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Program Release Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

... program, and offices located in some of North America's best cities. With a goal of creating a ... Track and manage release dependencies, risks, and blockers - escalate issues early, resolve them ...

Are you an experienced Release Manager? If your answer is yes, it's your lucky day as we are ... Serve as the delivery lead representing program leadership for strategic initiatives that span ...

As part of the Release Management team at Zoox, you will own all aspects of the software release ... Experience working on large process improvement and/or automation projects and programs * Broad ...

As part of the Release Management team at Zoox, you will own all aspects of the software release ... Experience working on large process improvement and/or automation projects and programs * Broad ...

Required Qualifications * 10+ years of experience in release management, change management, IT operations, incident/program delivery, or technical delivery leadership in an Enterprise Delivery.

Similar oversight responsibilities for the program Configuration Management Plan (CMP) and program Test Management Plan. * Create, operationalize, and manage Agile processes for all releases; tasks ...

Release Manager

San Diego, CA ยท On-site

$140K - $190K/yr

As part of the Release Management team at Zoox, you will own all aspects of the software release ... Experience working on large process improvement and/or automation projects and programs * Broad ...

The Release Manager will manage and optimize the release process in conjunction with the ... Steampunk participates in the E-Verify program. Employment Type: OTHER

Senior Release Manager

Mclean, VA ยท On-site

$100K - $160K/yr

As a Steampunk Senior Release Manager , you will be an integral part of an Agile team working ... Steampunk participates in the E-Verify program.

Release Manager

Pennington, NJ ยท On-site

$60 - $65/hr

Manage end-to-end release processes for AML technology. * Oversee application risk controls ... If this role is not a fit for you, we do offer a referral bonus program for referrals that we ...

New

Senior Release Manager

Mclean, VA ยท On-site +1

$100K - $160K/yr

The Release Manager will manage and optimize the release process in conjunction with the ... Steampunk participates in the E-Verify program.

Qualifications Required * 5+ years of experience in release management, product operations, program management, or related roles . * Strong experience working in product-led, software or SaaS ...

You will sit at the intersection of release engineering and technical program management, operating as both a builder and a strategist. You will not simply manage the release lifecycle; you will ...

You will sit at the intersection of release engineering and technical program management, operating as both a builder and a strategist. You will not simply manage the release lifecycle; you will ...

Work with Architecture, Infrastructure, IT management, PMO, Technical Team Leads and other Navigator program-wide release coordinators to improve the software engineering and delivery processes ...

Software Release Manager

Berkeley, CA ยท On-site

$65 - $70/hr

... programs. We build the infrastructure behind some of the most impactful research in the country ... About the Role We are seeking an experienced Software Release Manager to bring structure ...

Support program level meetings in partnership with product management and system architect(s) to ... Mentor and coach to Agile Release Trains (ARTs)on Agile/Lean/SAFe Principles * Participates in ...

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Program Release Manager information

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How much do program release manager jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for program release manager in the United States is $45.78, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.04 and $62.02 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a Program Release Manager typically coordinate with development and QA teams during a product release cycle?

A Program Release Manager acts as a central point of communication between development, quality assurance (QA), and other cross-functional teams to ensure smooth and timely product releases. They facilitate regular meetings to track progress, address roadblocks, and synchronize release schedules. By managing dependencies and enforcing adherence to release processes, they help ensure that code is thoroughly tested and integrated before deployment. This role often requires balancing technical details with big-picture planning, making strong collaboration and organizational skills essential.

What are Program Release Managers?

Program Release Managers are professionals responsible for overseeing the planning, coordination, and deployment of software releases or program updates within an organization. They ensure that all aspects of a release, from development and testing to deployment and documentation, are completed on time and according to quality standards. Program Release Managers work closely with cross-functional teams to minimize risks, resolve issues, and ensure a smooth release process. Their role is critical in maintaining the stability and reliability of software products while enabling new features and improvements.

What is the difference between Program Release Manager vs Release Coordinator?

AspectProgram Release ManagerRelease Coordinator
ResponsibilitiesOversees multiple releases, manages release schedules, coordinates cross-team efforts, and ensures quality and timing of releases.Assists in planning and executing specific release tasks, manages release documentation, and supports communication between teams.
Required SkillsProject management, communication, risk management, technical understanding of release processes.Organizational skills, attention to detail, communication, familiarity with release tools.
Work EnvironmentTypically works in a project management or release management team within IT or software development.Works closely with release teams, developers, and QA teams, often in a collaborative environment.

The Program Release Manager has a broader, strategic role overseeing multiple releases and coordinating efforts across teams, while the Release Coordinator focuses on executing specific release tasks and supporting the release process. Both roles require strong communication and organizational skills, but the Program Release Manager typically has more responsibility for planning and risk management.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Program Release Manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Program Release Manager, you need strong project management skills, expertise in release planning, and a background in IT or software development, often supported by a relevant degree or certification such as PMP or ITIL. Familiarity with tools like Jira, Git, Jenkins, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) systems is typically required. Exceptional communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills help you coordinate cross-functional teams and manage complex release schedules. These competencies are essential for ensuring timely, high-quality software releases and minimizing risk in fast-paced technical environments.
More about Program Release Manager jobs
What cities are hiring for Program Release Manager jobs? Cities with the most Program Release Manager job openings:
What states have the most Program Release Manager jobs? States with the most job openings for Program Release Manager jobs include:
Infographic showing various Program Release Manager job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $95,230 per year, or $45.8 per hour.
Release Manager

