Functional Cluster Release Manager

Role : Functional Cluster Release Manager

Location : Zurich Switzerland

Years of Experience : Min. 12+ Years

Type of Hiring : Permanent

Language : English Advanced. German Preferred.

Onsite/Offsite : Hybrid Remote. 3 days onsite, 2 days remote.

Start/ End Date : Immediate (3 Months NP won't work.)

Please share only EU/Swiss Nationals or with Valid B/C Work Permits. Job Description

• We are seeking an experienced Cluster Release Manager to support a major transformation programme involving approximately 25 interdependent value chains.
• As part of the Release Management team, the Cluster Release Manager will be responsible for the end-to-end coordination and governance of integrated software releases across multiple projects. The role will ensure that key Release Management activities, including release planning, dependency and risk management, deployment coordination, release documentation, quality-gate adherence and stakeholder communication, are executed effectively and consistently.
• Operating within a complex, highly matrixed environment, the Cluster Release Manager will act as a central coordination point across programme leadership, project leads, technical and application teams, testing teams, infrastructure providers, suppliers and business stakeholders.
• The role requires a hands-on, pragmatic individual who can manage multiple release streams simultaneously while maintaining strong governance, traceability and delivery quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the Release Management discipline for up to five projects in parallel, working closely with Release Coordinators and project teams.
• Develop and maintain integrated release plans aligned with project milestones, dependencies, risk profiles and environment availability.
• Coordinate end-to-end release activities across multiple projects, teams and suppliers while ensuring alignment with enterprise Change and Release Management principles.
• Lead regular release coordination meetings to monitor readiness, resolve blockers, manage dependencies and track risks.
• Ensure appropriate end-to-end traceability across requirements, design, development, testing, defects and deployment, using tools such as JIRA and Confluence.
• Identify, monitor and coordinate cross-project dependencies and release-related risks.
• Oversee the staging and promotion of application code and configuration changes across environments in close collaboration with Environment Management.
• Monitor release health and quality through relevant KPIs, including deployment success rate, regression pass rate, defect leakage and rollback frequency.
• Provide clear and timely reporting on release status, milestones, risks, dependencies and issues to Release Management and programme leadership.
• Support release-readiness assessments ahead of key test cycles and deployments.
• Facilitate lessons-learned activities and drive continuous improvement of Release Management processes.
• Support programme-specific activities such as data refreshes and dress rehearsals, including activities outside standard working hours or at weekends when required.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 8 years of experience in IT project or programme delivery, preferably within complex banking or financial-services organisations.
• Demonstrated experience in a Release Manager or comparable Release Management role within transformation programmes.
• Strong banking-domain experience with a sound understanding of private banking products and processes.
• Good understanding of complex system landscapes typically found within wealth management or private banking.
• Proven ability to manage releases across multiple concurrent projects and delivery streams.
• Practical experience managing integrated releases across SIT and UAT cycles within regulated environments.
• Experience working within large, complex application landscapes, ideally involving 500-1,000 applications across multiple booking centres.
• Ability to adapt Release Management processes and governance to the specific needs of a large transformation programme.

Technical & Methodology Knowledge

• Strong understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and delivery methodologies including Waterfall, Agile, SAFe and hybrid delivery models.
• Good understanding of Release, Change, Test, Environment and Deployment Management disciplines.
• Experience with Release Management and Application Lifecycle Management tools, particularly JIRA, with exposure to Confluence or equivalent platforms.
• Ability to understand technical dependencies, deployment sequencing, environment constraints and release risks without necessarily being responsible for hands-on engineering.

Stakeholder Management & Personal Attributes

• Strong pragmatic and solution-oriented mindset.
• Excellent stakeholder-management skills across senior management, business, programme and technical audiences.
• Ability to coordinate effectively across multiple projects, suppliers and organisational boundaries.
• Strong diplomacy and interpersonal skills when managing competing priorities and dependencies within a matrix organisation.
• Results-oriented, structured and highly organised, with strong attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to work autonomously and remain effective under pressure and demanding delivery timelines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; German or additional languages would be advantageous.
• High level of commitment to programme delivery, including willingness to support critical release activities outside normal business hours and at weekends when required.

Education

• University degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Relevant certifications in ITIL, SAFe, Agile, Project Management, Change Management or Release Management would be advantageous.

Reporting Line The Cluster Release Manager reports to the Programme Release Manager.