Sr. Manager, Release, Governance, Planning And Delivery

The Sr. Manager, Release, Governance, Planning and Delivery is responsible for the successful, highly complex, multi-million-dollar technical release into production. This is achieved by leading and directing cross functional IT release teams, structuring the release strategy and execution, and developing solutions to program challenges. The Sr. Manager, Release, Governance, Planning and Delivery is focused on ensuring clear alignment of the scope, duration, timeline, and status across both the IT organization and the Enterprise Project Management Office.

This role is also responsible for leading a high-performance team of direct reports who are responsible for the successful deployment of very complex enterprise releases. This role requires a unique combination of business acumen, communications, leadership, strategy development, tactical ability, and project management skills appropriate for the depth and breadth of interactions needed to make IT and enterprise projects successful.

Location Not This role can be performed remotely in a work from home arrangement within the continental United States. There is an expectation the role may need to come to a business office, typically Chicago, as many as 6 times a year, with typically two weeks' notice for various department meetings.

Essential Functions

• Leads and sets the strategy across multiple unrelated projects within a single release that encompasses a collective financial impact of initiatives.

• Manages the IT Release budget (which typically represents 80%+ of the entire Release budget), with an approximate value of $35 million.

• Directs and coaches multiple levels of development analysts in their responsibility to lead and drive the successful service rollout of assigned Release deployments, with Major and Minor Releases equate to an approximate value of $100 million +.

• Customarily demonstrates independent judgment and sets a clear vision for leading a release team within the established structure, processes and procedures to accomplish objectives and measurements of success.

• Understands the high-level technical architecture and is able to facilitate discussions, drive decisions on appropriate solutions, and create strategies to extremely complex problems where analysis of situations and data requires an evaluation of multiple variables.

• Initiates, develops, and manages strong partnerships with key stakeholders (internal and external) at all levels in the organization, including senior leaders and executive vice presidents to ensure successful outcomes of projects, compliance, and development of standards of excellence. These partnerships include IT Release Governance, third party development partners (Amdocs), Infrastructure, Development, Operations and EPM to ensure tactical alignment with releases and project outcomes

• Facilitates and leads cross functional and intra-functional teams in planning and risk mitigation processes related to interdependencies of projects and builds effective teams committed to organizational goals by fostering collaboration among team members, creating a positive team environment, developing a common vision, clear direction, and clarifying roles and responsibilities.

• Leads effort to develop criteria, manage resource allocation of release team members and identifies improvement opportunities that can minimize total cost, reduce business risk and timely delivery of company strategic initiatives.

• Acts as a change agent and proactively Identifies areas of procedural weakness while developing and applying solutions and continuous improvement.

• Monitors workload of staff to ensure team members are consistently managed and challenged.

• Conducts performance reviews, merit planning, coaching, and handling performance / discipline issues.

• Mentors and develops staff to be leaders in a way that models / promotes the values and behaviors of the DO through training, coaching and succession planning.

• Guides and leads the team through change. Manages recruiting, employee relations, staff recognition and retention.

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Math, Computer Science, Information Technology, Electrical or Computer Engineering or related field or equivalent work experience (including military) required.

• 10+ years program and project management experience on a large, cross-functional/multi-discipline full-life cycle projects using best practices project management methodologies.

• 5+ years management experience, either direct or matrix.

• 5+ years managing resources.

• Track record of delivering projects or programs within a technically complex and dynamic environment.

• Experience of successfully engaging senior management and groups of stakeholders.

• Excellent communication skills with a capacity to present, discuss and explain issues coherently and logically both in writing and verbally.

• Extensive influencing and persuasion skills with the ability to enthuse and inspire multidisciplinary teams and build successful relationships at all levels.

• Computer literate, able to quickly and efficiently use a wide range of common Office software including Word, Excel, Project, and Power Point).

• Experience balancing conflicting and changing demands through prioritization and a pragmatic approach.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree
• PMI certification or additional post-graduate training in Program or Project Management

Benefits

Associates have access to healthcare benefits (medical, dental and vision), retirement plans (a 401(k) plan with company match and a pension plan funded by the company), Paid Parental Leave (6 weeks after 6 months of employment), Basic Life Insurance (if eligibility requirements are met), Education Assistance (after 3 months of employment), paid Vacation Days (15 days accrued per year for full-time/6 days accrued per year for part-time), paid Sick/Care-Giver Days (6 days accrued per year), and seven paid national holidays and one floating holiday, among others. Short Term Disability (after 6 months of employment) and Term Disability (180 day waiting period) coverage is also available for full-time associates. Associates Scheduled to work under twenty hours per week or for a limited term are eligible for medical plans and retirement plans (a 401(k) plan with company match and a pension plan funded by the company).

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