Job Description
On behalf of our public sector client, Affinity is seeking a Release Project Manager / Technical PM. The successful candidate will oversee release coordination across LABC’s application portfolio while also leading technical integration projects within the Digital Transformation Program. They will help ensure software changes and technical integrations are delivered reliably, with appropriate quality, governance and operational controls in support of LABC’s multi-year digital transformation. They will work closely with Product Owners, the MSP, system integrators, Enterprise Architect, Communications, Business Analysis and Quality Assurance, and DTP project teams to ensure coordinated releases and successful project delivery.
Responsibilities
- Release Framework – define and document LABC’s release management process, release types (major, minor, emergency), stage gates and release controls, and ensure they are understood by delivery and support teams.
- Integrated Release Calendar – build and maintain a centralized release calendar across portfolios and projects, including deployment windows and business blackout periods (e.g., month-end, year end).
- Tools & Continuous Improvement – recommend release management tools and practices, and continuously improve the process based on lessons learned.
- Release Scope & Readiness – work with Product Owners and project managers to plan each release; manage interdependencies, risks and issues affecting scope and schedule.
- Deployment & Back-Out Plans – ensure detailed deployment plans, checklists and back-out plans are documented; validate that releases are correctly packaged and all controls are satisfied before deployment.
- Change & Go/No-Go – prepare Requests for Change for the Change Advisory Board (CAB); facilitate release readiness, milestone and business go/no-go reviews.
- Go-Live & Hypercare – lead go-live activities and execution of deployment plans; coordinate post deployment validation and post-implementation reviews.
- Vendor Coordination – coordinate the MSP, system integrators and release engineers on build, environment, testing and deployment activities, including the impact of branches and code merges.
- Communications – partner with Communications to issue pre-planned release notes and stakeholder notices.
- Reporting – measure and report release progress, quality and outcomes to AMS leadership and DTP governance.
- Project Ownership – lead technical integration projects end to end, accountable for delivering outcomes on time, within budget and to agreed quality standards.
- Integration Approach & Architecture Alignment – work with architects, the MSP and system integrators to confirm integration scope, interfaces, data flows, dependencies and technical design before build begins.
- Environments, Testing & Cutover – coordinate environment readiness, integration, end-to-end and user acceptance testing, data migration and cutover activities, including go-live readiness and hypercare.
- Technical Risk & Dependency Management – proactively identify, track and resolve technical risks, issues and cross-project dependencies, and escalate where needed.
- Initiation & Planning – develop the project charter, scope statement, work breakdown structure, integrated schedule, resource plan and budget; obtain required approvals.
- Scope & Change Control – manage scope, requirements and change requests through a defined change control process, assessing impacts on schedule, cost and risk.
- Schedule, Budget & Resource Management – monitor progress against baselines, forecast variances, manage resource allocation and take corrective action as required.
- Risk, Issue & Decision Management – maintain RAID logs, define mitigation plans and drive timely decisions with accountable owners.
- Vendor & Contract Management – manage vendor deliverables, performance and invoicing against statements of work, ensuring accountability across MSP and third-party partners.
- Quality Management – define acceptance criteria and quality checkpoints, and ensure deliverables are reviewed and signed off before stage-gate progression.
- Stakeholder Engagement – maintain a stakeholder and communications plan, run regular project meetings and keep business and technical stakeholders aligned.
- Status Reporting – provide regular status, financial and risk reporting to the DTP Lead and DTP governance forums.
- Alignment with Release Management – align project plans and deliverables with the integrated release calendar, CAB and release readiness requirements.
- Project Closure & Lessons Learned – complete handover to AMS and operations, confirm documentation and knowledge transfer, close out contracts and capture lessons learned for continuous improvement.
Qualifications
- The ideal candidate is a Senior Release / Project Manager with 10+ years of direct experience overseeing the planning, packaging, testing and deployment of software releases in complex, multi-vendor environments.
- The successful consultant will have a strong IT operations background with exceptional project management, coordination and organizational experience.
- This role also requires strong skills in managing vendors and/or system integrators.
- A degree in computer science, information sciences, MBA or equivalent experience is required; ITIL 4 certification is preferred with strong project management experience.
- Release & Environment Management – release, environment and deployment best practices across portfolios and programs
- ITSM & Change Management – ITIL-aligned change, CAB and incident processes and ITSM tools
- DevOps & Testing – Azure DevOps or similar CI/CD, branching and test management tools
- Application Support – troubleshooting and supporting enterprise and SaaS applications
- Communication – communicates clearly in both technical and business language
- Exceptional - organizational skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Negotiation & prioritization – balances competing release demands and executes under pressure
- Attention to detail – rigorous, organized and quality-focused
- Collaboration – strong service orientation in a team-oriented, multi-vendor environment
Affinity Earn
Know someone who’s great for this, or any of our open roles? Earn up to $4,000/year for each successful referral through Affinity Earn. You can also earn up to $50,000 for helping us find new clients. Learn about our referral program at https://affinity-group.ca/earn/ or browse our jobs & follow us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/affinity-staffing/jobs/
About Affinity
Affinity Group is a technology and business consulting and services company. We believe in creating long term relationships between clients and consultants that foster a mutually beneficial partnership. Affinity is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.
For more information on Affinity, please visit www.affinity-group.ca
Job Number: 14166
