Change and Release Manager

Role Overview

The position is for a Change and Release Manager based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, requiring presence onsite and 4 to 8 years of experience. The role involves overseeing and coordinating IT changes, software releases, deployments, and production implementations specifically in the banking sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the complete lifecycle of Change Management and Release Management processes across IT systems and infrastructure.
• Organize, plan, and supervise application releases and deployment schedules.
• Ensure all change activities comply with standardized Change, Release, and ITIL procedures.
• Collaborate with various teams including application, infrastructure, security, database, testing, business, and operations to ensure seamless release execution.
• Host and facilitate Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings effectively.
• Evaluate change requests for impacts, risks, dependencies, and devise implementation and rollback strategies.
• Maintain and update the Release Calendar, proactively resolving conflicts and dependencies.
• Coordinate deployments across development, testing, UAT, pre-production, and production stages.
• Monitor readiness of releases, approvals, testing progress, rollout activities, and post-release validations.
• Prepare and ensure availability of rollback/backout procedures during production changes.
• Oversee approval processes for emergency and standard changes to ensure compliance.
• Produce routine reports, dashboards, and updates regarding change and release status for management.
• Ensure scheduled production changes are executed with minimal disruption to business operations.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews to capture lessons learned and drive improvement actions.
• Detect and escalate potential risks, dependencies, and conflicts related to releases promptly.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation and audit logs for all change and release activities.
• Champion continual improvements to Change and Release Management processes aligned with ITIL best practices.
• Engage with business and technology stakeholders to ensure well-controlled production deployments.

Mandatory Qualifications and Experience

• Between 4 to 8 years of IT experience, specifically in Change and Release Management roles.
• Mandatory background in the banking or financial services domain.
• Proficient hands-on knowledge of managing Change and Release processes.
• Experienced in handling production releases and coordinating across multiple technical teams.
• Strong understanding of ITIL and IT Service Management frameworks.
• Familiar with CAB processes, change approval mechanisms, risk assessments, release planning, deployment coordination, and rollback handling.
• Excellent stakeholder communication and relationship management skills.
• Experience working within large-scale banking or enterprise IT setups.
• Well-versed in SDLC phases, testing practices, UAT procedures, production deployments, and incident/problem management.
• Strong capabilities in documentation, reporting, coordination, and organizational tasks.

Additional Information

• The work location is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and requires onsite presence.
• Applicants must already be residing in Saudi Arabia; candidates from outside will not be considered.
• Notice period requirement is a maximum of one month.