At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead release management and drive CI/CD practices in a dynamic SaaS environment.
- Company: WTW Insurance Consulting and Technology, a leader in innovative software solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative culture focused on continuous improvement and innovation.
- Why this job: Join a forward-thinking team and shape the future of software delivery.
- Qualifications: 3+ years in release management with strong Agile and DevOps experience.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
WTW Insurance Consulting and Technology are embracing Continuous Delivery as part of our Software Development Life Cycle. At the heart of this, we are looking for a talented and experienced SaaS / DevOps Release Manager to join us to help expand and manage our approach, capabilities, tools, and colleagues to deliver agile release management.
This role will be responsible for and lead key aspects of release management including planning, scheduling, communications, team coordination, deployment, and feature release. You will work closely with teams and stakeholders across the business including product management, engineering, and security to lead continuous release plans and establishing continuous improvement practices.
The Role
As a SaaS / DevOps Release Manager, you will:
- Release Management & Governance
- Establish and manage modern release practices including quality gates, automated checks, and release readiness criteria
- Ensure alignment with governance, security, and compliance requirements while minimising manual intervention through automation
- Manage risks, dependencies, and release decisions across multiple product teams
- DevOps & Automation Enablement
- Drive the adoption of CI/CD pipelines, release orchestration, and infrastructure automation across teams
- Work directly with engineering teams to embed release processes into delivery workflows (e.g. pipelines, GitOps, environment promotion models)
- Identify opportunities to replace manual release activities with automated, repeatable processes
- Support teams in implementing progressive delivery techniques (e.g. feature flags, canary releases, blue/green where applicable)
- Tooling & Platform Integration
- Collaborate with platform and engineering teams to align on DevOps tooling, pipeline standards, and release frameworks
- Ensure release processes are integrated into developer tooling and platform capabilities, not operated separately
- Contribute to standardisation of release patterns across SaaS products
- Continuous Improvement & Metrics
- Define and track DORA-style metrics (deployment frequency, lead time, change failure rate, recovery time)
- Drive continuous improvement through data-led insights
- Contribute to the evolution of ICT DevOps and SDLC practices
- Coaching & Capability Building
- Coach teams on DevOps practices, automation, and modern release approaches
- Help teams transition from manual, process-heavy release management to automated, flow-based delivery
- Act as a bridge between engineering, architecture, and governance
What you’ll bring
The essential skills/experience for this position are:
- Demonstratable experience (at least 3 years) in release management for a SaaS organisation releasing new features and updates on a frequent (e.g., team sprint) basis to customers
- Great working experience of Agile, SDLC and DevOps practices to effectively fulfil the role
- Experience in modern release management tooling e.g. ServiceNow, BMC
- Managing multiple and varied internal stakeholders and customers and cross-functional teams
- Contributions into wider organisational practice improvement and evolution
- Knowledge and passion for new techniques to achieve release management goals and evidence to show continual improvement of release management approach
- Strong working knowledge of CI/CD pipelines (e.g. Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions) and release automation
- Experience implementing pipeline-based release controls, automated testing, and deployment strategies
- Understanding of infrastructure as code (e.g. OpenTofu) and environment management concepts
- Experience with cloud-native SaaS architectures (preferably Azure)
- Familiarity with observability, monitoring, and release health metrics
- Ability to work hands-on with engineering teams to diagnose and improve delivery pipelines
- Understanding of modern DevOps practices and principles (GitOps, trunk-based development, progressive delivery)
- Experience improving developer experience and reducing delivery friction through automation
CI/CD & Release Automation Lead in Reigate employer: Willis Towers Watson
Willis Towers Watson is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation within the insurance sector. Employees benefit from comprehensive growth opportunities, competitive compensation, and a supportive environment that values professional development, all while being part of a leading global firm located in the heart of the UK. Join us to make a meaningful impact in the industry and build lasting relationships with key partners.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land CI/CD & Release Automation Lead in Reigate
✨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 Willis Towers Watson 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 Willis Towers Watson.
✨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 Willis Towers Watson.
✨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 Willis Towers Watson 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 CI/CD & Release Automation Lead in Reigate
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 Willis Towers Watson.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Willis Towers Watson 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 Willis Towers Watson
✨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 Willis Towers Watson 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.
