Release Manager

Release Manager Whitehall Resources are looking for a Release Manager. This role is hybrid working with 2 days per week based onsite in Shropshire, and the remainder remote working, for an initial 6 month contract. • • • Due to the nature of the work, the client requires candidate to hold or be eligible for SC Clearance • • • • • • Inside IR35 • • • Job Description: The Release Manager will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing the deployment of software releases across multiple environments. This includes managing release schedules, ensuring configuration integrity, and supporting testing and validation processes. The role demands strong technical expertise in SAS technologies and Oracle, as well as a deep understanding of configuration management and the software testing lifecycle. Key Responsibilities: - Own and manage the end-to-end release process across development, test, and production environments. - Coordinate with development, testing, and operations teams to ensure timely and quality releases. - Maintain and enforce configuration management standards using manifest files and structured release artefacts. - Oversee packaging and deployment of SAS DI code (SPKs) and Oracle artefacts (clear-text files). - Support migration activities, particularly from SAS 9.4 to SAS Viya 4, using CI/CD practices. - Facilitate release readiness reviews, go/no-go decisions, and post-release retrospectives. - Ensure traceability and auditability of all release components and decisions. Required Skills & Experience: Technical Skills: - SAS Enterprise Guide (EG) – experience in job orchestration and user migration support. - SAS Data Integration (DI) – packaging and deployment of DI jobs using manifest structures. - SAS Management Console – Used for promotion & Management of code - SAS Studio – job development and deployment. - SAS Viya 3.5 / Viya 4 – hands-on experience with modernised SAS platforms and migration strategies. - SAS Visual Analytics (VA) and SAS Visual Investigator (VI) – familiarity with reporting and investigation tools. - Oracle – working knowledge of Oracle databases, particularly in data staging and decisioning workflows Process Knowledge: - Configuration Management – experience managing artefact groupings, dependencies, and release hierarchies - Testing Lifecycle – understanding of test strategy, planning, execution, and defect management within release cycles. Soft Skills: - Strong communication and stakeholder engagement abilities. - Methodical and detail-oriented approach to planning and execution. - Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities. Desirable Qualifications: - Familiarity with DevOps practices and cloud-hosted platforms (AWS, Azure, SAS PaaS). - Knowledge of scheduling tools - Airflow - Exposure to SAS Migration Factory Delivery Models.