Snr.) Project Manager - Release Management

CLIENT IS SEEKING AN EXPERIENCED PROJECT MANAGER - RELEASE MANAGER.

TEAM INFORMATION
Client has adopted the ITIL Release Management model for the delivery of all business changes to our ICT infrastructure and applications. The accountability and responsibility for ensuring the releases are delivered within time and budget rests with the staff of the release management team. All software releases are planned in advance using a release calendar which contains approximately 300 releases for 2016. Our standard processes aim to combine the drive of the organization to be flexible and have a short time to market while at the same time addressing the need for stability and the continuous availability of our business critical systems. Our team currently consists of 16 FTE with representation in the Netherlands, Germany and in Italy.

WHAT WILL YOUR JOB BE?
As the release manager in Italy you will be accountable for realizing, organizing, maintaining and guiding the execution of the Release Calendar and the component distinctive releases. You will ensure that release coordinators are appointed to the planned releases and support the process of allocating changes to releases. You will monitor and manage interdependencies between releases, update and re-plan the calendar where necessary and assist the stakeholders to support the realization of the change portfolio in an effective and efficient manner. You will be expected to manage the day-to-day operations of the release coordinators in Milan (2 FTE) and Rome (2 FTE) and you will be the single point of contact in Italy for all escalations, requests for information and for handling requests from the team manager. As release manager ITA you will have peers in the Netherlands and Germany.

Your main tasks and activities will be:

-Create and maintain the release calendar for applications maintained by IT Development in Italy. Dependency management as well as the alignment of demand and supply with Business Delivery Management, Product Management
-Actively contributes to an overall standardized IT Development Release Process (framework), advices regarding the set-up and implementation of distinctive detailed release processes;
-Support the portfolio management team and other stakeholders in the optimum allocation of changes to releases, participate in change allocation meetings organized, assisting in re-planning exercises in case of changed priorities, monitoring capacity utilization and resolving capacity shortages in case of over allocations;
-Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the release coordinators in Milan and Rome, organizing team meetings/huddles, ensuring process adherence, quality of work delivered, timely and correct reporting of progress information and for handling escalations;
-Deliver periodic and ad-hoc management information about for example the execution of releases, progress, budget and time KPIs, issues encountered, organizational or process improvements.

Some short-term travel to either Rome or Utrecht is foreseen as part of this function.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER?

-At least Higher Vocational level with a relevant background or relevant working experience;
- A PRINCE2 OR IPMA C OR HIGHER CERTIFICATION IS REQUIRED;
-A ITIL FOUNDATION CERTIFICATION IS A REQUIREMENT;
-A scrum master certification would be considered a bonus;
-Experience with, or an excellent understanding of, the ITIL processes surrounding change and release management;
-Experience with software delivery processes (Waterfall and/or Agile) would be considered a bonus;
-Experience with working in the financial sector and/or a good understanding of the Cards or Payments world would be considered a bonus;
-A proven track record leading either a team or managing a project in a complex and international organization;
-Fluent in English both verbally as well as written;
-Goal and result oriented way of working;
-Continuous improvement attitude is required;
-Strong communicator and able to align parties;
-Ability to function effectively in a high pressure environment.

AS PART OF THE SUBMISSION PROCESS, A PASSPORT COPY WILL BE REQUIRED.

FOR ANY EVENTUAL SUBMISSION, CANDIDATES WILL BE REQUIRED TO FURNISH TWO (2) REFERENCES.