This is a temporary position.
The Release & Activation Manager will be responsible for end‑to‑end planning, coordination, and execution of phased releases for the UXL application which is a graphQL based application that releases as of now, once a week to production. The role requires a practitioner experienced in multi‑phase activations, progressive cutovers, and environment coordination across complex enterprise landscapes. The manager will work closely with Product, Engineering, DevSecOps, QA, and Business Readiness teams to ensure each release event is executed safely, predictably, and with minimal disruption.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain the end‑to‑end release and activation schedule, including all readiness activities.
- Partner with program and technology leads to plan phased activations across systems such as Channels, and downstream systems.
- Coordinate with enterprise environment management teams to schedule test and staging environment deployments, ensuring deployment windows are clearly defined.
- Work with DevSecOps and Infrastructure teams to align CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Harness) with release milestones.
- Ensure release package integrity by validating build deployments, configuration management, and version control across environments (DEV, INT, UAT, PERF, STAGE, PROD).
- Define and enforce go/no‑go governance, release checklists, and sign‑off protocols.
- Track and report release readiness status, risk assessments, and issue resolutions through appropriate governance tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence, program dashboards).
- Partner with other in‑flight transformation programs to align dependencies, avoid environment contention, and coordinate shared integration testing.
- Collaborate with QA Leads on test entry/exit criteria, regression timelines, and data refresh schedules.
- Facilitate strong communication across cross‑functional stakeholders — including Program Management, Architecture, Business Readiness, and Operations.
Technical Competencies
- Strong understanding of cloud deployment lifecycles and environment governance.
- Understanding of CI/CD tooling, release automation, and artifact management.
- Exposure to infrastructure‑as‑code (IaC) tools considered an asset.
- Competent in interpreting deployment logs and collaborating with DevSecOps to troubleshoot deployment or configuration failures.
Qualifications
- 8+ years of experience in release, environment, or cutover management within large‑scale transformation programs.
- Experience operating in a hybrid delivery model.
- Adept at coordinating multiple vendors and technical teams.
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and executive reporting skills.
- Vendor partnership experience in outsourced or distributed delivery environments.
Engagement Expectations
- Weekly cadence of release readiness meetings and cross‑program synchronization forums.
- Expected availability during critical cutover weekends or overnight activation windows.
Success Measures
- Predictable, low‑risk release events with zero major incidents.
- Synchronized testing and environment usage across interdependent programs.
- Improved release traceability and reporting across workstreams.
- Positive feedback from program leadership on organization, communication, and coordination quality.
At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated. Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law.
All locations offer 401(k) plan, stock purchase plan, discounts at Marriott properties, commuter benefits, employee assistance plan, and childcare discounts. Benefits are subject to terms and conditions, which may include rules regarding eligibility, enrollment, waiting period, contribution, benefit limits, election changes, benefit exclusions, and others. Click
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Full-time positions also offer coverage for medical, dental, vision, health care flexible spending account, dependent care flexible spending account, life insurance, disability insurance, accident insurance, adoption expense reimbursements, and paid parental leave.
Washington Applicants Only: Employees will accrue paid sick leave, 0.0384 PTO balance for every hour worked and be eligible to receive minimum of 9 holidays annually.
Marriott HQ is committed to a hybrid work environment that enables associates to Be connected. Headquarters-based positions are considered hybrid, for candidates within a commuting distance to Bethesda, MD; candidates outside of commuting distance to Bethesda, MD will be considered for Remote positions.
