IFS

Senior Director Release Management

London, gb Full-time On-site
Apply Now →
Job Description

We are looking for a strategic and transformation-focused Head of Release Management to modernize the release ecosystem across Product and Technology. This role will lead the shift from manual, process-heavy release governance to a modern, data-driven and platform-enabled model where release safety, compliance and operational readiness are embedded directly into engineering workflows, deployment pipelines and platform capabilities. The successful candidate will define the long-term release strategy across multiple release types, including planned product releases, service updates, emergency and security releases, platform releases, customer onboarding releases and future AI/model releases. They will establish risk-based guardrails, policy-as-code, automated compliance checks, release risk scoring, automated evidence collection and progressive deployment controls to reduce reliance on manual approvals and governance forums. This role will also shape environment strategy, release intelligence and engineering enablement across Product and Technology. Working closely with Platform Engineering, DevOps, Security, Product, Quality, Cloud Operations and engineering leadership, the Head of Release Management will drive the adoption of automated readiness checks, environment observability, telemetry-led insights, predictive risk management and modern deployment practices. A key part of the role is building a release management capability that acts as an enablement and transformation function rather than a coordination gate. The role will lead, coach and develop the team, create investment cases and transformation roadmaps, and promote a culture of evidence-based decision making, shared ownership, progressive delivery and continuous improvement. Key responsibilities include: Define and execute the release ecosystem strategy across Product and Technology. Embed release controls into developer workflows, deployment pipelines and platform capabilities. Establish automated, auditable and risk-based controls, including policy-as-code, automated compliance checks and release risk scoring. Define differentiated release models for product, service, emergency, security, platform, customer onboarding and AI/model releases. Lead release-led customer onboarding governance, including readiness, environment validation, support readiness and post-onboarding assurance. Shape AI-native release management practices for AI-generated code, agentic workflows, prompts, models and knowledge assets. Own or co-own environment strategy, shared environment governance, readiness, utilization and observability. Build release intelligence capabilities using telemetry, operational data and AI to predict deployment risks and readiness gaps. Drive engineering enablement by helping teams deploy and onboard customers safely, reliably and independently. Lead and develop a release management function focused on transformation, automation and continuous improvement. Build investment cases and transformation roadmaps to secure the tooling, automation, telemetry and platform capabilities required to modernize release management.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Senior Director Release Management role at IFS involve?

The Senior Director Release Management position at IFS in London, gb is a full-time role. We are looking for a strategic and transformation-focused Head of Release Management to modernize the release ecosystem across Product and Technology. This role will lead the shift from manual, process-heavy release governance to a modern, data-driven and platform-enabled model where release safety, compliance and operational readiness are embedded directly into engineering workflows, deployment pipelines and platform capabilities. The successful candidate will define the long-term release strategy across multiple release types, including planned product releases, service updates, emergency and security releases, platform releases, customer onboarding releases and future AI/model releases.

What skills are required for Senior Director Release Management at IFS?

Key skills for this role include: Rails.

What is the salary for Senior Director Release Management at IFS?

The salary for this position is not publicly listed. You can negotiate during the interview process. Check Glassdoor or Levels.fyi for estimates.

Is the Senior Director Release Management position at IFS remote or on-site?

This position is On-site. The role is based in London, gb.

How do I apply for Senior Director Release Management at IFS?

You can apply for this position directly through the employer's careers page. Click the 'Apply Now' button on this page to be redirected to the original listing. Make sure your resume is ATS-optimized. Use SpotChange's free ATS test to check.

Similar Jobs

Explore More

Get Hired Faster with SpotChange

AI resume analysis, ATS testing, interview prep, salary insights and more.

Open SpotChange Dashboard

About This Role

Senior Director Release Management at IFS is a full-time management position in London, gb. Key skills include Rails. Education: Master's Degree preferred. Experience: 5+ years.

This role is classified as on-site and is suitable for senior-level professionals. Ghost Score 15/100 (Probably Active) indicates this listing is probably active with recent employer engagement.

To apply, visit the official application page through the Apply Now button above. SpotChange Jobs provides AI-powered career tools including resume optimization, ATS testing, interview preparation, and salary negotiation assistance.