Release Strategy & Governance Lead (m/f/d) SAP S/4HANA

Siemens Energy, Inc.; Erlangen; Remote; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pension scheme and company 1%

Share ownership opportunity

Flexible work arrangements including遥性

Job summary

Siemens Energy seeks a Release Governance Lead to own release strategy for SAP S/4HANA landscapes and connected non-SAP apps. You will chair the Release Board, manage the binding calendar, and drive alignment across projects, programs and vendors while steering releases hands-on where needed.

The role requires 8+ years in enterprise IT release/delivery and a proven track record in SAP environments, with strong stakeholder management and fluent English. German is a plus.

Qualifications

• Degree in IT, Computer Science, Business Administration or a related field.
• 8+ years in enterprise IT in release, delivery, program or IT service management, ideally several years in SAP landscapes.
• Proven experience setting up release governance, quality gates and release calendars for multiple parallel releases, preferably in SAP S/4HANA.
• Solid understanding of the SDLC, testing, cutover and ITGC change management controls.
• Track record of delivering complex, cross-functional initiatives in matrixed organizations.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority, challenge constructively and drive decisions when priorities are unclear.
• Clear, credible communication with technical and executive audiences.
• Experience with JIRA, Confluence or similar tools.
• Fluent English; German is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the release strategy and governance framework, including release types, cadences, freeze and blackout periods.
• Own the binding release calendar and the integrated release roadmap across business priorities, projects and technical dependencies.
• Run the quality gate model from intake to closure and lead readiness reviews.
• Chair the Release Board and decide on scope, sequencing and late change exceptions.
• Manage cross-system dependencies and risks across SAP, non-SAP systems, programs and vendors.
• Govern emergency and patch releases, including hypercare.
• Make sure gate decisions and release evidence are documented audit-proof and support ITGC change management controls.
• Set the standard for release notes and release communication so no stakeholder is surprised by a release.
• Establish release KPIs, run post-implementation reviews and continuously improve release management maturity.

Skills

Stakeholder influence

Cross-functional leadership

Clear communication

IT governance

Education

Degree in IT/CS/Business Admin or related field

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Job description

A Snapshot of Your Day

In this new role, you will own the release strategy and governance for our SAP S/4HANA landscape, including SAP SaaS satellites and connected non-SAP applications. We run multiple parallel releases across projects, rollouts and operations, and you will make sure they come together in one coherent, executable plan.

You will chair the Release Board, own the binding release calendar and the quality gate process, and give Program Management and SteerCo a fact-based Go/No-Go recommendation for every release. This is not a scheduling role. You will drive alignment, resolve dependencies, challenge readiness gaps and make sure decisions get made on time. Until operational release management is fully established, you will also steer releases hands-on.

How You'll Make an Impact

• Define and evolve the release strategy and governance framework, including release types, cadences, freeze and blackout periods
• Own the binding release calendar and the integrated release roadmap across business priorities, projects and technical dependencies
• Run the quality gate model from intake to closure and lead readiness reviews
• Chair the Release Board and decide on scope, sequencing and late change exceptions
• Manage cross-system dependencies and risks across SAP, non-SAP systems, programs and vendors
• Govern emergency and patch releases, including hypercare
• Make sure gate decisions and release evidence are documented audit-proof and support ITGC change management controls
• Set the standard for release notes and release communication so no stakeholder is surprised by a release
• Establish release KPIs, run post-implementation reviews and continuously improve release management maturity

What You Bring

• Degree in IT, Computer Science, Business Administration or a related field
• 8+ years in enterprise IT in release, delivery, program or IT service management, ideally several years in SAP landscapes
• Proven experience setting up release governance, quality gates and release calendars for multiple parallel releases, preferably in SAP S/4HANA
• Solid understanding of the SDLC, testing, cutover and ITGC change management controls
• Track record of delivering complex, cross-functional initiatives in matrixed organizations
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority, challenge constructively and drive decisions when priorities are unclear
• Clear, credible communication with technical and executive audiences
• Experience with JIRA, Confluence or similar tools
• Fluent English; German is a plus

About the Team

Our Corporate Functions are essential in driving the company's strategic initiatives and ensuring operational excellence across various departments, business areas, and regions. These roles support our vision to become the most valued energy technology company in the world. As part of our team, you contribute to our vision by shaping the global energy transition, partnering with our internal and external stakeholders, and conducting business responsibly and in compliance with legal requirements and regulations.

Who is Siemens Energy?

At Siemens Energy, we are more than just an energy technology company. With ~100.000 dedicated employees in more than 90 countries, we develop the energy systems of the future, ensuring that the growing energy demand of the global community is met reliably and sustainably. The technologies created in our research departments and factories drive the energy transition and provide the base for one sixth of the world's electricity generation.

Our global team is committed to making sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy a reality by pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We uphold a 150-year legacy of innovation that encourages our search for people who will support our focus on decarbonization, new technologies, and energy transformation.

Find out how you can make a difference at Siemens Energy: https://www.siemens-energy.com/employeevideo

Our Commitment to Diversity

Lucky for us, we are not all the same. Through diversity we generate power. We run on inclusion and our combined creative energy is fueled by over 130 nationalities. Siemens Energy celebrates character - no matter what ethnic background, gender, age, religion, identity, or disability. We energize society, all of society, and we do not discriminate based on our differences.

Rewards/Benefits

• In addition to an attractive remuneration package in line with the market, you can expect an attractive employer-financed company pension scheme
• We also offer the opportunity to become a Siemens Energy shareholder
• We offer our employees the opportunity to work flexibly and remotely, and our inspiring offices provide space for collaboration and creativity
• The professional and personal development of our employees is very important to us. We provide them with the opportunities to learn and develop in a self-determined way, various attractive programmes and learning materials are available for this purpose
• In relation to the "compatibility of family and work", we have a wide range of offers, e.g. flexible working time models, childcare places at many locations, the possibility of trial part-time work or even a sabbatical

We value equal opportunities and welcome applications from people with disabilities.