meetings and facilitate governance forums.
- Strong stakeholder management and leadership capabilities.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Analytical mindset with a focus on metrics, reporting, risk management, and continuous improvement.
- Ability to work effectively in global, cross-functional environments
Other Requirements- Bachelors Degree or equivalent work experience required
- 10+ years of experience in Change Management, Release Management, IT Service Management (ITSM), or related governance roles.
- Experience working within global, cross-functional organizations.
- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business, or a related field.
- Ability to travel 20%
Certification- ITIL certification is strongly desired.
Preferred- Project Management experience.
- Agile methodology experience.
The estimated annual pay range for this position is $100,000 - $150,000 which includes a base salary. The compensation for this position is dependent on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and market location and, therefore, will vary from individual to individual. Benefits may include, but are not limited to, medical, vision, dental, 401K, and flexible spending.
