Release Manager

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants. Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants. POSITION SPECIFICS Penn State University is excited to announce an opportunity for a talented and experienced individual to join us as a Release Manager on the Enterprise Customer Relationship Management Program Team! As an enterprise implementation, this program is designed to advance engagement and service delivery for the entire university community, including faculty, students, staff, and alumni, ensuring integrated solutions that create value across all Penn State constituencies. The Release Manager is responsible for orchestrating and streamlining the software release process across development, testing, and production environments. This role combines technical expertise in DevOps practices with project management skills to ensure reliable, efficient, and traceable software deployments. Key Responsibilities Release Planning & Strategy Develop and maintain comprehensive release management strategy and roadmapCoordinate release schedules across multiple teams and projectsDefine release criteria, processes, and approval workflowsEstablish and monitor service level agreements for release activities DevOps & Automation Deploy and maintain enterprise DevOps services to streamline release managementEnhance automation capabilities across the CI/CD pipelineImplement and maintain deployment automation tools and processesEnsure full environment traceability throughout the release lifecycleServe as point of contact for the purchased devops and backup toolMaintain disaster recovery plans and support business continuity efforts, including monitoring and testing of backups Environment Management Oversee development, testing, staging, and production environmentsMaintain environment configuration consistency and documentationCoordinate environment provisioning and capacity planningMonitor environment health and performance metrics Process & Quality Assurance Establish and enforce code versioning best practicesImplement deployment methodologies and standardsConduct release readiness assessments and go/no-go decisionsManage rollback procedures and incident response protocols Stakeholder Coordination Facilitate release planning meetings and communicationCoordinate with development, QA, operations, and business teamsProvide release status updates to leadership and stakeholdersManage change control processes and documentation Qualifications Qualified candidates will demonstrate strength across several of the following areas: Experience Strong background in software development lifecycle (SDLC) processesExperience with both waterfall and agile development methodologiesDemonstrated experience owning end-to-end software releases through production, including coordinating complex releases across multiple technical teams, applications or workstreams, and environmentsExperience coordinating releases across development, testing/UAT, staging, and production environmentsSalesforce-specific release management experienceExperience with cloud platforms, including AWS and/or AzureProficiency with Azure DevOps or a comparable CI/CD and release management platform Process & Project Management Strong understanding of ITIL practices and change managementExperience with project management methodologies and toolsExperience with production change control, including release approvals, go/no-go decisions, rollback planning, and incident responseKnowledge of risk assessment and mitigation strategiesUnderstanding of compliance and regulatory requirementsDemonstrated ability to coordinate release activities and communicate status, risks, and dependencies across technical and business stakeholders Minimum Education, Work Experience & Required Certifications If filled as DevOps Engineer - Advanced Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted Required Certifications: None If filled as DevOps Engineer - Senior Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted Required Certifications: None WORKING HOURS Standard work hours are in the Eastern Time Zone. Release/Change window for production is 5:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m. EST. Flexibility is needed with off-hours work for deployments and major incidents. APPLICATION MATERIALS Applicants are encouraged to submit both a resume and cover letter for full consideration. BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. Penn State does not sponsor or take over sponsorship of a staff employment Visa. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. Salary & Benefits The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $81,312.00 - $137,280.00. Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here. EEO IS THE LAW Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473. Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission. 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