Job Description:
The client release manager is responsible for overseeing and managing all client business and IT release readiness processes for the system. This role involves coordinating across all client related State agencies (business and IT) and managing interactions with all vendors involved in the development, testing, and deployment of application releases. The release manager must demonstrate strong project management, leadership and communication skills, knowledge of health and human services programs, and the ability to manage enterprise-wide, complex, business critical systems in a production environment.
Responsibilities include:
Ownership of all business and IT release readiness processes, specifically the vendor delivery of release planning services, including but not limited to:
- Monitoring vendor adherence to the schedule, highlighting risks/issues and creating mitigation plans to avoid schedule delays
- Verifying that the Release Runway tracks all planned hardware and software release activities in addition to application enhancements
- Ensuring that any release scope changes are managed through the appropriate change control process, including obtaining necessary approvals
- Monitoring User Acceptance Testing (UAT) progress and supporting the UAT Lead
- Ensuring that the operational considerations associated with each Release are assessed so business operations are prepared to accept system changes including related data fixes, changes to operational processes, retirement of workarounds, and any required training, documentation, and change management activities
- Oversight and coordination of release readiness activities including application release checklists (system integration vendor), deployment playbooks (system integration vendor), and deployment timelines (system integration vendor)
- Oversight and coordination of post-release validations (State agency teams), hyper-care activities (system integration vendor), and release closure activities
- Serving as the primary State representative for the weekly Agency Validation Management Meeting
- The client lead and facilitator for application release executive go/no-go decision meetings attended by State agency executives
- Within the Project Management Review (PMR) board, responsible for prioritizing and assigning scope to application release windows
- Collaborating with State CSDL team on Operational Readiness Review (ORR) to prepare business operations units for upcoming application fixes and enhancements, including the collection and distribution of release materials to key stakeholders
- Supporting the EPMO Lead and the IT Contract and Program Chief in long term strategic planning, ongoing process improvements, and resource planning as it pertains to release management processes
- Participating in key Project Governance Meetings to monitor, identify, and escalate release-related issues, including but not limited to the Production Operations Daily Standup, Project Management Review, Technical Change Control Board, Data Review Board, and the Center of Project Excellence
- Responsible for reporting Release status, risks and decisions to the Executive Committee, the Monthly Infrastructure M&O Review Meeting, and for providing clarifications during the Steering Committee, as needed
- Providing 24X7 production on-call support for Severity 1 & 2 level Issue Management, including notification and periodic status updates
- Serving as the deployment approval point-of-contact for Off Cycle Releases, Reference Table updates, JSP/XML/PS File/Property File deployments, and Data Fix execution approvals during business hours
- Proficiency in JIRA and with Microsoft products, including SharePoint, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook
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