How to hire a software release manager

How to hire a software release manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step software release manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a software release manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new software release manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your software release manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a software release manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A software release manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, software release managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents software release manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Software Release Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Software Release Manager		$44-78
   Information Technology Technical Lead	An information technology technical lead is responsible for assisting the technology team in solving system issues, designing new application systems, improving existing network infrastructure, and maintaining the safety and security of the organization's database. Information technology technical leads inspect the technology system's performance, recommending strategic solutions for optimization and smooth navigations for end-users... Show more	$40-70
   Technical Project Coordinator	Technical Project Assistants are involved in the different projects of the company. They are usually entry-level employees assigned to work with project managers... Show more	$26-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Software Releases
   • Release Management
   • Software Development
   • Release Process
   • QA
   • Management Process
   • Configuration Management
   • SDLC
   • Jenkins
   • Java
   • Production Environment
   • Software Products
   • Confluence
   • Version Control

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Research and self-train in JIRA administration and am currently managing projects across several groups.
   • Work with management to train and identify other teams to manage mission critical projects to use TFS with.
   • Manage customer relationship by communicating SharePoint architecture standards and frameworks; answering questions; resolving concerns and issues.
   • Implement new processes to improve quality of software deliver through the systems development life cycle (SDLC).
   • Create shell scripts, xml properties for Java builds.
   • Create data models to translate business needs into requirements for developers and QA teams.

   More software release manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your software release manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A software release manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, software release managers' average salary in tennessee is 41% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level software release managers 44% less than senior-level software release managers.
   • Certifications. A software release manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a software release manager's salary.

   Average software release manager salary

   $123,105yearly

   $59.19 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level software release manager salary

   $92,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average software release manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$166,789	$80
   2	Washington	$127,116	$61
   3	New Jersey	$124,195	$60
   4	New York	$121,260	$58
   5	District of Columbia	$117,386	$56
   6	Maryland	$115,865	$56
   7	Illinois	$115,203	$55
   8	North Carolina	$109,046	$52
   9	Texas	$108,636	$52
   10	Georgia	$107,257	$52
   11	Utah	$105,405	$51
   12	Colorado	$103,816	$50

   Average software release manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$162,680	$78.21	91
   2	Amazon	$147,971	$71.14	226
   3	Barclays	$146,435	$70.40
   4	Corning Incorporated	$144,866	$69.65	1
   5	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$140,847	$67.71	551
   6	iTech US	$131,178	$63.07
   7	KBR	$129,057	$62.05	8
   8	Laureate Education, Inc.	$125,417	$60.30
   9	General Motors	$123,713	$59.48	380
   10	Siemens	$120,521	$57.94	7
   11	Guardant Health	$120,500	$57.93
   12	Northrop Grumman	$110,340	$53.05	59
   13	Motorola Solutions	$107,810	$51.83	13
   14	IBM	$106,046	$50.98	77
   15	cyberThink	$103,222	$49.63
   16	Precise Systems	$101,472	$48.78

4. Writing a software release manager job description

   A good software release manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a software release manager job description:

   Software release manager job description example

   Precise Systems is a professional services company currently working for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force. Our core competencies include systems engineering, program and project management, logistics, information technology and cyber security, and software development services. We were founded in 1990 and since our establishment we have been providing cutting edge solutions and support to our warfighters. We understand and provide expert consultation on network and weapons systems acquisition programs, maintenance/modernization programs, and sustainment programs.
   
   We are currently expanding our team and are seeking a Dev-Ops Release Manager to manage the software delivery life cycle of a set of web-based government owned applications used by Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition community. This position is fully remote. The candidate will verify all configuration changes made in an agile/Kanban-like development process to include User Stories and Bugs, and the related application and database code changes. The candidate will manage/oversee the process of software application releases through various environments to Production. Microsoft DevOps is used to manage the development process, and the development technologies used are Vue JS, JavaScript, SASS, HTML5, Web API development in C# using .NET Core 6, .NET Framework 4.8 Web Forms, and Microsoft SQL Server. The ideal candidate will be able to perform the following duties, as well as, possess the following education and experience:
   
   + Scheduling, planning, and leading the release to production after managing the successful completion of functional testing, regression testing, and user acceptance testing
   
   + Work closely with the Application Development, QA/Testing, and the Product Consultant teams on user stories, bugs, and changes being packaged for release
   
   + The candidate will maintain proper coordination between these teams to update the project related information and keep every informed on current status.]
   + Possess Project management and team management experience
   
   + Working knowledge of Software Development Lifecycle
   
   + Knowledge of traditional agile methodologies, including Scrum, Waterfall, or Kanban, and experience in working with DevOps and Agile methodologies
   
   + Knowledge of Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CD/CI) pipelines
   
   + Good understanding of application infrastructure, system architecture, and operating system
   
   Required Education:
   
   + BA/BS degree in Computer Science, or related field;
   
   + OR AS or AA degree and seven (7) years of overall experience plus the amount of detailed experience that matches the experience/training requirement
   
   + OR Nine (9) years of overall experience plus the amount of detailed experience that matches the experience/training requirement for this position may be substituted for a BA/BS Degree
   
   Required Experience:
   
   + Four (4) year of experience performing duties listed in the functional description
   
   Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.
   
   Precise Systems, Inc. is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Precise Systems, Inc. participates in E-Verify. Precise Systems, Inc. encourages and supports workplace diversity
   
   Required SkillsRequired Experience

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find software release managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   To find software release manager candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit software release managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a software release manager applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new software release manager

   Once you've selected the best software release manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new software release manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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