Project Release Manager - Fixed Term Contract
Electrum Software Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Financial Services · 201-500 employees
About the role
The role involves coordinating and driving the software release process from planning through to go-live within the Engineering team. You will manage project execution, ensure stakeholder alignment, and implement process improvements to enhance release predictability.
What they look for
Requirements
Candidates must have a university degree and at least 4 years of experience in project management within a software development environment using Agile methodologies. Strong skills in cross-functional communication, risk mitigation, and release documentation are essential.
Benefits
Full description
Electrum is a next-generation payment software technology company.
Since 2012, we've delivered trusted, enterprise-grade, cloud-native software to optimise financial transaction processing. Our deep expertise has established us as a respected partner in high-volume, low-value payment schemes, enabling clients to deliver services to millions of South Africans daily.
At Electrum, we are grounded in impact – designing solutions that matter, acting with urgency, and continuously learning as we scale. We believe in creating together – working side by side with our clients and teams to build meaningful, lasting solutions. We prioritise making it safe – encouraging open communication, smart risk-taking, and trust so that creativity and alignment thrive. And we back empowered strong teams – hiring brilliant people, collaborating hard, and holding each other to high standards while leading with empathy and kindness.
When you join the Electrum team, you’ll get to:
- Be part of the entire journey — from the spark of an idea to the final product launch.
- Grow your skills through world-class training and hands-on learning every day.
- Receive mentorship and guidance from industry leaders who are invested in your success.
- Work in a dynamic, innovative workplace where collaboration and creativity thrive.
- Tackle real-world customer challenges and see the impact of your work firsthand.
- Explore plenty of opportunities to grow your career and expand your expertise.
- Gain valuable experience in a leading FinTech environment, contributing to meaningful, high-impact projects.
The OpportunityThe Intermediate Engineering Release Manager is a 6-month fixed-term contract role responsible for coordinating and driving the software release process within the Engineering team, from planning through to go-live. The role ensures predictable, high-quality releases by coordinating cross-functional teams, managing deliverables, and aligning execution with Engineering’s objectives.
This multi-disciplinary role combines elements of Project Management, Program Management and Scrum Master responsibilities, with a strong focus on planning, execution, stakeholder alignment and continuous improvement.
We are looking for someone with an innate aptitude for optimisation, predictability and a big-picture mindset — someone who continually looks for better, more scalable ways of working and understands how effective day-to-day execution contributes to the strategic growth of both Engineering and Electrum.
The RoleRelease Planning and Coordination
Ensuring efficient and productive work planning at a weekly cadence. Making the Engineering group more predictable by:
- Leading weekly planning sessions with Engineering team leads
- Vetting plans for risks and proactively flagging potential issues
- Effectively compiling and assessing scenario plans for the delivery roadmap
- Running prioritisation in collaboration with key cross-departmental stakeholders to ensure Engineering work is planned in alignment with business strategy
Release Process Management and Execution
- Implementing and monitoring systems to track project execution and Engineering’s predictability toward committed milestones.
- Managing Engineering project execution and the release lifecycle.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
- Proactively identifying and managing risk, scope, and quality for projects, releases, and release management systems.
- Forming and driving risk mitigation plans.
- Driving compliance adoption across the Engineering organisation.
Communication and Reporting
- Owning and improving communication to stakeholders outside of Engineering.
- Keeping both Engineering and Electrum stakeholders informed on the progress and risk status of releases.
- Data analysis and reporting, providing insights and suggestions for improvement.
Process Improvement, Tools and Optimisation
- Improving project management and release practices within the Engineering organisation by proactively identifying process inefficiencies and friction areas.
- Proposing and implementing process improvements, facilitating feedback sessions, and achieving stakeholder buy-in.
- Innovating new flows or systems, and designing and implementing them in existing or new tools.
- A University Degree.
- 4 years experience in a project management role specifically
- work with a software development team to deliver software projects using Agile methodologies;
- in a role requiring communication in cross-functional teams;
- in an analytical role closely involved in the delivery of technical projects;
- creating release documentation and reporting.
- demonstrating experience in proactive ownership of the release lifecycle and cross-functional project management
- demonstrating a strong affinity for improving processes and systems to make things better
- Experience with release management tools and platforms.
Beneficial Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field
- Previous experience working in the Fintech industry.
- Certified in Agile / Scrum methodologies.
Why Join Electrum?
- We believe in a People First approach, ensuring a culture where you can thrive and make a real difference
Your Career & Culture
- Career Growth: Delivering world-class financial software is challenging, but your effort will earn you hands-on experience with products used by millions, accelerating your career.
- Strong Teams: We keep teams small, focused, and collaborative to maximize impact.
- Transparency: We openly discuss strategy, finances, and salaries. Mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities that we actively discuss.
- Autonomy: We trust you. You're expected to seek out the data needed for informed decisions and manage your own time—knowing when to focus and when to recharge.
- Shared Vision: You'll have the power to shape the vision of how we build the future of financial services.
Practical Perks
- Here's how we support our culture:
- Generous Leave: Starting at 20 days per year.
- Office Perks (Cape Town): Fully-stocked kitchen and daily catered lunch.
- Social Life: Regular team activities like hikes, getaways, and dinners