On behalf of our public sector client, Affinity is seeking a Release Manager to lead and expand release management practices within the lottery ecosystem. This role will work across multiple Agile teams and technology platforms to coordinate, plan, and manage complex, interdependent releases. The Release Manager will bring deep industry expertise to define and implement scalable, modern release management processes that align with Agile delivery models and enterprise governance.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the end-to-end release lifecycle for a major Lottery initiative, coordinating across multiple Agile teams and technical platforms.

• Define and implement best practices for Agile-aligned release management, including release planning, readiness assessments, risk mitigation, and post-release reviews.

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive release calendar and roadmap, ensuring visibility and alignment across teams and stakeholders.

• Collaborate with Product Owners, Scrum Masters, DevOps, QA, and infrastructure teams to ensure release readiness and quality.

• Establish and evolve release governance processes, including release gates, checklists, and compliance with enterprise standards.

• Identify and manage release risks, dependencies, and issues, escalating as needed to ensure successful delivery.

• Provide expert guidance and coaching to internal teams on modern release management practices.

• Contribute to the design of future-state release management capabilities, tools, and frameworks

• for broader organizational adoption.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field.

• 6+ years of experience in Release Management, with at least 3 years in Agile or DevOps environments.

• Proven experience managing complex, multi-team releases in large-scale enterprise environments.

• ITIL certification (V4 preferred).

• SAFe certification or other relevant Agile certification

• Company has an existing (at time of submission) and ongoing contract with Candidate.

Skills:

• Deep understanding of Agile delivery models (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) and their impact on release planning.

• Strong knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and release automation tools.

• Familiarity with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, Git, Jenkins, or similar.

• Strong risk management, quality assurance, and governance experience.

• Excellent documentation and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.

• Experience with ServiceNow, specifically in tracking and managing release records within an ITSM framework.

• Strategic thinker with the ability to design and implement scalable release processes.

• Strong leadership and facilitation skills, especially in cross-functional environments.

• Exceptional organizational and planning skills, with attention to detail.

• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving clarity in complex environments.

• Collaborative and adaptable, with a continuous improvement mindset.

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About Affinity:

Affinity Group is a technology and business consulting and services company. We believe in creating long term relationships between clients and consultants that foster a mutually beneficial partnership. Affinity is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.

For more information on Affinity, please visit

Job Number: 12494