Release Manager

Methods

Release and Transition Manager responsible for service transition of digital products. Managing technical implementations and stakeholder relationships while ensuring operational efficiency.

Posted 5/11/2026full-timeLondon • 🇬🇧 United KingdomMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

GoITSMSDLC

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

This role is responsible for the service transition and release management of digital products into the live service:
- To be responsible for delivering transition and release services within the agreed service levels.
- To help build and maintain a release pipeline that utilises the maturing DCD Demand process.
- To maintain and coordinate an accurate Forward Schedule of Release.
- To plan and orchestrate technical implementation of releases into production environments.
- To provide hands-on service implementation, in the production of service and operational collateral to ensure smooth acceptance into service.
- To monitor supplier’s delivery to contractual commitments and escalate as appropriate.
- To work with project managers, service managers and product managers to understand user needs for new and existing services.
- To ensure the warranty and utility of new and updated products through the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) principles and processes as approved by the programme.
- To work with delivery teams to impact access and categorise releases ensuring the correct level of governance is prescribed and carried out successfully;
- To provide direction and guidance to suppliers on service management material creation to enable service transition and ongoing efficient operational service provision;
- To identify risks and issues affecting IT service management processes, operational working agreements and underpinning contracts, escalating as appropriate;
- To identify opportunities for improvement to IT Service Management processes and IT services;
- To work with delivery teams and service partners to identify support services required;
- To ensure that operational collateral delivered by the project team(s) is to the required quality and covers all appropriate areas for the service being transitioned;
- To advise on, manage and implement the service transition activities of agile delivery projects within HMCTS, providing guidance and mentoring to ensure best in class service provision;
- To act as Programme SMEs and help DCD SMS mature operational processes in order to better support Programme Releases.
- To manage the changes to live service arising from the Reform Portfolio, be that via the introduction, amendment or retirement of services.
- To ensure that any live service transitions are carried out in a controlled fashion.
- To ensure that any transitions are efficient and effective by following the standard, industrialised approach.
- To contribute to the efficiency & effectiveness of service delivery by ensuring the adherence to discrete standard service models and the consideration of non-functional requirements during on-boarding.
- To reduce the likelihood of poor service performance through the identification and mitigation of service or transition risks ahead of time.
- To work alongside the project and delivery teams to assemble the collateral needed for the Impact Phase.
- To run the Impact Assessment exercise and ensuring that the necessary actions are identified.
- To commission and coordinate the build activities required from specialist functions (e.g. Tooling, Service Design, Service Operations).
- To plan, track and report on Knowledge Transfer from delivery to support teams.
- To liaise with Live Services and project teams for the fulfilment of Acceptance into Service criteria.
- To raise Requests for Change (RFC) in the ITSM toolset.
- To control and coordinate the Go/No Go and Key Decision Points.
- To manage Early Life Support arrangements.
- To coordinate with Live Services around final close down & handover activities.

Requirements

What you’ll need

- The post holder must have a strong track record of transitioning new services through acceptance into service (AIS) processes, ensuring projects provide the AIS collateral to enable the service to be operationally supported.
- Significant experience of planning and orchestrating technical deployment of releases into production environments is also essential.
- The post holder will be working with internal and external stakeholders and excellent interpersonal skills allied with the ability to quickly develop strong working relationships in high pressure environments is essential.
- The ability to work both independently and as part of a team, proactively and with versatility in responding to changing circumstances is essential. You will need an eye for detail, excellent communication skills and be able to interrogate reported information and challenge sources where inconsistencies are found.

Benefits

Comp & perks

**By joining us you can expect: **
- Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience
- Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society
- Strong, inspiring and thought-provoking leadership
- A supportive and collaborative environment.
**As well as this, we offer: **
- Development access to LinkedIn Learning, a management development programme and training
- Wellness 24/7 Confidential employee assistance programme
- Social – Breakfast Tuesdays, Thirsty Thursdays and Pizza on the last Thursday of each month as well as commitment to charitable causes
- Time off 25 days a year
- Pension Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution
- Discretionary Company Bonus based on company and individual performance
- Life Assurance of 4 times base salary
- Private Medical Insurance which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)
- Worldwide Travel Insurance which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)

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Hard Skills & Tools

service transitionrelease managementrelease pipelinetechnical implementationSoftware Development Lifecycle (SDLC)IT Service Management (ITSM)Impact AssessmentRequests for Change (RFC)Go/No Go decision makingKnowledge Transfer

Soft Skills

interpersonal skillsrelationship buildingindependent workteam collaborationproactive problem solvingattention to detailcommunication skillsversatilityability to challenge informationability to work under pressure