Company: Lantana Consulting Group provides services and software for standards-based health information exchange. We have built our expertise through nearly two decades of development and deployment of technical specifications and health care interoperability solutions. As a distributed company with no single brick and mortar office, Lantana can hire the best available talent and offer a flexible work schedule. We are a rapidly growing employee-owned organization who takes pride in improving public health, quality of care, and research. 

Primary purpose: A Software Release Manager plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the planning, coordination, and successful deployment of software releases, leveraging expertise in Agile/Scrum methodologies, source control management (e.g., Git), release automation tools (e.g., Azure DevOps), and strong communication skills. This role requires not only technical proficiency but also the ability to navigate complex development environments, resolve issues efficiently, and ensure compliance with industry standards, with a preference for candidates possessing knowledge of healthcare and standards/interoperability. 

A successful candidate will: 

Planning 

• Develop and maintain a release plan that outlines the scope, schedule, and objectives of software releases, utilizing tools such as Jira for work/task management. 
• Manage version control systems, particularly Git, to track code changes and ensure proper branching and tagging for releases. 
• Create and maintain release documentation, including release notes, installation guides, and other relevant documentation for end-users and stakeholders. 
• Identify and mitigate potential risks and issues that may impact the release schedule or product quality. 
• Implement and enforce change control processes to ensure that only approved changes are included in each release. 
• Continuously evaluate and improve the release process, incorporating industry best practices and lessons learned from previous releases. 
• Track and report key performance indicators (KPIs) related to the release process, such as release velocity, success rate, and defect trends, using tools like Jira and Git.

Coordination 

• Coordinate with cross-functional teams, including development, QA, and operations, to ensure a smooth and timely release process, utilizing Azure DevOps for deployment automation. 
• Collaborate with QA teams to plan and execute testing efforts, ensuring software releases meet quality standards and are free from critical issues. 
• Manage multiple development and testing environments, ensuring they are properly configured and available as needed for the release process. 
• Oversee deployment activities, including coordinating with operations teams to ensure successful deployment of software to production environments, leveraging Azure DevOps for deployment automation. 
• Communicate release schedules, progress, and status updates to stakeholders, including executives, project managers, and development teams. 
• Resolve conflicts and disagreements among team members or stakeholders related to release planning, scope, or priorities. 
• Monitor production releases for issues, coordinate hotfixes or patches when necessary, and ensure smooth transitions to maintenance and support phases. 

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field with equivalent work experience in software release management or a related field.  
• A minimum of twelve (12) years’ experience in software release management demonstrating a track record of successful releases. 
• Experience in software development with a thorough understanding of the development process and the challenges associated with software releases. 
• Experience with Agile development methodologies and Scrum practices is required. 
• Proficiency in version control systems such as Git, SVN, or others used by the organization is essential. 
• Experience with release automation and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) tools like Jenkins, Azure DevOps, or similar tools is often required. 
• Familiarity with tools such as Jira, Trello, Shell, Python and PowerShell. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, along with organizational skills to effectively coordinate with cross-functional teams and communicate release updates to stakeholders. 
• Experience in leading and collaborating with cross-functional teams and resolving conflicts. 
• Ability to attain Public Trust Clearance.  

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Relevant certifications, such as Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), ITIL Foundation, or certifications related to specific tools or platforms (e.g., Azure DevOps certification), can be advantageous. 
• The desire to assume increased managerial responsibility leading a team or department. 
• Knowledge of healthcare and/or standards/interoperability is desirable and considered a software skill. 
• CDC-credentialed with Public Trust Clearance.  

Additional Job Information:

• This position is 100% work-from-home/remote apart from the annual Lantana Retreat, held as conditions allow. 
• Lantana is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants for current openings will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.  
• For this position, we are not accepting applicants outside of the United States.