VP of Program & Release Management

The RoleDriveNets is seeking an experienced and strategic Vice President of Program & Release Management to lead the end-to-end lifecycle of complex programs and software releases across our networking portfolio. This executive will drive cross-functional execution across Product, Engineering, and Quality to ensure high-quality delivery to global customers and partners.The VP will play a critical leadership role in the R&D management team, scaling program and release governance in a fast-growing, globally distributed environment. This includes orchestrating large-scale software releases and aligning platform evolution with customer commitments.Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Program LeadershipLead large-scale programs spanning a 300+ engineering organization across multiple products, platforms, and technologies.Translate business and product strategy into executable multi-quarter roadmaps.Define development processes to support scale and quality.Establish metrics and reporting frameworks to provide transparency and risk insights to the team.Release Management & ExecutionOwn the release lifecycle from planning through all execution phases to customer go-to-market readiness.Ensure structured coordination of software and hardware releases across Engineering, QA, and delivery teams.Integrate AI-based tooling and analytics (release forecasting, risk detection, automation, quarter planning readiness, customer trends) to drive release excellence.Cross-Functional ManagementPartner with Product, Engineering, and Customer Support to align priorities and remove blockers.Manage dependencies and trade-offs across diverse stakeholder groups.Team LeadershipBuild, mentor, and scale a high-performing Program & Release Management organization.Promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.What Success Looks LikeAchievement of reliable, predictable, and high-quality delivery across major strategic releases.Continuous and clear executive visibility into program risks, trade-offs, and timelines.Strong alignment between engineering execution and company strategy.Scalable processes and frameworks that adapt to rapid growth and technological complexity, including AI-driven features. 10+ years in senior program management and release leadership roles within a technology company, preferably in Networking, Infrastructure, or AI/Cloud platforms.Proven track record of delivering complex, cross-functional programs at scale in global organizations.Deep understanding of software release lifecycles and execution governance.Strong strategic mindset with the ability to influence senior leadership.Experience with AI-enabled execution tooling and data-driven release insights preferred.Preferred QualificationsSuccess in scaling PMO/Release teams in an advanced engineering organization within a fast-growing, mid-sized startup.Exposure to networking, security, or telecom domains.