Software Release Manager

Software Release Manager at Graphcore

About Graphcore
Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute. It develops hardware, software and systems infrastructure to unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and enable the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry. As part of the Soft Bank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies responsible for some of the world’s most transformative technologies, sharing a bold vision: to enable Artificial Super Intelligence and ensure its benefits are accessible to everyone.

The company’s teams comprise AI research specialists, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects, fostering a culture of continuous learning and constant innovation.

We are looking for an individual who will own the end‑to‑end release management lifecycle within the Software Department—from planning and scheduling to testing, deployment and post‑release validation. The role balances fast‑paced innovation with clear, structured, and disciplined release practices to ensure reliable, on‑schedule releases that meet the stability required for operational and developmental needs.

The Release Management team is currently run by a Senior Release Manager and is expanding to cover the wider organization. This position offers the opportunity to join the team, bring expertise, learn new skills, and develop the role further.

• Release Planning:
  • Define and manage the release roadmap across engineering, project, product, QA and other operations teams.
  • Plan and communicate release timelines, dependencies, and risk assessments.
• Coordination & Execution:
  • Oversee end‑to‑end release processes from build to deployment.
  • Coordinate with cross‑functional teams to ensure successful and timely delivery of releases.
  • Manage release documentation in collaboration with the Technical Documentation team.
• Process Improvement:
  • Develop and refine release management processes and standards to ensure clarity, consistency and repeatability.
  • Identify areas for improvement through automation and tooling to improve efficiency and reduce risk.
  • Implement continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) best practices.
• Risk & Quality Management:
  • Identify, track and mitigate release‑related risks.
  • Ensure compliance with quality and security standards prior to release sign‑off.
  • Facilitate post‑release retrospectives and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Communication:
  • Facilitate communication and transparency, ensuring all stakeholders are informed of release status, scope and changes.
  • Provide clear status updates to technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3–5+ years of experience in Release Management, Dev Ops or Software Engineering.
• Strong understanding of Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), CI/CD pipelines, version control systems and ITIL change management principles.
• Familiarity with release‑management tools such as Git Hub, Jira, Confluence, etc.
• Excellent organisational, communication and problem‑solving skills with the ability to manage multiple releases and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail and a proactive approach to identifying potential issues.

• Experience in Agile or Dev Ops‑driven organisations.
• Experience setting up release functions from scratch and managing large‑scale enterprise software releases across complex technologies and environments.
• Project management certification (PRINCE2, PMP, Agile
  
  PM or similar).

• Flexibility:
  Hybrid Work Model.
• Career Development & Progression through continuous training and learning.
• Work/Life Balance:
  Competitive holiday scheme.
• Your Wellbeing:
  Competitive benefits designed to support the wellbeing of staff.
• Diversity & Inclusion:
  Commitment to welcoming, celebrating and thriving on diversity.

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers flexible working, a generous annual leave policy, private medical insurance and health cash plan, a dental plan, pension (matched up to 5%), life assurance and income protection. There is a generous parental leave policy and an employee assistance programme (including health, mental wellbeing and bereavement support). The office provides healthy food and snacks and a barista bar.

Graphcore welcomes people of different backgrounds and experiences and is committed to building an inclusive work environment. An equal‑opportunity process is used and reasonable adjustments for interview processes can be provided.

Mid‑Senior level

Full‑time

Engineering and Information Technology

Semiconductor Manufacturing