Release & Production Readiness Manager

Valiant Solutions is seeking a Release & Production Readiness Manager to join our rapidly growing and innovative team!

The Release & Production Readiness Manager leads release planning, deployment coordination, cutover, and production readiness across AirHub UAT, Beta, and Production releases. This individual is responsible for ensuring application, data, integration, infrastructure, configuration, security, and operational components are coordinated and ready to support successful releases.

The role works closely with Engineering, Quality Engineering, Data, DevSecOps, Product, and operations teams to establish release plans and readiness criteria, coordinate deployment activities, prepare operational capabilities, and manage the transition of each release into a stable production environment.

Named one of the Best Places to Work in the Washington DC area for 12 consecutive years, Valiant is proud of our employee-centric culture and commitment to excellence. If you are interested in learning more about Valiant and this opportunity, we invite you to apply now!

This position allows for 100% remote work. Remote work requires a high level of trust in our employees, and we strictly adhere to the details outlined in our Remote Work Policy below. 

Required Experience

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise release management, deployment management, production readiness, DevOps, IT operations, or related technology delivery roles.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex enterprise application releases across multiple technical teams and environments.
• Experience developing release plans, deployment schedules, cutover plans, rollback procedures, and production readiness criteria.
• Strong understanding of modern CI/CD, DevSecOps, cloud infrastructure, application deployment, data deployment, and configuration management practices.
• Experience facilitating release readiness and go/no-go reviews.
• Experience with production support, monitoring, incident/problem management, operational runbooks, and stabilization/hypercare.
• Experience managing release dependencies, risks, defects, and technical entry/exit criteria.
• Experience supporting Agile software development and iterative release models.
• Experience with cloud-native environments; AWS experience preferred.
• Experience supporting Federal technology environments preferred.
• Excellent planning, coordination, problem-solving, and communication skills.

 Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated release plans, release calendars, readiness checklists, and deployment schedules.
• Coordinate application, data, integration, infrastructure, configuration, and other technical deployment activities.
• Establish and track technical and operational release readiness criteria and entry/exit criteria.
• Facilitate technical release readiness reviews and support go/no-go decision-making.
• Develop detailed cutover plans, deployment sequencing, roles, responsibilities, and execution procedures.
• Ensure rollback/backout plans and deployment procedures are documented, validated, and ready for execution.
• Track release dependencies, defects, risks, issues, and technical readiness across delivery teams.
• Coordinate with Quality Engineering to ensure testing results and unresolved defects are incorporated into release readiness decisions.
• Establish production support, incident management, and escalation procedures for each release.
• Ensure operational capabilities including monitoring, alerting, runbooks, SOPs, access, incident/problem management, backup/recovery, and support procedures are established and ready.
• Coordinate post-deployment validation and production verification activities.
• Lead release stabilization and technical hypercare activities.
• Coordinate transition of successfully stabilized releases into normal operations and maintenance.

About Valiant Solutions

Valiant Solutions is a security-focused IT solutions provider with public clients nationwide. Named one of the fastest growing privately held companies by Inc. 5000, Washington Technology’s Fast 50, and Washington Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in the D.C. area, Valiant Solutions prides itself on providing its employees with great benefits and career development opportunities. As a company, we are just as committed to growing careers as we are to building world-class IT solutions, all while enjoying an unparalleled work-life balance. We are in a phase of tremendous growth and building the team that will take us to the next level. We seek people whose talents and accomplishments will contribute to a thriving company, who have the character to support their capacity, and can make a positive impact on our culture. Alongside our talented team, you’ll learn to think quickly on your feet and expand your own personal and professional skill set. Our management team will inspire you to consider new perspectives and challenge you to become a better practitioner in the fast-paced industry of IT security. We hire people we respect – and we trust them to deliver results leveraging their expertise. If you would enjoy working in a dynamic environment as part of a stellar team of professionals, then we invite you to apply online today.

Benefits Snapshot (includes, but not limited to)Valiant pays 99% of the Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage for Full-time EmployeesValiant contributes 25% towards Health Coverage for Family and Dependents100% Paid Short Term Disability and Life Insurance Policy for Full-time Employees100% Paid Certifications401K Matching up to 4%Paid Time OffPaid Federal HolidaysWellness & Fitness ProgramValiant University – Online Education and Training PortalFSA programs for: Medical Costs, Dependent Care, Transit, and ParkingReferral Bonuses

The salary range for this position is a general guideline and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. It has been benchmarked in relation to the scope of the role, market rate, and internal equity. The salary for this role is expected to be in the $145,000- $165,000 range. Where a candidate falls within the band can be determined based on one or more of the following: skillset, experience level, achievements, education, geographic location, security clearance, involvement in corporate tasks, and other non-discriminatory factors. In addition to the base salary, this role will include benefits as described above.  Valiant reserves the right to adjust the salary range, experience requirements, and position responsibilities at any time without prior notice.

Remote Work Policy 

Remote work necessitates a high level of trust in our employees. To ensure that employee performance does not suffer in a remote work environment, all employees who telecommute are expected to have a quiet and distraction-free workspace with adequate internet, dedicate their full attention and availability to their job duties during working hours, and maintain a schedule during core business hours that align with those of their coworkers and Valiant's clients. In alignment with Valiant's inclusive and engaging environment, cameras are encouraged and can be required to be on during virtual video conferences. Additionally, in alignment with the Office of the Inspector General’s effort to eliminate conflicting employment, all Valiant employees are required to disclose any current or future outside employment engagements. During onboarding and throughout employment, employees must disclose any current activities or intent to engage in outside employment or other professional activities and obtain written approval.  Employees may not solicit or conduct any outside business during core business hours for Valiant Solutions and our clients.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Valiant Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, or veteran status, in accordance with applicable law.

Physical Demands

Sitting or standing at a desk for prolonged periods of time and consistent operation of a computer. Frequent communication and exchanging of accurate information via electronic communication, phones, and in person. Occasionally lift and/or move moderate amounts of weight, typically less than 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Authorization to Share Resume and Personal Information

By submitting your resume for this position, you authorize Valiant Solutions to share your resume, as well as, personal information included on the resume, with its subsidiaries, affiliates and teaming partners for the purpose of considering you for this position and other available positions requiring comparable skills, education and experience. Should Valiant Solutions or its affiliates and teaming partners wish to initiate pre-employment discussions, you will be asked to complete an employment application and related employment documents.