Manager, ITSM Change & Release

Job Family IT Operations

About Us

At Transamerica, hard work, innovative thinking, and personal accountability are qualities we honor and reward. We understand the potential of leveraging the talents of a diverse workforce. We embrace an environment where employees enjoy a balance between their careers, families, communities, and personal interests.

Ultimately, we appreciate the uniqueness of a company where talented professionals work collaboratively in a positive environment - one focused on helping people look forward and plan for the best life possible while providing tools and solutions that make it easier to get there.

Who We Are

We believe everyone deserves to live their best life. More than a century ago, we were among the first financial services companies in America to serve everyday people from all walks of life.

Today, we’re part of an international holding company, with millions of customers and thousands of employees worldwide. Our insurance, retirement, and investment solutions help people make the most of what’s important to them.

We’re empowered by a vast agent network covering North America, with diversity to match. Together with our nonprofit research institute and foundation, we tune in, step up, and are a force for good - for our customers and the communities where we live, work, and play. United in our purpose, we help people create the financial freedom to live life on their terms.

What We Do

Transamerica is organized into three distinct businesses. These include 1) World Financial Group, including Transamerica Financial Advisors, 2) Protection Solutions and Savings & Investments, comprised of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits, retirement plans, and Transamerica Investment Solutions, and 3) Financial Assets, which includes legacy blocks of long term care, universal life, and variable and fixed annuities. These are supported by Transamerica Corporate, which includes Finance, People and Places, General Counsel, Risk, Internal Audit, Strategy and Development, and Corporate Affairs, which covers Communications, Brand, and Government and Policy Affairs.

Transamerica employs nearly 7,000 people. It’s part of Aegon, an integrated, diversified, international financial services group serving approximately 23.9 million customers worldwide.* For more information, visit transamerica.com.

Job Description Summary Responsible for leading the centralised Enterprise Technology (ET) Change Enablement and Release Management team while serving as Delivery Manager for the associated operational products and processes. This role owns the product vision, roadmap and backlog alongside delivery accountability, and oversees standards, governance and continuous improvement to enable successful ET changes and coordinated releases while protecting service reliability. The position partners closely with other ITSM teams, technology teams and business stakeholders to align delivery priorities, manage risk and improve service quality and business value.

Job Description

Responsibilities:

• Serve as Delivery Manager for Change Enablement and Release Management, owning the product vision, roadmap, prioritization and delivery plans, and balancing stakeholder needs, business objectives, operational priorities and available capacity.
• Lead, coach, develop, and manage the Change Enablement and Release Management team, including performance management, talent development and building process and governance capabilities.
• Manage resource planning, workload prioritization and on-call coverage to balance day-to-day change and release activities with strategic initiatives and process improvements.
• Oversee Change Enablement and Release Management processes and standards, including risk assessment, change authorization, release planning and coordination, and operational readiness.
• Partner with other ITSM Delivery Managers, technology teams and business stakeholders to improve ServiceNow (ASK) change workflows and Jira release workflows, identify automation and simplification opportunities and align cross-team dependencies and delivery expectations.
• Act as a change agent to transform and continuously improve Change Enablement and Release Management through modern practices, AI adoption and automation, informed by industry best practice, stakeholder feedback and alignment with related ITSM processes, to improve efficiency, control and delivery outcomes.
• Agree Change Enablement and Release Management KPIs with stakeholders and monitor change success, release outcomes and related operational trends to identify risks and target improvements.
• Ensure unsuccessful changes and releases are reviewed, partnering with Incident and Problem Management teams on root cause analysis and tracking corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Manager, Ops Service Management

• Provide leadership and governance for change and release quality, compliance checks, testing and acceptance expectations, process documentation and reporting, ensuring readiness requirements are understood and met.
• Serve as an escalation point for change and release risks, delivery conflicts and process issues; present performance and improvement priorities to leadership and ensure compliance with information security and operational control requirements.
• Chair and facilitate the Community of Practice (CoP) meetings for Change Enablement and expand to incorporate Release Management.
• Work closely with the Senior ITSM Manager to review and update the staffing strategy for Change Enablement and Release Management and determine any associated budget requirements

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or related field, or equivalent work experience
• 7+ years of experience in IT Operations, Service Management, Product Ownership, or related disciplines, including practical experience in Change Enablement and Release Management
• Previous leadership experience managing professional or technical teams
• Experience overseeing change and release governance, risk assessment, authorization and operational readiness, with an understanding of their relationship to Incident and Problem Management
• Experience in Product Ownership within an Agile delivery environment, including defining product vision and roadmaps, prioritizing backlogs, developing user stories and acceptance criteria, and aligning capacity and delivery commitments
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities, resolve delivery dependencies and build effective relationships across technical and business teams
• ITIL 4/5 Foundation certification

