Release Manager

SkyAlyne; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 63,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Extended health and dental benefits

Short and long-term disability

Paid vacation

Employee and family assistance

Job summary

SkyAlyne is seeking a Release Manager for a 1-year contract in Ottawa, focusing on coordinating complex technology releases for the FAcT program with SkyAlyne’s Ottawa-based teams. The role requires ITIL v4 knowledge, strong SDLC expertise, and government clearance readiness.

You will collaborate with clients, vendors and delivery partners to ensure operational readiness, governance, and continuous improvement across releases and environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in IT, CS, business, PM or risk management.
• 5+ years of release management, ITSM or related delivery experience.
• ITIL v4 certification required.
• Experience coordinating complex releases across multiple stakeholders and environments.
• Strong SDLC understanding and release management best practices.
• Working knowledge of ITSM principles and frameworks.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in Agile, Waterfall or hybrid delivery environments.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational and risk skills.
• Defence/Aerospace exposure and government clearance is an asset.
• Must be eligible to work in Canada.
• Excellent English; French language is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Oversee deployment of application and infrastructure releases with schedules and milestones.
• Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders to manage release dependencies and issues.
• Assess release readiness using testing results, business impact and resource needs.
• Lead release meetings and communicate status, decisions and issues to stakeholders.
• Track progress, milestones, risks and dependencies for informed decisions.
• Lead release readiness activities and post-implementation sign-off with stakeholders.
• Identify and mitigate release risks with contingency plans.
• Oversee governance activities such as change requests and readiness tests.
• Conduct post-incident reviews to improve practices and procedures.
• Monitor releases for risks and production impacts and escalate as needed.
• Maintain release management documentation and best practices.
• Develop relationships with clients, vendors and partners to support outcomes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Release management

IT Service Management

Change management

Project delivery

SDLC

ITSM

Agile/Hybrid/Waterfall

Risk assessment

Stakeholder management

English (written)

French (advantage)

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT/CS/Business/PM/Risk Management

Tools

ITIL v4 certification

Job description

Job Title: Release Manager (1 year contract)

Position Reports To: Manager, IM&T Delivery & Customer Engagement

Job Type: Full-time

Hourly Rate: $45.50/hr - $52.50/hr CAD

About SkyAlyne

SkyAlyne is a team of defense, training, simulation, and aviation industry experts assembled from across Canada, working to prepare the next generation of RCAF Pilots and Aircrew as the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program provider for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). SkyAlyne was formed in 2018 as a partnership between CAE and KF Aerospace, two Canadian aviation, training, and defense leaders. The partnership was built to jointly answer the call for the Government of Canada’s FAcT program. In 2023 SkyAlyne was named the preferred bidder, and in 2024, was officially contracted to partner with the RCAF and deliver the FAcT program. We are now building a new team to deliver the FAcT program.

The scope of the FAcT program includes all training and in-service support requirements needed to prepare Pilots, Air Combat Systems Officers, and Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators to meet the future aerospace requirements of the RCAF. The FAcT program is overseen from a Joint Management Office at SkyAlyne’s Ottawa headquarters in Kanata, with three operational bases: Moose Jaw, SK, Southport, MB, and Winnipeg, MB.

In collaboration with the Government of Canada and several major Canadian subcontractors, Team SkyAlyne will provide live-flying, simulator and classroom-based training, facilities construction and management, information management and information technology support, site support services, aircraft maintenance and much more.

SkyAlyne offers competitive compensation and benefits and believes strongly in a safe, diverse, equitable, inclusive, and environmentally friendly workplace.

Job Overview

The Release Manager oversees release and risk management activities for technology solutions supporting the FAcT program. The role is responsible for coordinating complex releases, managing dependencies and stakeholders, ensuring operational readiness, and proactively mitigating risks that may impact successful implementation and service delivery.

This role will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to drive the successful delivery of technology releases while promoting continuous improvement, governance standards, and operational stability across the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversee the deployment of application and infrastructure releases, including the development and maintenance of release schedules, timelines, and key delivery milestones.
• Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders to manage release dependencies, resolve issues, and support successful implementation outcomes.
• Assess release readiness by evaluating testing results, business impacts, resource requirements, and operational support needs.
• Lead and facilitate release meetings while providing timely and effective communication of release status, updates, decisions, and issues to stakeholders.
• Track and report on release progress, key milestones, risks, and dependencies to support informed stakeholder decision-making.
• Manage release readiness activities, including operational readiness assessments, deployment authorization, and post implementation acceptance with appropriate stakeholder involvement.
• Identify, assess, and manage release-related risks, developing mitigation and contingency plans to minimize disruption and ensure successful delivery.
• Oversee governance activities such as change requests, readiness tests and sign off reviews.
• Conduct and analyze post-incident reviews to continuously improve upon standard practices and procedures.
• Monitor releases for emerging risks, issues, and production impacts, taking appropriate action and escalating concerns as required.
• Maintain documentation on release management standards, and best practices to support consistent delivery.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with clients, vendors, and delivery partners to support successful release outcomes.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Project Management, Risk Management, or related discipline. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Five (5+) years of proven experience in Release Management, IT Service Management, Change Management, Project Delivery, or a related field.
• Possess ITIL v4 certification.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating and managing complex technology releases across multiple stakeholders and environments.
• Strong understanding of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodologies and release management best practices.
• Working knowledge of IT Service Manager (ITSM) principles and frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to manager competing priorities and make sound decisions in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Experience working within Agile, Waterfall, and/or hybrid delivery environments.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and risk assessment skills.
• Experience in the Defence and Aerospace industries would be an asset.
• Be able to hold a Government of Canada Security Clearance (Secret level) and Controlled Goods Clearance.
• Eligible to work in Canada.
• Strong oral and written English language capabilities.
• Fluency in French would be an asset.

What We Offer

• A competitive compensation model.
• Extended health and dental benefits.
• Short and long-term disability coverage.
• Paid vacation.
• Employee and family assistance program.

At SkyAlyne, we are dedicated to building a team that reflects the rich tapestry of our society. Diversity is not just a goal; it's our strength. We welcome candidates of all genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, abilities, and backgrounds to join us in creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.

We especially recognize the unique perspectives and contributions that women and Indigenous persons bring to the table, and we actively encourage individuals from these communities to apply for this position. Indigenous candidates are especially encouraged to send a copy of their application to [e-mail].

Come be a part of our inclusive community and help us shape a brighter future for all.

If you are contacted as part of our selection process, we encourage you to notify us of any adaptive measures or accessibility needs, and we will make every effort to accommodate these.