Enterprise Portfolio Delivery & Release Management Lead

Leeds, England, United Kingdom

1/6/2025

For over 20 years, Waystone has been at the cutting edge of specialist services for the asset management industry - partnering with institutional investors, investment funds and asset managers. We work with our clients to help build, support, and protect investment structures and strategies worldwide.

Our success depends upon our ability to attract and retain the best, most diverse talent and provide our employees with a broad spectrum of professional development opportunities. Our workplace environment is an inclusive one, where employees can be themselves, reach their potential and drive business results.

All Waystone employees are expected to demonstrate our core competencies as outlined below. The role Associate has unique requirements and duties; however, these responsibilities are to be executed within the organization’s framework of core values. Waystone expects all employees to be high performing, self-motivated, learners and leaders.

Summary

The Enterprise Portfolio Delivery & Release Management Lead will be responsible for managing the end-to-end delivery of product software and IT solutions, ensuring that all projects are executed successfully and aligned with business objectives. The role also manages the release management process, ensuring that software releases are planned, tested, and deployed efficiently and with minimal disruption to business operations.

This role requires a strong blend of strategic planning, technical expertise and strong project management skills to drive the successful delivery of the business-critical portfolio of projects. The Lead will have a robust understanding of enterprise portfolio management, software development lifecycle (SDLC), release management processes, and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive timely, high-quality delivery.

The Enterprise Portfolio Delivery & Release Management Lead will be a dynamic and ambitious leader, who is structured and organized in delivering across a wide-brief, in a fast-paced highly regulated environment.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management:
• Portfolio Planning & Strategy: Lead the portfolio planning process by working closely with business stakeholders and IT leadership to ensure that projects and initiatives align with business objectives and strategic goals.
• Resource and Capacity Management: Manage resources and capacity across the portfolio, ensuring that projects are appropriately staffed and timelines are realistic. Make sure resources are optimally allocated across multiple projects and initiatives.
• Budget & Cost Management: Monitor portfolio budgets and financial performance. Ensure that all projects stay within budget and track financial metrics (e.g., ROI, cost efficiency).
• Risk Management: Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks across the portfolio. Ensure that risk management plans are in place for all projects, and regularly report on risk status to stakeholders.
• Release Management:
• Release Planning: Oversee the release planning process, ensuring that all application releases (new features, bug fixes, patches, and system upgrades) are scheduled, communicated, and coordinated across the organization.
• Release Coordination: Manage the end-to-end release cycle, including the preparation, testing, deployment, and post-release support for software updates and new releases.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with development, quality assurance, operations, security, and business teams to ensure that releases are delivered on time and meet business requirements.
• Deployment Automation & Best Practices: Advocate for the use of automation in deployment processes (e.g. DevOps, CI/CD) to reduce time to market and minimize human error.
• Change Management: Ensure that release management processes adhere to organizational change management policies, including proper documentation, risk assessments, and rollback plans.
• Leadership & Stakeholder Communication:
• Team Leadership: Lead and mentor a cross-functional team of project managers, release managers, and delivery staff, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as the primary point of contact for senior management, business leaders, and other stakeholders regarding the status of portfolio delivery, release schedules, and associated risks.
• Reporting & Transparency: Provide regular reporting on portfolio performance, release status, and any issues or risks that could impact delivery. Ensure transparency in all aspects of delivery and release management.
• Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the portfolio delivery and release management functions. Identify opportunities to improve processes, increase efficiency, and enhance quality.
• Change Management & Communication:
• Release Communication: Ensure that all relevant stakeholders are informed about release schedules, dependencies, and potential impacts. Facilitate communication between IT and business teams to ensure smooth transitions.
• End-User Support: Work with support teams to ensure that end-users have the necessary training and documentation for new releases. Ensure that post-release support is adequately planned.
• Process & Tools Management:
• Process Optimization: Continuously assess and refine portfolio and release management processes to ensure that they are efficient, scalable, and aligned with best practices.
• Toolset Management: Manage and optimize the tools used for portfolio management (e.g., Jira, MS Project), release management (e.g., GitLab), and change management (e.g., AutoTask, ServiceNow). Ensure these tools are effectively integrated and utilized.
• Metrics & KPIs: Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for both portfolio delivery and release management. Use data-driven insights to inform decisions and report on performance to senior management.
  

Experience

• Significant experience, ideally within the funds industry (preferred) and broader financial services industry, in highly regulated environments.
• Significant experience in IT project management, release management, or a similar role, with proven ability to deliver projects on time, within scope, and within budget using methodologies such as Agile or Waterfall.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide programmes or portfolios, preferably in large, complex organisation.
• Experience managing cross-functional teams and interacting with senior business and IT leadership.
  
  

Skills & Attributes

• Exceptional problem-solving and decision-making skills with the ability to handle complex, high-pressure situations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence, collaborate with, and engage stakeholders across multiple levels of the organization, and effectively convey complex technical information to non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced dynamic environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience in release management practices and understanding of ITIL best practices for release management and change control.
• Knowledge of IT governance, security practices, and compliance regulations to ensure that applications meet security and regulatory standards.
• Strategic Thinker: Ability to align technology solutions with business strategy, considering both immediate needs and long-term business goals.
• Leadership: Demonstrated leadership and mentoring abilities, with the capacity to lead cross-functionally and foster team-oriented culture.
• Customer-Focused: Strong focus on understanding user needs and ensuring the delivery of applications that meet user expectations and deliver value.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Proactive in identifying areas for improvement and driving continuous enhancement of enterprise applications and IT processes.
  
  

Education & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or PRINCE2 certification.
• ITIL Foundation or Expert certification is desirable.
• Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) is desirable.