Release Manager

ZeniMax Media

Rockville, MD โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 13 days ago


Job description

Overview
Come join Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning development team behind Starfield, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Bethesda Game Studios strives to offer its employees a well-balanced home and work life by providing competitive salaries, a generous benefits program, and offices located in some of North America's best cities.
With a goal of creating a culture as fun and diverse as our games and our players, we welcome applicants with unique skillsets, experience levels and backgrounds. If you are passionate about making a meaningful contribution to some of the most significant games in the industry we'd love to hear from you!
We will consider candidates for any of our four Bethesda Game Studios office locations: Rockville, MD; Montreal, Quebec; Austin, TX; Dallas, TX.
Responsibilities
Your Daily Life at Bethesda Game Studios
As a Release Manager, you will...
  • Own the end-to-end path to live for each release or major milestone, including certification, first-party submission, ratings, and lead final go/no-go decision points.
  • Drive release readiness through direct ownership of dependencies, reporting, and issue escalation. Run cross-functional release readiness meetings to ensure alignment, transparency, and clear decision-making.
  • Track and manage release dependencies, risks, and blockers - escalate issues early, resolve them ahead of release, and provide on-call support during release windows.
  • Plan, schedule, and lead multi-platform releases across development, QA, operations, platform partners, and publishing teams.
  • Maintain release calendars, deployment plans, cutover and rollback strategies, and key documentation (runbooks, timelines, release artifacts).
  • Own certification and submission processes across first-party platforms - PlayStation (Sony), Xbox (Microsoft), Nintendo, and Steam - managing platform-specific requirements, ratings board submissions, and release timing with each partner.
  • Stay current on all first-party and ratings board requirements and proactively communicate policy and process changes to stakeholders.
  • Provide clear, timely status reporting on release readiness, risks, and outcomes across projects - giving stakeholders and leadership consistent visibility into release health, timelines, and trends.
  • Collaborate with engineering to evaluate, improve, and document build pipelines, branching strategies, and delivery systems - reducing friction, increasing stability, and ensuring releases meet compliance requirements across all platforms.
  • Serve as the technical owner of publishing and deployment work, including build readiness, environment coordination, submission timing, and release execution.
  • Maintain a centralized release repository with processes, dependencies, communication lists, release details, and archived final assets, ensuring all submissions meet first-party, ratings board, and broader compliance requirements.
  • Drive consistency, predictability, and continuous improvement in how we ship, using data, retrospectives, and feedback.
  • Support and contribute to broader studio and publishing initiatives as needed.
Qualifications
What Makes You S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
  • You have the required 5+ years of owning end-to-end releases of AAA games through first-party platforms (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo) and major PC storefronts (Steam)
  • You have hands-on experience submitting titles to major and regional age rating boards - including ESRB, PEGI, CERO, USK, ACB, IARC, ClassInd, GRAC, and CSRR - managing questionnaires, content descriptors, resubmissions, and rating certificate delivery across global markets.
  • You've demonstrated ownership of AAA release lifecycles across development, QA, platform partners, and publishing - from internal milestone builds and first submission through live, including flighting, and post-launch updates.
  • You have proven experience serving as a primary point of contact with first-party platform partners - managing submission timelines, issues, and escalations directly with Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Valve.
  • You have a proven ability to manage risk, drive decisions, and operate effectively under time-critical release conditions.
  • You've owned releases that didn't go as planned and have the hard-won judgment and scar tissue to show for it.
  • You have a strong understanding of the software development lifecycle and deployment practices and workflows.
  • You have experience leveraging automation solutions and tools to streamline workflows and minimize manual effort.
  • You have a minimum of 2 years of experience guiding projects or teams through influence rather than direct authority.
Preferred Skills
Bonus Skills
  • You are experienced with operating within a multi-studio or centralized release management structure, including defining team boundaries and shared workflows.
  • You've operated as a technical authority on release readiness while partnering closely with production and live teams.
  • You have a process-oriented mindset with a focus on clarity, accountability, and repeatable execution.
  • You have a high attention to detail paired with the ability to think systemically about end-to-end delivery.
  • You have familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, build automation, and release tooling (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab, Azure DevOps) - a plus, but not a substitute for platform certification expertise.
Salary Range
Release Manager - The typical base pay range for this position at the start of employment is expected to be between $75,000 - $155,000 per year.
ZeniMax has different base pay ranges for different work locations within the United States, which allows us to pay employees competitively and consistently in different geographic markets. The range above reflects the potential base pay across the U.S. for this role; the applicable base pay range will depend on what ultimately is determined to be the candidate's primary work location. Individual base pay depends on various factors, in addition to primary work location, such as complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. Base pay ranges are reviewed and typically updated each year. Offers are made within the base pay range applicable at the time.
At ZeniMax certain roles are eligible for additional rewards, such as merit increases and discretionary bonuses. These awards are allocated based on individual performance and are not guaranteed. Benefits/perks listed here may vary depending on the nature of employment with ZeniMax and the country work location. U.S.-based employees have access to healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan and company match, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, wellbeing benefits, paid vacation time, paid sick and mental health time, and several paid holidays, among others.
This position is in a union and represented by the Communication Workers of America.
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