Senior Manager, Salesforce Release

CRM - SalesforceUS Exempt RegularFull timeStateside Exempt 4.2Location: Adelphi, MD (Hybrid)

Summary:

We are seeking an experienced Senior Salesforce Release Manager to oversee and manage the end-to-end release process for multiple Salesforce orgs. This role is critical in ensuring that all releases are delivered on time, within scope, and with high quality. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including development, QA, and business stakeholders, to ensure smooth, efficient, and well-coordinated release cycles across weekly, 3-week, and project-based releases. You will also be responsible for back-promoting changes across lower-level orgs to ensure that all environments remain in sync.

As the Senior Salesforce Release Manager, you will be responsible for developing a deployment calendar across several concurrent workstreams, developing a release management plan for every project, mentoring junior release managers for back promotions and ultimately ensuring that our multiple Salesforce orgs stay in sync.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Release Management: Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of Salesforce releases, ensuring seamless integration across multiple environments (production, sandbox, lower-level orgs). Coordinate and communicate release activities with stakeholders, including developers, testers, operations, and business owners. Establish and enforce governance frameworks and standards for release management.

• Release Planning: Develop the release management lifecycle throughout our delivery framework; including scheduling the release, coordinating between teams and the deployment of release as per the schedule and timeline. Create and maintain release management dashboards and reports to track key performance indicators

• CI/CD Pipeline: Own and optimize the CI/CD pipeline for Salesforce development, leveraging tools such as Copado or similar to ensure efficient automation of deployment processes.

• Change Management: Work with development and QA teams to define release scope, manage change control processes, and mitigate potential risks related to release execution.

• Back-Promotion: Ensure all changes are properly back-promoted to lower-level Salesforce orgs to maintain consistency and data integrity across environments.

• Collaboration: Partner with Product, DevOps, Business, and IT teams to ensure all release requirements are clearly defined and successfully executed.

• Documentation & Reporting: Maintain clear, thorough documentation for release management procedures, timelines, and status updates. Provide regular reports on release progress, issues, and post-release validation.

• Issue Resolution: Troubleshoot and resolve any issues related to deployments or the release process, including merge conflicts and rollback procedures when necessary. Implement and oversee risk management strategies related to releases.

• Process Improvement: Continuously improve release processes, working to streamline operations and introduce best practices, tools, and methodologies to enhance the release management process.

• Quality Assurance: Ensure that developers, as well as the release and deployment teams, are following DevOps best practices to deliver high-quality software quickly and efficiently.

• Technology Roadmap Review: Stay current with Salesforce platform updates, features, and best practices to enhance the release management process

Skills:

• Strong understanding of Salesforce architecture, including sandboxes, production environments, and metadata management.

• Hands-on experience with release automation and integration tools (e.g., Copado, Jenkins, Git, Bitbucket, SFDX).

• Proficiency in using version control systems (Git) and automation tools to ensure a streamlined, repeatable deployment process.

• Familiarity with Agile and DevOps methodologies, and experience in managing releases in a fast-paced, iterative development environment.

• Detail-oriented and organized with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines.

• Proactive and self-motivated, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

• Collaborative, team-oriented mindset with a passion for continuous improvement.

• Ability to create and enforce robust release management policies, including version control, rollback strategies, and deployment schedules.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders across different teams (technical, business, and executive).

• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, handle and prioritize simultaneous requests, and manage laterally and upwards

• Ability to critically evaluate information gathered from multiple sources, reconcile conflicts, translate high-level information into details, abstract up from low-level information to a general understanding, and distinguish user requests from the underlying true needs

Education & Experience Requirements:

Experience:

• 5+ years of experience in Salesforce release management, with a strong focus on managing multiple Salesforce orgs.

• 5+ years of experience as a Salesforce System Administrator or Developer

• Proven expertise in CI/CD pipeline management, particularly with Copado or similar Salesforce release management tools.

• In-depth experience with Salesforce deployments, including change sets, ant migration, and Salesforce DX

• Experience in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodologies

• Experience in Agile methodology, working in 3-week sprints, daily scrums, etc.

• Strong understanding of Salesforce best practices and functionality

• Previous experience working in a SCRUM or agile environment preferred

Certifications:

• Salesforce Certifications: Salesforce Certified Administrator. 

• Copado Certifications: Copado Fundamentals I and II Certifications

Preferred Experience Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree

Experience:

• Project Management: Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Jira, Trello, ADO) and experience in planning and managing large, complex releases.

• Problem-Solving: Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with the ability to resolve issues quickly and efficiently during the release cycle.

Certifications:

• Salesforce Certifications: Salesforce Certified Developer or Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder.

• Copado Certifications: Additional Copado certifications

All submissions should include a cover letter and resume.

The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. UMGC is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, ancestry, political affiliation or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Workplace Accommodations:

The University of Maryland Global Campus Global Campus (UMGC) is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive working environment for people of all abilities. UMGC is dedicated to the principle that no qualified individual with a disability shall, based on disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of the University, or be subjected to discrimination. For information about UMGC's Reasonable Workplace Accommodation Policy or to request an accommodation, applicants/candidates can contact Employee Accommodations via email at employee-accommodations@umgc.edu. 

Benefits Package Highlights:

• Generous Time Off: Enjoy 22 days of paid vacation, 15 days of sick leave, 3 personal days, and 15 paid holidays (16 during general election years). For part-time employees, time off rates will be prorated based on the number of hours worked.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Access to health care, medical with vision, dental, and prescription plans for both individuals and families, effective from the 1st of the month following your hire date.
• Insurance Options: Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, and Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance. Part-time employees working less than 0.5 FTE are not eligible for LTD.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Available for medical and dependent care expenses.
• Retirement Plans: Choose between the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) or the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (MSRPS).
• Supplemental Retirement Plans: include 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and various Roth options. The university does not provide matching funds.
• Tuition Remission: Immediate availability for Regular Exempt Staff. Spouses and dependent children are eligible for undergraduate tuition remission after two years of service. NOTE: For part-time employees (at least 50 percent of the time), tuition remission benefits are prorated.

Hiring Range:

$150,000.00 - $160,000.00