Strategic Release Lead: Seamless Tech Deployments

Whitbread PLC; Dunstable; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare: BUPA health

10% matched pension

Discounts: Premier Inn/Restaurant

Annual incentive: up to 20%

Job summary

Whitbread PLC is seeking an experienced Release Manager to coordinate vendor releases, patches and technology changes across Dayforce and other services. This role involves end-to-end release lifecycle coordination with Technology, People teams, suppliers and stakeholders, ensuring governance and deployment readiness.

Based at Whitbread Court, Dunstable (Hybrid, 3 days per week), you will lead release policies, manage incidents and drive continuous improvement in delivery of stable software

Qualifications

• Experience planning, coordinating and executing technology releases with minimal downtime.
• Experience managing releases across development, test, staging and production environments.
• Experience with multi-regional HR and payroll solutions.
• Hands-on knowledge of ITIL-based change management.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain integrated release schedules covering vendor releases, patches and changes.
• Coordinate releases across vendors, operations and the wider business to ensure timely delivery.
• Establish release policies, standards and governance; oversee deployment and rollback strategies.
• Manage defects identified during release testing and liaise with QA, security, infrastructure and support teams.
• Analyse issues post-release and provide clear updates to senior stakeholders.

Skills

Release management

Vendor coordination

ITIL change management

Stakeholder communication

Job description

Whitbread PLC is seeking an experienced Release Manager to coordinate vendor releases, patches and technology changes across Dayforce and other services. This role involves end-to-end release lifecycle coordination with Technology, People teams, suppliers and stakeholders, ensuring governance and deployment readiness.

Based at Whitbread Court, Dunstable (Hybrid, 3 days per week), you will lead release policies, manage incidents and drive continuous improvement in delivery of stable software