At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the transformation of our release management ecosystem and drive automation in software delivery.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking tech company committed to innovation and sustainability.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible work options, an inclusive culture, and opportunities for global impact.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team focused on continuous improvement and engineering enablement.
- Why this job: Shape the future of software delivery at enterprise scale with cutting-edge AI practices.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in software delivery, strong knowledge of CI/CD, and proven change management skills.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
As Head of Release Management, you will modernize our release ecosystem across Product and Technology, embedding governance, compliance, and readiness into engineering workflows. You will define long-term release strategy for multiple release types and establish automated, evidence-based controls. You will lead a transformation-driven team, driving automation, telemetry, and platform-enabled deployment practices. This is a chance to shape how we scale and secure software delivery at enterprise scale, including AI/native release practices.
Pay / Benefits
- Flexible and hybrid work opportunities
- Inclusive workplace experiences
- Opportunity to drive transformation
- Collaborative culture
- Global impact
- Commitment to sustainability
Responsibilities
- Define and execute the release ecosystem strategy across Product and Technology
- Embed release controls into developer workflows, deployment pipelines and platform capabilities
- Establish automated, auditable and risk-based controls, including policy-as-code and release risk scoring
- Define differentiated release models for product, service, emergency, security, platform, customer onboarding and AI/model releases
- Lead release-led customer onboarding governance, including readiness, environment validation, support readiness and post-onboarding assurance
- Shape AI-native release management practices for AI-generated code, agentic workflows, prompts, models and knowledge assets
- Own or co-own environment strategy, shared environment governance, readiness, utilization and observability
- Build release intelligence capabilities using telemetry, operational data and AI to predict deployment risks and readiness gaps
- Drive engineering enablement by helping teams deploy and onboard customers safely, reliably and independently
- Lead and develop a release management function focused on transformation, automation and continuous improvement
- Build investment cases and transformation roadmaps to secure tooling, automation, telemetry and platform capabilities
Key requirements
- 10+ years of experience in software delivery, release management, DevOps, SRE, platform engineering, cloud operations, engineering program management or engineering leadership
- Proven track record modernizing release, deployment or operational governance models across complex product, platform or service environments
- Strong knowledge of CI/CD, progressive delivery, feature flags, deployment automation, policy-as-code, automated compliance, observability, SRE principles and modern engineering practices
- Experience defining release approaches for planned, emergency, security, platform, service and out-of-band releases
- Experience with environment strategy, shared environment governance, test environment utilization, customer onboarding readiness, environment observability and ephemeral or on-demand environments
- Experience improving customer onboarding, production readiness, service transition or customer activation processes in a cloud, SaaS or enterprise software environment
- Ability to use data, telemetry, dashboards, predictive insights or AI to improve release risk management, deployment reliability and engineering productivity
- Experience building investment cases and transformation proposals to secure funding for tooling, automation, platform capability, environment improvements or operating model change
- Strong stakeholder leadership skills, with the ability to influence Product, Engineering, Platform, Security, Operations, Support and executive stakeholders
- Proven change management capability, with experience moving teams from traditional governance models to modern, platform-enabled and evidence-based release practices
- Strategic transformation leader who is a systems thinker, data-driven decision maker, AI-aware, security-conscious, and passionate about engineering enablement
Senior Director Release Management employer: IFS
As a leading employer in the tech industry, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace where innovation thrives. Our hybrid work model supports diverse lifestyles, while our commitment to engineering excellence and responsible AI practices ensures that you will be part of meaningful projects that drive customer value. With ample opportunities for professional growth and mentorship within our Enterprise Asset Management team, you'll be empowered to develop your skills and make a significant impact in the world of software engineering.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Director Release Management
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at IFS or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to IFS.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like IFS.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like IFS that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Director Release Management
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at IFS.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at IFS and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at IFS
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If IFS uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
