Change and Release Manager

NHS; Manchester; Remote; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a skilled Change and Release Manager to lead complex digital transformations. This role involves setting up and standardizing change management processes, ensuring effective governance, and managing the release schedules of software across various technology environments. The ideal candidate will thrive in an Agile environment, demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity and effective communication. Join a forward-thinking organization that values flexibility and diversity, and make a significant impact on the delivery of essential health research solutions.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing product releases in Agile environments.
• Strong background in change management processes and governance.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead change and release management processes.
• Coordinate with Agile teams to manage release schedules and dependencies.

Skills

Change Management

Agile Methodologies

Release Management

Risk Assessment

Communication Skills

Education

Masters degree in IT or relevant discipline

ITIL Service Management Foundation certification

Agile Change Management certification

Job description

CV Recruitment - We want to make applications for this role as easy as possible! Please apply using your CV.

Health Research Authority is looking for an experienced Change and Release Manager who can set up, standardise, and lead complex digital transformation changes through programme governance, ensuring adequate risk assessment and scheduling of changes and releases for a stable and reliable technology service. The successful candidate will take a hands-on approach to ensure that technical changes to software and services are adequately assessed for impact, prioritised, scheduled, authorised, and implemented in line with agreed processes and using appropriate tools.

The successful candidate will have experience of continuous release management in an Agile/SAFe environment and will play a leading role in planning, managing, and overseeing software releases across various technology environments (internal and dependent external organizations).

Main duties of the job

1. Establish RSP change and release management capability keeping in mind Agile delivery practices.
2. Demonstrate broad industry experience in change management and implement a successful change management process from zero to full maturity.
3. Be the responsible owner for the Change Management policy and supporting processes, including chairing the Change Advisory Board (CAB).
4. Strategic planning, coordination, and execution of change and release management processes.
5. Champion change management—responsible for change management lifecycle, analysing impact, and managing risk. Be the main escalation point and make decisions for all technical changes, coordinating releases and interdependencies.
6. Work closely with Agile (scrum) teams and change managers to define release schedules, align resources (internal and external), and manage dependencies.
7. Commitment to transparency, customer-centricity, system stability, and performance to ensure stakeholders are kept informed throughout the release process.

About us

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for you, not just us and the work we do.

We're committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services.

We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community. This includes: age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, religion or belief, sexual orientation, and other diverse characteristics.

We have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.

When applying to work here, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement—if it works for you, we'll do our best to make it work for us.

Please note, if applying to our Manchester, Nottingham, or Bristol locations, we are only able to offer the role as home-based.

Job responsibilities

This role sits within HRA Digital. The HRA Digital directorate is responsible for developing, delivering, and supporting complex solutions within the HRA portfolio or national information systems for health research. This includes a major programme to build a new Integrated Research Application and Workflow system and to achieve the successful migration and eventual closure of current systems (IRAS and HARP).

The HRA Digital team is a collaborative, supportive team consisting of HRA employees, secondees, contractors, and vendors.

To find out more and to understand the full duties of the role, please refer to the job description attached.

In submitting your application with us, please note the following:

• We currently do not accept applications via recruitment agencies.
• We do not hold a sponsorship licence and are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement.
• Applications failing to demonstrate how they meet any one of the essential criteria of the person specification will not be shortlisted.
• The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to Masters degree level (or equivalent) in an IT or other relevant discipline or relevant experience.
• ITIL Service Management Foundation certification.
• Agile Change Management or equivalent Agile certification.

Experience

• Demonstrable experience in managing product releases or projects with multiple contributors and delivering on time-based release schedules.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• Ability to navigate constantly evolving situations to ensure plans achieve goals and specific outcomes within agreed timescales.

Additional Experience

• Experience of working in an Agile and DevOps environment.

Other

• Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity.

Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent communication, organisational, and interpersonal skills.

Full-time, flexible working, home or remote working, compressed hours.