Senior Release Manager

SSE plc; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Gym discounts

Online GP

Counselling service

Cycle to Work

Maternity Pay

Paternity leave

Job summary

SSE plc is hiring a Senior Release Manager to govern Release Management within a hybrid SIAM model, spending 50% of time in Reading, Havant or Glasgow. The role ensures release decisions are balanced across business impact, service stability, cyber and regulatory obligations.

You will maintain the enterprise release calendar, coordinate release sequencing and dependencies, and provide governance, assurance and escalation when controls fall short.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of Service Integration and Enterprise IT Release Governance in complex multi-supplier, outsourced and SIAM environments.
• Proven experience governing release performance, integration controls, supplier accountability, readiness evidence, risk exposure and continuous improvement across enterprise technology services.
• Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to translate complex service, supplier and release risks into clear options, impacts and recommendations.
• Sound senior judgement, confidence and resilience when operating in complex, ambiguous and changing environments.
• Experience assessing release readiness, dependency management, business impact, cyber and resilience requirements, implementation evidence and rollback plans

Responsibilities

• Act as the retained authority for compliance with Release Management governance and assurance standards. Support commercial decisions by providing evidence based insight on supplier performance, release risk, value and contractual compliance.
• Maintain the enterprise release calendar as the authoritative source, providing retained oversight of release risk, business impact, service criticality, regulatory obligations, supplier accountability and organisational risk appetite.
• Build trusted relationships with senior technology leaders, IT teams and business stakeholders who contribute to release management and decision making.
• Drive consistent ITSM controls, release governance, assurance and continuous improvement across the supplier ecosystem, while ensuring delivery accountability remains with delivery teams and partners. Oversee release activity across internal IT and suppliers, challenging integration gaps that could affect service stability or customer outcomes
• Represent Enterprise IT Release at governance boards, supplier forums and service risk reviews, providing expert guidance on release governance, assurance evidence, supplier accountability, release risk and service readiness.

Skills

Release governance

SIAM

Multi-supplier

Executive communication

Risk management

Supplier accountability

Job description

Base Location: You'll be expected to spend 50% of your working week in one of the following locations : Reading, Havant or Glasgow

Salary: £71,869 - £85,880 and a range of benefits to support your finances, wellbeing and family.

Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time | Flexible First options available

The Role

The Senior Release Manager is a retained ITSM role within a hybrid SIAM model, accountable for governing and assuring Release Management.

As the retained authority for IT Release Governance, the role ensures release decisions are consistent, transparent and proportionate, balancing business impact, service stability, cyber and resilience considerations, regulatory obligations, supplier accountability and organisational risk appetite.

The role oversees the release calendar, ensuring release sequencing, deployment windows, freeze periods and cross-provider dependencies are visible, controlled and aligned to business priorities and risk appetite.

Delivery teams and the service integrator remain responsible for operational release planning, scheduling, coordination and execution. This role provides governance, assurance, challenge and escalation where release controls, evidence or outcomes fall below expectations.

You Will

• Act as the retained authority for compliance with Release Management governance and assurance standards. Support commercial decisions by providing evidence based insight on supplier performance, release risk, value and contractual compliance.
• Maintain the enterprise release calendar as the authoritative source, providing retained oversight of release risk, business impact, service criticality, regulatory obligations, supplier accountability and organisational risk appetite.
• Build trusted relationships with senior technology leaders, IT teams and business stakeholders who contribute to release management and decision making.
• Drive consistent ITSM controls, release governance, assurance and continuous improvement across the supplier ecosystem, while ensuring delivery accountability remains with delivery teams and partners. Oversee release activity across internal IT and suppliers, challenging integration gaps that could affect service stability or customer outcomes
• Represent Enterprise IT Release at governance boards, supplier forums and service risk reviews, providing expert guidance on release governance, assurance evidence, supplier accountability, release risk and service readiness.

You have

• Deep understanding of Service Integration and Enterprise IT Release Management governance in complex multi-supplier, outsourced and SIAM environments.
• Proven experience governing release performance, integration controls, supplier accountability, readiness evidence, risk exposure and continuous improvement across enterprise technology services.
• Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to translate complex service, supplier and release risks into clear options, impacts and recommendations.
• Sound senior judgement, confidence and resilience when operating in complex, ambiguous and changing environments.
• Experience assessing release readiness, dependency management, business impact, cyber and resilience requirements, implementation evidence and rollback plans

About SSE

SSE’s purpose is to provide energy needed today while building a better world of energy for tomorrow. We do this by developing, building, operating and investing in electricity infrastructure and businesses needed in the energy transition. Our Transforming for Growth investment plan sees us investing £33bn in critical electricity infrastructure across the five years to 2030.

Our IT division powers growth across all SSE business areas by making sure we have the systems, software and security needed to take the lead in a low carbon world. They provide expertise, advice and day-to-day support in emerging technologies, data and analytics, cyber security and more.

Flexible Benefits To Fit Your Life

Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships. Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service. Interest-free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme. As well as generous family entitlements such as maternity and adoption pay, and paternity leave.

Work with an equal opportunity employer

SSE will make any reasonable adjustments you need to ensure that your application and experience with us is positive. Please contact [e-mail] / 01738 275 846 to discuss how we can support you.

We're dedicated to fostering an open and inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We create equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and especially welcome applications from those who may not be well represented in our workforce or industry.