Release Manager

Senior Release ManagerLocation: Charlotte, North Carolina (Onsite) Employment Type: Contract Contract Duration: 12 MonthsRole Overview: The Senior Release Manager will be a key leader in driving the transformation of release management practices from legacy, fragmented processes to a modern, automated, and scalable operating model. This role will lead the design, implementation, and adoption of enterprise-wide release capabilities across International Technology and Global Payments Solutions Technology. This leader will bring a forward-looking mindset, combining domain expertise in global payments with experience modernizing complex technology environments.Key Responsibilities:Lead the evolution of release management from traditional, manual processes to a modern, automated, and data-driven model.Define and execute a roadmap to standardize release practices across legacy and modern technology stacks.Design, document, and implement scalable, line-of-business-wide release management processes.Establish and enforce release governance, including milestone tracking, controls, and risk management.Apply expertise in international payments and global payment platforms to manage complex dependencies and release risk.Identify and implement opportunities to automate release workflows and eliminate manual inefficiencies.Serve as a transformation leader, driving adoption through clear, structured communication.Develop playbooks, documentation, and training materials to support enterprise-wide adoption.Build partnerships across CIO organizations, engineering, operations, and business stakeholders.Required Qualifications:8+ years of experience in Release Management, IT Service Management, or related disciplines within large, complex organizations.Proven experience designing and implementing enterprise release management frameworks.Strong domain knowledge of Global Payments Solutions Technology, including systems integration and payment processing flows.Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority and drive organizational change.Expertise in process documentation, stakeholder engagement, and training delivery.Experience leveraging automation and tooling to improve release efficiency and reduce operational risk.Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.Preferred Qualifications:Experience in global financial services or other highly regulated environments.Experience with enterprise tooling such as ServiceNow or Jira.ITIL certification or equivalent experience in ITSM best practices.Experience leading transformation from monolithic or legacy systems to modern, cloud-enabled architectures.