Release Management Specialist

at  AGC Biologics

Our purpose is to bring hope to life by enabling life-changing therapies for patients around the globe, creating a healthier and happier tomorrow. Our mission is to work side by side with our customers in order to improve patients’ lives by bringing new biopharmaceuticals to market.

JOB SUMMARY

As a member of the Global IT team, the Release Management Specialist will play a critical role in maintaining and delivering successful solutions by partnering with business and technology groups to coordinate and manage the continuous improvements and implementation of various enterprise applications. Currently the focus is our new Global ERP-based Program for the Microsoft Platform D365. Moving from independent solutions at our sites around the world to a Global Solution that will be rolled out. The Release Management Specialist will continually work with key business stakeholders to align and increase quality and performance for our Platform and the evolution of it. This position involves working with multiple functional groups (Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Finance, etc.), so managing multiple stakeholders is essential, and strong verbal and written communication skills are a must. This position will be key in setting the Global standard for Good Operating Practice, which is a key element for a successful maintenance and improvement of the ERP platform and fundamental for AGC Biologics to grow on.

Position Description:

• The Release Manager Specialist reports to the manager in the Global Application team. Release Manager Specialist, in DevOps, is responsible for scheduling, planning, and controlling the software developments, support changes, and the delivery process.
• As a Release Manager Specialist, you will be responsible for handling and coordinating the DevOps team to make them deliver the services on time and will manage both IT operations and developers for this task.
• You will be responsible for the Release Management lifecycle that involves the stages such as scheduling the release, coordinating between teams, and deployment of release as per the schedule and roadmap aligned with the Business Leads.
• As a Release Manager Specialist, you will have to release the software after completing the testing stage and deployment stage, and work closely with the application development team, testing team, and production team. You will have to maintain proper coordination between these teams to update the project related information.
• You need to define the strategic usage of release management tools to manage the optimal strategy for the release.
• Overall, you will be concerned with planning, testing, tracking, release, deployment, communication, and risk management.

Release Manager Roles and Responsibilities:

From a birds-eye view, you will spend most of your time planning, testing, tracking, release, deployment, communication, and risk management. Below are some details:

• Plan the release of project deliverables and release life cycle for updates and ordinary changes.
• Communicate the project-related tasks such as plans, timelines, requirements, etc. between different teams.
• Coordinate the release schedule and resources required depending upon the third-party applications, defect backlogs, planned releases, and infrastructure updates.
• Identify the risks that can delay the release and manage them, such that the scope scheduled, and quality of the release is not affected.
• Track the progress and find issues, if any. Always work to improve the process of release.
• Make sure that the release is planned, according to the requirements and budget.
• Schedule the release readiness reviews before deployment and milestone reviews after each release.
• Create plans for the implementation and deployment as per the release schedule.
• Plan and give weekly updates on the release activities
• Communicate and coordinate with managers from different IT departments.
• Lead the Go-Live activities to deploy the software successfully.
• Team up with relevant development teams responsible for building the automation tools used to develop and deploy the software.
• Schedule the CAB meetings to discuss the release schedules with the Business team and find roadblocks, if any.
• Maintain documentation related to procedures on build and release, various notifications lists, and dependencies.
• Make improvements in the methodologies used for configuration management and development of software that helps to find ways to use in configuration management.

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

• Manage IT external partners and internal stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

As the role of a Release Manager Specialist is quite competent, so you need to master or at least be an expert in some of the key technical skills. In addition to that, some soft skills are also required to make the communication easier and the coordination between different teams to go easy.

• Bachelors in computer science or an equivalent degree
• Project management experience
• Knowledge of Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CD/CI) pipelines
• Experience in working with DevOps and Agile methodologies.
• Working knowledge of Software Development Lifecycle
• Knowledge of computer programming
• Team management skills
• Experience in the use of Application Release Automation.
• Knowledge of traditional agile methodologies, including Scrum, Waterfall, or Kanban
• Good understanding of application infrastructure, system architecture, and operating system
• Demonstrated Business domain knowledge of enterprise-wide ERP-related business and technical processes (including functional areas such as: Finance, Operations, and Supply Chain)
• Experience with IT Operations and documentation in a GMP environment
• Ability to be flexible about project changes and dynamically mitigate risks in the moment with mid-course corrective action.
• Experience in Biotech or regulated industries a plus

Soft Skills:

• Excellent communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Project management skills with knowledge of presentation
• Problem-solving and analytics skills
• Team and time management skills

Our culture at AGC Biologics is defined by the six core values: Knowledge, Trust, Quality, Ingenuity, Accountability and Teamwork. Our core values stem from our team members and are embedded into our DNA. They provide a common language and understanding of how we as an organization are connected across three continents. Our core values serve as a compass and reminder of how we achieve our purpose of bringing hope to life for patients around the globe.
AGC Biologics is a leading global biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a strong commitment to delivering the highest standard of service as we work side-by-side with our clients and partners, every step of the way. We provide world-class development and manufacture of mammalian and microbial-based therapeutic proteins, plasmid DNA (pDNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), viral vectors, and genetically engineered cells. Our global network spans the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with cGMP-compliant facilities in Seattle, Washington; Boulder and Longmont, Colorado; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; Milan, Italy; and Chiba, Japan. We currently employ more than 2,500 employees worldwide. Our commitment to continuous innovation fosters the technical creativity to solve our clients’ most complex challenges, including specialization in fast-track projects and rare diseases. AGC Biologics is the partner of choice. To learn more, visit www.agcbio.com. Want to keep posted about our growth and learn more about our company? Follow us on
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AGC Biologics offers a highly competitive compensation package and a friendly, collaborative culture that values personal initiative and professional achievement. AGC Biologics is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances

• Bachelors in computer science or an equivalent degree
• Project management experience
• Knowledge of Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CD/CI) pipelines
• Experience in working with DevOps and Agile methodologies.
• Working knowledge of Software Development Lifecycle
• Knowledge of computer programming
• Team management skills
• Experience in the use of Application Release Automation.
• Knowledge of traditional agile methodologies, including Scrum, Waterfall, or Kanban
• Good understanding of application infrastructure, system architecture, and operating system
• Demonstrated Business domain knowledge of enterprise-wide ERP-related business and technical processes (including functional areas such as: Finance, Operations, and Supply Chain)
• Experience with IT Operations and documentation in a GMP environment
• Ability to be flexible about project changes and dynamically mitigate risks in the moment with mid-course corrective action.
• Experience in Biotech or regulated industries a plu