Senior Release Manager

Role: Senior Release Manager


Location: New Haven, CT - Onsite 2-3 days per week (non-negotiable)


Duration: Long-term engagement (minimum 2-3 years)


Rate: Open

Overview:


We are seeking an experienced Release Manager to lead a global SAP S/4HANA transformation initiative. This role is responsible for managing the end-to-end release lifecycle across functional, technical, and integration streams, ensuring high-quality delivery and alignment with program objectives. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in large-scale ERP environments, excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, and a strong command of release governance in complex, multinational settings.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, maintain, and execute the enterprise-wide release plan for all S/4HANA waves, sprints, and deployments.
• Coordinate release activities across global workstreams, including functional, technical, data, testing, and change management.
• Ensure cross-team alignment on release scope, timelines, dependencies, and milestone.
• Establish and enforce release governance processes, quality gates, and documentation standards.
• Facilitate release readiness assessments and go/no-go reviews.
• Ensure adherence to change control, including defect triage, deployment checklists, and risk assessments.
• Lead execution of deployment activities (cutover, transport management, hypercare stabilization).
• Work closely with Basis, Infrastructure, and project teams to ensure successful transport movement, environment management, and system availability.
• Track and resolve release-related issues, escalating as needed.
• Serve as the central point of contact for release management across business and technical teams.
• Communicate release schedules, status updates, risks, and impacts to a global audience including senior leadership.
• Translate complex technical details into clear, concise messages for non-technical stakeholders.
• Evaluate release management processes and identify opportunities to optimize cycle time, quality, and predictability.
• Champion best practices for SAP S/4HANA release management, agile methodologies, and project enablement.

Requirements:

• 10+ years of experience in release management, program delivery, or IT project management.
• Proven experience delivering large-scale global SAP programs, preferably S/4HANA (Greenfield or Brownfield).
• Strong knowledge of SAP transports, development lifecycle, environments, and integration patterns.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent releases in complex, multi-vendor environments.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to drive alignment at all organizational levels.
• Experience working across diverse global teams and time zones.
• Strong analytical, problem solving, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with tools such as SolMan/ChaRM, Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar.

Nice-to-Have:

• Familiarity with SAP Activate.
• Background working in regulated industries or environments with strong compliance requirements.
• PMP, SAFe, ITIL, or similar certifications.