IT Change and Release Manager
Location: Reading or Havant
Initial contract length: 6 months Inside IR35
Rate: £500 pay rate
Start Date: ASAP
This role supports a large, diverse energy company involved in the production, storage, distribution, and supply of gas, and the generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity and other energy services to over 9 million customers. The company is undergoing a significant IT transformation programme over the next 5+ years, aiming to harness data and analytics as a strategic capability.
Main Purpose of the Job:
- Minimize business risk by effectively managing IT Change.
- Plan, schedule, and control the build, test, and deployment of releases to deliver business value while protecting service integrity.
- Own and be accountable for all aspects of the Change and Release Management processes, including development, governance, compliance, performance, reporting, and continual improvement.
- Ensure the process aligns with documented requirements, targets, SLAs, and OLAs.
- Work with other process owners to integrate Change and Release Management into the overall Service Management System.
Key Accountabilities
- Develop and maintain IT Change Management and Release Management strategies to minimize unplanned service disruption.
- Ensure the risks associated with IT Change are understood, articulated, and communicated across IT, third parties, and business areas.
- Provide visibility of planned Change activity to stakeholders and manage Change Freezes when necessary.
- Reduce Change risk by grouping related Changes and managing their deployment via a defined Release Management process.
- Ensure proper planning, design, build, configuration, and testing for all Release packages.
- Ensure compliance with all aspects of the Change and Release Management process.
- Define, document, maintain, and manage the process in line with ITIL guidelines and ISO 20000 requirements.
- Regularly review and report on process performance using Critical Success Factors (CSFs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and targets.
- Ensure effective communication between Change Management, IT, Service Assurance, and other stakeholders.
- Conduct regular reviews of the process with key stakeholders and practitioners to identify and document opportunities for improvement.
- Maintain a process risk register and ensure all associated risks are managed.
- Comply with corporate, statutory, and regulatory requirements associated with the process.
Education
- Degree in a related field or at least 5 years of relevant experience.
- ITIL Practitioner level qualification or equivalent.
Experience
- Minimum of 5 years' relevant experience.
- Demonstrable understanding of IT Change Management and Release Management processes, acquired through similar roles.
Business Knowledge
- Thorough knowledge of the energy sector.
- Understanding of how IT Change Management, Release Management, and Service Management support business service delivery.
Functional and Technical Skills:
- Minimum of 5 years' technical or functional experience.
- Knowledge of ISO 20000 standard and Service Management processes.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Fluent communicator with experience at all organizational levels.
- Able to articulate points of view and present reasoned cases.
- Self-motivated with strong personal effectiveness and independent workload management.
- Strong leadership and negotiation skills.
- Excellent verbal, written, and interactive communication skills.
- Strong analytical and reporting skills.
- Good relationship-building skills.
- Adept at using multiple problem-solving methodologies.
- Able to identify and implement appropriate workarounds.
- Experience resolving complex problems involving multiple technologies or business areas.
- Continual review of process improvement opportunities.
- Accountable for an entire technical or functional area.
- Responsible for scheduling and managing all IT Change Management and Release Management activities.
- Authority to suspend project activity in cases of non-compliance.