Release Manager

Primary Responsibilities:

• Oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of software releases for VA corporate IT systems, ensuring alignment with CCSS 2 objectives and timely delivery of product increments.
• Manage Agile Release Trains (ARTs) within the SAFe framework, coordinating with cross-functional teams (e.g., developers, DevSecOps engineers, testers) to synchronize development, testing, and deployment activities.
• Develop and maintain release schedules, ensuring milestones align with the Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) and VA-approved timelines, while tracking progress in tools like Jira, GitHub, or ServiceNow.
• Collaborate with the Program Manager and technical leads to ensure releases meet VA quality, security, and performance standards, including compliance with FISMA, NIST, and VA Technical Reference Model (TRM) requirements.
• Facilitate release planning sessions, sprint reviews, and retrospectives, driving continuous improvement in release processes and ensuring traceability of requirements, changes, and test results.
• Coordinate the deployment of legacy and DevSecOps products, leveraging key technologies such as AWS, Azure, Jenkins, and Oracle Database, to enhance system availability and scalability.
• Monitor and mitigate risks associated with releases, managing change requests and ensuring minimal disruption to VA operations during deployment.
• Provide detailed release status updates for inclusion in Biweekly Status Reports, documenting product increments, upcoming releases (within 30 days), and any issues impacting schedule, cost, or performance.
• Ensure adherence to VA’s Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) practices, validating code coverage and test results to maintain high confidence in deliverables.
• Support the integration of emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), into release processes, aligning with VA OIT’s modernization goals.
• Work closely with VA stakeholders, including the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Program Manager (PM), to address deployment challenges and ensure exceptional customer satisfaction.
• Contribute to Trilogy’s staff development initiatives by mentoring team members on release management best practices and supporting company growth through process improvements.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• SAFe Release Manager certification (or equivalent) required.
• 5+ years of experience in release management or a similar role, with a focus on IT system deployments in federal or VA environments.
• Proven expertise in Agile methodologies, SAFe practices, and CI/CD pipelines, with hands-on experience using tools like Jenkins, GitHub, Jira, and ServiceNow.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate across diverse teams and present release updates to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with VA security and privacy standards (e.g., FISMA, NIST, HIPAA) and the VIP Lean-Agile framework is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in MS Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, SharePoint) and VA-approved release management tools.
• Ability to adapt to rapidly changing requirements and travel occasionally to VA sites in Washington, D.C., as needed.
• Ability to obtain a Public Trust Clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s preferred
• Additional certifications such as Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or ITIL Foundation preferred.

Benefits (including but not limited to):

• Health, dental, and vision plans
• Optional FSA
• Paid parental leave
• Safe Harbor 401(k) with employer contributions 100% vested from day 1
• Paid time off and 11 paid holidays
• No cost group term life/ADD plan, and optional supplemental coverage
• Pet insurance
• Monthly phone and internet stipend
• Tuition and training reimbursement