Sr Principal Release Train Engineer

Job Overview

Sr. Principal Release Train Engineer (RTE)

As a Sr.Principal Release Train Engineer, you orchestrate complex, multi‑team Agile delivery at an enterprise scale. You connect strategy to execution—guiding up to 12 Scrum/Kanban teams through Planning Increments (PIs) while promoting continuous improvement, financial stewardship, and a culture of innovation.

• Facilitate PI Planning, system demos, release readiness activities, and retrospectives for Agile Release Trains.
• Own end‑to‑end release and deployment management, balancing velocity with quality and risk.
• Track, analyze, and report Agile Release Train health metrics and financials to senior leadership.
• Champion SAFe and complementary frameworks across the organization.
• Mentor Scrum Masters and Product Owners while modeling servant leadership and systems thinking.
• Lead continuous‑improvement workshops and promote test‑driven development and automation.
• Drive enterprise process re‑engineering to reduce waste and increase delivery speed.
• Align ART objectives with portfolio strategies, organizational mission, values, and goals.
• Build strong team dynamics and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Remove impediments and escalate when necessary.
• Manage Agile Release Train budgets and forecast burn versus value.
• Ensure transparent cost reporting to stakeholders.

• Make well‑informed decisions and anticipate downstream impacts.
• Train, coach, and mentor individuals and teams.
• Build cohesive, high‑performance, and high‑trust teams.
• Adopt and integrate new tools and techniques quickly.
• Influence across the organization by aligning vision to execution.
• Innovate through experimentation, adaptation, and iteration.

• Expert knowledge of SAFe and full product life‑cycle management.
• Expert proficiency in Scrum, Kanban, XP, and Lean principles.
• Expert understanding of Agile project and product management practices.
• Leading knowledge of test automation concepts and CI/CD methods.
• Leading ability to translate complex requirements into actionable backlog items.
• Expert business acumen to align delivery with organizational strategy.
• Expert in Lean‑Agile frameworks such as SAFe, LeSS, and DAD.
• Expert Scrum facilitator with deep Agile team experience.
• Expert in progress tracking and reporting with Jira, Agile Place, and Power BI.
• Expert in Agile estimation and planning.
• Leading in release and deployment management.
• Leading in promoting test‑driven development practices.
• Leading in financial management and Fin Ops principles.

• Salary Range: $130,000 - $170,000
• Actual placement within the compensation range may vary depending on experience, skills, and other factors
• Benefits, subject to election and eligibility:
  Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Paid Time Off (including paid parental leave, vacation, and sick time), 401k with company match, Tuition Reimbursement, and Mileage Reimbursement
• Annual bonus based on performance and eligibility

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ten or more years of experience in Agile delivery.
• Four or more years as a Release Train Engineer or equivalent program‑level leader.
• Proven leadership of an Agile Release Train of one hundred or more people.
• SAFe Program Consultant (SPC), RTE, or equivalent Agile certification.
• Hands‑on experience with Jira and a reporting platform such as Power BI or Tableau.
• Demonstrated experience in budget and financial management.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree
• Experience driving test automation and Dev Ops adoption.
• Background in Lean Portfolio Management or Fin Ops.
• Exposure to multiple scaled frameworks such as SAFe with OKR alignment or LeSS.
• Strong facilitation skills with distributed and hybrid teams.

Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ: KDP) is a leading beverage company in North America, with a portfolio of more than 125 owned, licensed and partner brands and powerful distribution capabilities to provide a beverage for every need, anytime, anywhere. We operate with a differentiated business model and world‑class brand portfolio, powered by a talented and engaged team that is anchored in our values.

We work with big, exciting beverage brands and the #1 single‑serve coffee brewing…