The Lead Release Manager role is responsible for strategizing, planning, scheduling, overseeing, and managing the software release cycle to ensure successful delivery of software products. The role requires the ability to create release road maps to drive the entire software release process, from planning to deployment, and ensure that its execution meets the organization's quality standards. The Lead Release Manager demonstrates exceptional communication and collaboration skills to connect with multiple teams and stakeholders to establish and maintain release management policies and standards, identify, and mitigate potential risks and issues, and guarantee all aspects of the release are rigorously tested and validated. The position partners with development, QA, business, and operations teams and supervises the tracking and reporting of software releases, ensuring that they are delivered on time and exceed user expectations. By doing this effectively, the incumbent fosters a seamless experience for end-users across the entire organization and helps the organization be more effective and efficient in delivering high-quality digital products and services. Create a comprehensive release road map for software products and execute it by partnering with cross-functional teams and other stakeholders Deliver training workshops and conduct regular audits to establish and enforce robust release management standards and processes Provide recommendations for latest version control technologies and supervise version control through the software development lifecycle Develop clear communication plans and escalation paths to ensure that all stakeholders are aligned on release schedules, changes, impacts and other information related to releases Implement innovative risk assessment mechanisms to identify potential risks and issues related to software releases and mitigate them on a proactive basis Implement document management tools to ensure that releases are well-documented and that records are efficiently and effectively maintained for future reference Establish robust channels for collaboration and promote knowledge sharing among cross-functional teams to ensure that processes and tools are aligned with release management policies and the defined standards Lead process improvement initiatives and encourage team members to actively share insights and contribute to process improvements Share findings and recommendations with senior leaders from post-release analysis to drive informed decision-making Direct rollback coordination efforts which includes implementing back-up plans and processes to return applications to previous versions Keep abreast of relevant laws, regulations, and industry best practices to ensure that the release process stays current and compliant This position is not eligible for sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, including conversion to H1-B visa. This position has a hybrid work schedule with three days in the office and the option for working remotely two days if local to Cleveland, OH. This position also has the option for remote work. Job duties include contact with other employees and access confidential and proprietary information and/or other items of value, and such access may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company therefore has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and is necessary to protect the safety of the Company's staff, employees, and business relationships. Education Required Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Information Technology, or in lieu of a degree, at least 9 years of experience in software development or software release management Preferred Relevant release management and/or project management certifications (e.g., PMP, CSM, SAFe) Skills and Experience Required