Job Title: Release Manager – Software Development (Freelance)
Location: Brussels (Haren), Belgium – Hybrid
Contract Type: Freelance / Contract
Industry: Aviation / Air Traffic Management
Role Overview
We are looking for an experienced Release Manager (Freelance) to coordinate and manage the preparation and execution of software releases into operational environments for a major client in the aviation and air traffic management sector.
This role sits between development teams and operational environments, ensuring that software products developed by engineering teams are properly prepared, validated, and released into operations in a structured and controlled way.
The Release Manager works closely with the Senior Project Manager, development teams, QA, and operational stakeholders to ensure that software releases are coordinated, tested, documented, and deployed smoothly into production environments.
This is a software development–focused role, not an infrastructure or operations-only position.
Key Responsibilities
* Coordinate the end-to-end release preparation process for software products moving into operational environments.
* Work closely with the Project Manager and development teams to ensure releases are aligned with project timelines and delivery milestones.
* Manage and track release schedules, dependencies, and readiness across multiple teams.
* Ensure that all release requirements, documentation, and approvals are completed before deployment.
* Coordinate with development, QA, DevOps, and operational teams to prepare releases for production.
* Facilitate release planning, readiness checks, and go-live coordination.
* Monitor release execution and support post-release validation and issue resolution.
* Maintain clear communication and coordination across teams involved in the release process.
* Ensure release activities follow quality, compliance, and operational standards, particularly important in aviation-related systems.
Required Experience
* 5+ years of experience in Release Management, Software Delivery Coordination, or Technical Project Coordination within software development environments.
* Proven experience managing software release cycles and deployment coordination.
* Strong understanding of software development lifecycles (SDLC).
* Experience working in Agile or hybrid development environments.
* Ability to coordinate multiple technical teams and stakeholders simultaneously.
* Strong organizational, communication, and coordination skills.
* Experience with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, or similar delivery management platforms.
Technical Understanding
While this is not a development role, the candidate should have a solid understanding of the software delivery process, including:
* Software build and release processes
* Integration, testing, and deployment workflows
* DevOps and CI/CD concepts
* Coordination between development and operational environments
Nice to Have
* Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and release automation practices
* Experience coordinating complex multi-team software releases
* Understanding of change management and operational readiness processes