American Equity · 15 hours ago
Release Manager
West Des Moines, IA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid Level
4+ years expAmerican Equity is a company that offers leading annuity products to help clients fulfill their retirement needs. The Release Manager will oversee the release management lifecycle, coordinating with various departments and development teams to ensure successful software releases across all platforms.
ConsultingFinanceInsurance
Responsibilities
Plans release windows and the overall release lifecycle
Manages risks that may affect release scope
Measures and monitor progress
Manages relationships and coordinates projects between different teams - ensures each team’s plans are solid and all dependencies/contingencies are correctly identified
Communicates project-related tasks such as plans, timelines, requirements, etc. between different teams and stakeholders
Coordinates the release schedule and resources required depending upon the third-party applications, defect backlogs, planned releases, and infrastructure updates
Identifies the risks that can delay the release and manages them, such that the scope scheduled, and quality of the release is not affected
Tracks the progress and finds issues, if any. Always works to improve the process of release
Creates plans for the implementation and deployment as per the release schedule
Plans and gives weekly updates on the release activities
Leads the Go/No-Go activities to ensure all key stakeholders are aligned in preparation for the Go-Live activities
Leads the Go-Live activities to deploy the software and related infrastructure components successfully
Maintains documentation related to procedures on build and release, various notifications lists, and dependencies
Works with BAs to ensure stories are written and mapped to the epic in JIRA
Provides updates on the epic to the portfolio leader for monthly governance meetings
Collaborates with Product Managers, prospective users or clients to anticipate needs and translate into Product requirements
Develops scope and defines backlog items (epic/features/user stories) that guide the Agile development team. Ensures they are 'ready' for development and have correct acceptance criteria
Defines the vision and creates a product road map based on this vision in conjunction with Product Manager if applicable
Responsible for liaising with the product team and end-users to deliver updates
Liaises with other Product Owners to identify dependencies and mitigation strategies
Uses effective and precise decision making to manage the product backlog and prioritize based on changing requirements
Maximizes Product Value; decides what work to do now and what work gets done later, including defects and bugs
Works closely with Product Management team and senior management in order to create a product that fits the company portfolio
Tracks progress towards the release of a product, monitoring and evaluating product progress at each stage of the process
Provide reports to update PMO, management and stakeholders on product development operations
Oversees all stages of product creation including design and development
Analyze customer opinions and feedback to determine features or components that will add good value to a product
Participates in Scrum meetings and product sprints, attends sprint planning and demo meetings to give feedback on sprint achievement, as well as to scrum team
Performs other related duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in CS, IS, MIS or related field of study; plus, a minimum of four (4) years of related experience; or equivalent combination of education and/or experience
Experience overseeing the design, development, and implementation of software and hardware solutions, systems, or products
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to effectively present information to clients and respond to questions from groups
Strong customer service orientation
Excellent interpersonal skills
Analytical skills with ability to think critically
Strong problem-solving skills with ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
Mathematical skills with strong attention to detail
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations
Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
Ability to work cooperatively and successfully with employees, customers, and other outside third parties
Ability to successfully handle pressure and meet deadlines in a fast-paced work environment
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Visio, Microsoft Project and Outlook
Minimal travel is required in this position
Preferred
PMP certification or RTE certification preferred
Company
American Equity
American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company® We are The Financial Dignity Company – and while each person might define financial dignity differently, we believe it’s having the means to retire with pride and peacefulness in your daily life.
501-1000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
American Equity has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (11)
2024 (5)
2023 (3)
2022 (4)
2021 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$253MKey Investors
Brookfield Wealth SolutionsBrookfield Asset Management
2023-07-05Acquired
2022-01-07Post Ipo Equity· $253M
2020-10-18Post Ipo Equity
Leadership Team
Anant Bhalla
Chief Executive Officer
Nicholas Volpe
Chief Technology Officer at American Equity
Recent News
Business Wire
2024-12-04
financialpost
2024-11-15
Company data provided by crunchbase