Release Train Engineer

Release Train Engineer - BA06BE

We're determined to make a difference and are proud to be an insurance company that goes well beyond coverages and policies. Working here means having every opportunity to achieve your goals - and to help others accomplish theirs, too. Join our team as we help shape the future.

We are seeking a high-caliber, self-driven Release Train Engineer to lead the end-to-end execution, governance, and flow of the Middle & Large business Product Transformation value stream. This is not a traditional "ceremony facilitator" RTE role.

You will operate as the COO of the value stream, owning delivery, predictability, risk posture, budgeting alignment, dependency management, and cross-functional orchestration across engineering, product, architecture, underwriting, and shared service teams.

The ideal candidate is a systems leader who brings structure, clarity, and calm execution to complex programs, while championing an engineering-centric culture grounded in flow metrics, technical excellence, and accountability.

You will be trusted to manage the value stream without requiring daily oversight from the VS leader - presenting information at the right altitude (CIO-ready high-level to deep operational detail) and demonstrating full control over scope, timelines, and risks.

This role will have a Hybrid work schedule, with the expectation of working in an office (Columbus, OH, Chicago, IL, Hartford, CT or Charlotte, NC) 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday).

Key Responsibilities:

Value Stream Leadership & Execution

• Own end-to-end delivery execution of epics and capabilities across multiple ARTs and teams.
• Drive predictable delivery through flow metrics, capacity planning, dependency mapping, and risk management.
• Ensure budget adherence, resource utilization visibility, and proactive forecasting.
• Operate with a mindset of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

• Translate VS strategy into executable roadmaps and PI objectives.
• Run pre-PI activities to eliminate ambiguity before planning.
• Coordinate sequencing, scope negotiation, and trade-offs with product, engineering, and architecture.
• Ensure intake → estimation → prioritization → execution → release is smooth, scalable, and data-driven.

• Build a proactive risk culture, not reactive fire-fighting.
• Identify systemic blockers early using flow metrics, not opinions.
• Maintain a transparent, no-surprises cadence with leadership.
• Resolve multi-team conflicts with clarity, data, and executive presence.

• Promote engineering fundamentals - design, quality, observability, testing, and technical debt visibility.
• Ensure RTE function supports engineering, not substitutes for it.
• Never operate as a "status collector"; own the details personally through systems, metrics, and direct engagement.
• Give full credit to engineering leads and team members; reinforce high trust and high ownership culture.

• Present status differently depending on audience:
• CIO-level: outcomes, risks, decisions needed, high-level flow indicators.
• Value Stream Leader: timeline, budget, cross-team risks, dependencies, bottlenecks, mitigation clarity.
• Engineering/Team level: scope, impediments, alignment, actions, next steps.
• Drive alignment without noise and create a predictable flow of communication.

• Coach Scrum Masters, Program Teams, and Product partners on Lean-Agile practices and flow optimization.
• Improve team health, team accountability, and cross-team collaboration.
• Shift culture from "ceremony-driven" to data-driven, system-driven, and outcome-driven.

• Operates two steps ahead of risks and escalations
• Manages complex dependencies calmly and intelligently
• Speaks to executives with confidence and clarity
• Understands architecture, engineering fundamentals, and delivery pipelines
• Uses WSJF and flow metrics to drive decisions
• Makes the system better without waiting for direction
• Drives accountability in a respectful, people-first way
• Allows the VS leader to focus on strategy, not daily program management
• The VS leader does not need to get involved in day-to-day execution.
• CIOs and business partners consistently see clear, confident updates.
• Engineering feels supported, not burdened.
• PI planning is quiet, tight, and predictable - not chaotic.
• Risks are surfaced early and mitigated before escalation.
• The value stream becomes predictable, efficient, and high-trust.
• The RTE becomes a true business + engineering partner, not an event facilitator.

• 7+ years of experience as RTE, Program Manager, or Senior Scrum Master in large-scale Agile environments
• Proven ability to run complex ARTs/value streams across multiple products, teams, and domains
• Deep experience with:
• Flow metrics (flow time, load, efficiency, predictability)
• WSJF prioritization
• Risk and dependency management
• PI Planning orchestration
• Executive-level communication
• Strong understanding of engineering processes (DevOps, CI/CD, testing, cloud, observability)
• Exceptional facilitation, conflict resolution, and influence without authority
• Ability to own delivery outcomes end-to-end with minimal oversight
• Calm under pressure
• Thinks in systems, not tasks
• Obsessed with predictability and flow
• Data-driven, not opinion-driven
• Empathetic, but drives accountability
• Able to challenge product, engineering, and architecture respectfully
• High integrity; gives credit to engineering, never steals spotlight
• Executive presence with humility and clarity