STEP Release Management Lead

Job description

Job Description Summary The STEP Release Management Lead is responsible for establishing, governing, and continuously improving release management across the Enterprise Transformation Program, with a primary focus on SAP S/4HANA and SAP Cloud ALM. The incumbent ensures that business, technical, integration, data, and deployment changes are planned, sequenced, approved, tested, and released into production in a controlled, auditable, and business-aligned manner. Working closely with program leadership, process teams, solution architects, SAP functional and technical teams, test management, cutover, operations, quality, and external implementation partners, the role provides end-to-end visibility of release scope, dependencies, risks, readiness, and go-live decisions. The role also drives the effective use of SAP Cloud ALM for deployment planning, feature and requirement traceability, release governance, progress transparency, and compliance-ready reporting. Job Description Major accountabilities: Define and operate the end-to-end release management framework for the Enterprise Transformation Program, covering release strategy, release calendar, governance model, release gates, roles and responsibilities, and decision forums. Own and maintain the integrated SAP S/4HANA release plan, ensuring alignment across program increments, deployment waves, testing cycles, cutover activities, business readiness, and production go-live windows. Drive effective use of SAP Cloud ALM for requirement, feature, test, defect, deployment, and release traceability, ensuring transparent reporting of release scope, status, dependencies, risks, and decisions. Coordinate cross-functional release readiness across business process teams, SAP functional and technical teams, integration, data migration, security, testing, change management, cutover, operations, and external delivery partners. Govern change and deployment execution, including transport coordination, release bundling, dependency management, impact assessment, approvals, segregation of duties, and controlled movement of changes through non-production and production environments. Establish release quality criteria and go/no-go checkpoints, ensuring that testing evidence, defect status, business sign-offs, technical readiness, operational readiness, and compliance documentation are complete before production deployment. Identify, escalate, and actively manage release risks, conflicts, environment constraints, transport dependencies, testing bottlenecks, and readiness gaps that could impact deployment timelines or business continuity. Champion continuous improvement of release processes, automation, metrics, and reporting to increase delivery predictability, reduce deployment risk, and support a scalable SAP S/4HANA operating model. Responsible for performing all assigned activities in compliance with GxP regulations, company SOPs, and data integrity requirements. Minimum Requirements: Experience and Skills: 10+ years of experience in project delivery and/or application management or IT services within a multinational organization. Key skills include strategic planning, financial acumen, and team leadership. Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills. Effective communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate business needs into data and system requirements. Strong leadership and team-building skills, with a focus on developing talent and fostering a collaborative team culture. Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and drive change and innovation. Experience in managing global projects and working in diverse cultural environments. Proficiency in using advanced software tools and platforms relevant to the job. Experience with ITIL frameworks and other service management methodologies. Expert knowledge and practical experience in SAP S/4HANA release management, SAP Cloud ALM, SAP Activate delivery methods, and large-scale ERP transformation programs. Certification in project management methods (Agile, ITIL, Prince 2, PMI) is a plus. Certification or formal training in SAP S/4HANA, SAP Cloud ALM, SAP Activate, project management, Agile, ITIL, Prince2, or PMI is a plus. Experience with Agile/DevOps methodologies; Certification is a plus Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology Business Administration, or related field; (Master’s degree is preferred) Languages: Fluent English required (oral and written) Skills Desired Budget Management, Business Acumen, Performance Management, Risk Management, Service Delivery Management, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Planning, Talent Development, Waterfall Project Management