Director, Release Train Engineer, Platform Delivery

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.   

The Director, Release Train Engineer – Platform Delivery leads scaled Agile execution across The Hartford’s shared platform organization supporting API Platform Modernization and Intelligent Document Processing (IDP).  The role connects strategy to execution by translating platform roadmpas, capacity, dependencies, and architecture runway into actionable PI plans with measurable business and technology outcomes. 

Reporting to the Platform Delivery Leader, this role drives PI planning, delivery transparency, dependency management, risk escalation, ART health, and continuous improvement while coaching a small team of RTEs/Scrum Masters. 

This role is recognized as an Agile role model and thought leader who influences senior leadership, partners with business to advance value-delivery strategy, and helps the ART and broader organization move from doing Agile to being Agile and delivering predictable platform outcomes. 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead RTE execution across multiple ARTs and value streams supporting API Platform Modernization and IDP delivery.

• Facilitate PI Planning, ART Sync, Scrum of Scrums, PO Sync, System Demos, Inspect & Adapt, and problem-solving sessions while reinforcing flow of work, feedback loops, open dialogue, and partner engagement. 

• Translate roadmaps, capacity, dependencies, architecture runway, and stakeholder commitments into clear PI plans and measurable objectives.

• Champion Lean-Agile ways of working by reinforcing transparency, flow metrics, feedback loops, analytical problem solving, innovation, experimentation, dependency visibility, decision clarity, and continuous improvement.

• Partner with API, IDP, architecture, engineering, application, product, operations, security and business leaders to enable to align execution to modernization priorities.

• Enable cloud-native delivery, automation, developer experience, IDP capability growth, downstream integration, and operational readiness.

• Embed security, compliance, resiliency, auditability, quality, observability, and supportability into delivery plans.

• Drive change across and beyond the ART by influencing senior leaders, aligning ART execution to business outcomes, and advancing value-stream priorities, platform roadmaps, stakeholder commitments, and adoption goals.

• Deliver clear communications on ART health, PI predictability, flow metrics, risks, dependencies, milestones, decisions, and trade-offs to support proactive decision making and negotiation.

• Support investment discipline through forecasting, capacity planning, vendor input, and cost-aware execution.

• Ensure execution plans address compliance, audit, SOX, disaster recovery, resiliency, security, and production readiness needs.

• Surface and escalate risks, impediments, dependencies, and decisions that affect delivery, readiness, or adoption.

• Coordinate release readiness, cutover planning, supportability, and post-release learning across platform initiatives.

• Lead, coach, and develop RTEs, Scrum Masters, and delivery execution talent, while elevating the ART through proactive growth opportunities, cross-functionality, experimentation, and continuous learning.

• Cultivate a culture of servant leadership, accountability, transparency, Agile maturity, critical thinking, conflict resolution, engineering discipline, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

• Support performance management, talent growth, staffing input, succession planning, and consistent delivery practices.

• Coordinate delivery across onshore, offshore, and vendor teams, integrating commitments, dependencies, staffing, quality expectations, and milestones into ART plans.

• Build relationships across ARTS and partner teams, clarify ownership, negotiate decision-making discussions proactively, reduce handoff friction, and improve partner delivery predictability through disciplined planning and transparent governance. 

Skills and Expertise

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years of technology, Agile, software, or platform delivery leadership experience in a scaled Agile environment.

• Experience as an RTE, Lead RTE, Agile Delivery Leader, Agile Program Leader, or equivalent supporting multiple teams, ARTs, or value streams.

• Demonstrated capability as an Agile role model and thought leader with the ability to influence senior leaders and coach ARTs toward Lean-Agile behaviors and value-delivery outcomes. 

• Proven ability to facilitate PI Planning, ART ceremonies, dependency management, risk management, and delivery governance.

• People leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, talent development, staffing, and workforce planning.

• Strong knowledge of SDLC, Agile/Scrum/Kanban, SAFe, backlog management, capacity planning, release readiness, and delivery metrics.

• Ability to align technology roadmaps to business goals, value-stream outcomes, platform adoption, and measurable value.

• Experience partnering with architecture, engineering, security, compliance, operations, product, business, vendor, and executive stakeholders.

• Practical experience with DevOps, automation, quality engineering, reliability engineering, operational readiness, and process improvement.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, Business, Information Technology, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with API platforms, API gateway modernization, Apigee, developer experience, cloud-native architecture, or enterprise API enablement.

• Experience with IDP, workflow automation, document ingestion, classification, extraction, validation, HITL, AI/ML, or downstream integrations.

• SAFe RTE, SAFe Agilist, SAFe Scrum Master, PMP, PgMP, Agile Coaching, or related certifications preferred.

• Insurance domain, business-facing platform, or enterprise modernization experience preferred.

• Experience with onshore/offshore delivery, vendor partnerships, CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, observability, SLOs, platform operating models, or FinOps.

Work Arrangement:

This role may have a hybrid or remote work arrangement. Candidates located near one of our office locations (Hartford, CT; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Overland Park, KS) may be expected to work in the office multiple days per week. Remote candidates will be expected to travel to an office location as business needs require.

Candidate must be authorized to work in the US without company sponsorship. The company will not support the STEM OPT I-983 Training Plan endorsement for this position.

Compensation

The listed annualized base pay range is primarily based on analysis of similar positions in the external market. Actual base pay could vary and may be above or below the listed range based on factors including but not limited to performance, proficiency and demonstration of competencies required for the role. The base pay is just one component of The Hartford’s total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include short-term or annual bonuses, long-term incentives, and on-the-spot recognition. The annualized base pay range for this role is:

Equal Opportunity Employer/Sex/Race/Color/Veterans/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity or Expression/Religion/Age