Project / Program Management
Release Manager
- Competitive hourly rate
- Initial contract is till June 2026 with 12 months of extensions.
- Flexible hybrid working arrangements
- Location: Canberra
- Location: - None Specified -
- Work type: Contract
- Date Posted: 26 August, 2025
- Reference: #17955
About the role
We are seeking an experienced IT Release Manager for our federal government client who will be responsible for governing enterprise-wide release management activities, with a strong focus on process uplift, documentation maturity, and strategic governance across major ICT programs.
The IT Release Manager will play a key role in ensuring releases across large-scale digital initiatives are delivered in a controlled, repeatable, and risk-aware manner. You will coordinate with cross-functional delivery teams, oversee interdependent release plans, and embed governance practices that support the successful transition of projects into production environments.
Key responsibilities
- Govern and maintain the integrated release calendar for enterprise systems and large program deployments.
- Coordinate release activities across business units, technical teams, and delivery groups.
- Lead release planning forums, go/no-go decisions, and deployment readiness assessments.
- Review and uplift release and deployment processes, aligning with ITIL, change, and transition frameworks.
- Develop and maintain high-quality release documentation (procedures, runbooks, templates, decision logs).
- Provide oversight for releases within large ICT programs, ensuring compliance with enterprise architecture, security, and operational readiness.
- Identify dependencies, risks, and impacts associated with major releases.
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on release risks and mitigation strategies.
- Support and coach project teams on release management best practices.
Highly desirable criteria
- Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-level release management in complex ICT environments.
- Proven track record in uplifting release frameworks, tools, and documentation practices.
- Strong knowledge of program governance, ICT delivery models (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid), and enterprise change processes.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with experience engaging senior executives and multi-disciplinary teams.
- Strong analytical skills with a focus on risk, assurance, and performance metrics.
- Ability to drive alignment across interdependent delivery streams.
Desirable criteria
- Experience working in or alongside PMO/governance bodies for major programs.
- Understanding of public sector ICT accountability and assurance frameworks.
- Familiarity with security and operational readiness in government environments.
- Experience managing enterprise deployments across cloud and hybrid platforms.
Skills and experience
- Expertise in release governance, coordination, and assurance.
- Advanced documentation and process development skills.
- Proficiency in managing releases within large-scale ICT programs.
- Strong interpersonal skills to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Contact details
For a confidential chat, please contact Raisa on 0437 318 208 or via email at raisa@exclaim-it.com.au and we would be more than happy to provide you with additional information and assist in the application process.
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