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with ITSM capabilities in ServiceNow and Jira or equivalent IT Service Management platforms
• Experience leading change and release process improvements, workflow automation or operational transformation initiatives
• Experience supporting enterprise-scale technology operations and working with globally distributed teams across diverse cultures
• Experience with AI tooling such as Big Panda “Biggy”, Copilot, Kiro or other AI toolsets.
• Product Owner certification (CSPO, SAFe POPM, or equivalent)

Working Conditions:

• Hybrid-Office environment (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays)

This job description is not a contract of employment nor for any specific job responsibilities. The Company may change, add to, remove, or revoke the terms of this job description at its discretion. Managers may assign other duties and responsibilities as needed. In the event an employee or applicant requests or requires an accommodation in order to perform job functions, the applicable HR Business Partner should be contacted to evaluate the accommodation request.

Compensation:

The Salary for this position generally ranges between $122,000 - $140,000 annually. Please note that the salary range is a good faith estimate for this position and actual starting pay is determined by several factors including qualifications, experience, geography, work location designation (in-office, hybrid, remote) and operational needs. Salary may vary above and below the stated amounts, as permitted by applicable law. Additionally, this position is typically eligible for an Annual Bonus based on the Company Bonus Plan/Individual Performance and is at the Company’s discretion.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

This is a hybrid position requiring three days in office per week in one of our hub locations (Philadelphia, PA; Cedar Rapids, IA; Denver, CO). Relocation assistance will not be provided for this position.

About the Function:

Enterprise Technology is a global Aegon/Transamerica organization that enables the business to move quickly and deliver the best possible outcomes for clients, while keeping their information safe and secure.

With more than 1,000 employees across the UK, US, Netherlands, Hungary, Spain, and Hong Kong, Enterprise Technology is a diverse, global team. Our experts work across areas such as application development, information security, infrastructure, data & analytics, risk & controls, program management, and architecture. We offer a wide range of career opportunities and are committed to supporting employee development.

Curiosity is the quality we value most. Much of our work involves solving complex problems, applying knowledge in new ways, and continuously improving how we operate. As technology evolves rapidly, we look for inquisitive people who are confident challenging the status quo and helping us drive change.

What We Offer

For eligible employees, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support both the personal and financial well-being of our employees.

Compensation Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Bonus for Eligible Employees

Benefits Package

• Pension Plan
• 401k Match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Disability Insurance
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employee Discounts
• Career Training & Development Opportunities

Health and Work/Life Balance Benefits

• Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually for employees in their first year of service.
• Ten (10) paid holidays per year (typically mirroring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) holidays).
• Be Well Company holistic wellness program, which includes Wellness Coaching and Reward Dollars
• Parental Leave – fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave per calendar year to eligible employees with at least one year of service at the time of birth, placement of an adopted child, or placement of a foster care child.
• Adoption Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Back-Up Care Program
• PTO for Volunteer Hours
• Employee Matching Gifts Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• Inclusion and Diversity Programs
• Employee Recognition Program
• Referral Bonus Programs

Inclusion & Diversity

We believe our commitment to diversity and inclusion creates a work environment filled with exceptional individuals. We’re thrilled to have been recognized for our efforts through the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, Dave Thomas Adoption Friendly Advocate, and several Seramount lists, including the Inclusion Index, 100 Best Companies for Working Parents, Best Companies for Dads, and Top 75 Companies for Executive Women.

To foster a culture of inclusivity throughout our workforce, workplace, and marketplace, Transamerica offers a wide range of diversity and inclusion programs. This includes our company-sponsored, employee-driven Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which are formed around a shared interest or a common characteristic of diversity. ERGs are open to all employees. They provide a supportive environment to help us better appreciate our similarities and differences and understand how they benefit us all.

Giving Back

We believe our responsibilities extend beyond our corporate walls. That's why we created the Aegon Transamerica Foundation in 1994. Through a mix of financial grants and the volunteer efforts of our employees, the foundation supports nonprofit organizations focused on the things that matter most to our people in the communities where we live and work.

Transamerica’s Parent Company

Aegon acquired the Transamerica business in 1999. Since its start in 1844, Aegon has grown into an international company serving more than 23.9 million people across the globe.* It offers investment, protection, and retirement solutions, always with a clear purpose: Helping people live their best lives. As a leading global investor and employer, the company seeks to have a positive impact by addressing critical environmental and societal issues, with a focus on climate change and inclusion and diversity.

• As of December 31, 2023