Application Change and Release Specialist

Work for Indiana

Begin a fulfilling career with the State of Indiana by joining one of the largest employers in the state, offering a range of opportunities across 60+ agencies. At the state, you'll find competitive compensation, a robust benefits package and a commitment to work-life balance. Most importantly, you'll have the chance to make a real and measurable impact on the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana.

About The Indiana Department Of Transportation

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) provides a dynamic workplace that serves Indiana citizens, improves our state’s quality of life, and enhances its economic opportunity. INDOT has a number of innovative programs and projects, including Public-Private Partnerships, Green Initiatives, and cutting-edge uses of materials and assets. As part of the State of Indiana, INDOT offers a competitive total compensation package, as well as outstanding work/life balance. Whether you are an established professional in the transportation field or just starting your career, INDOT has exciting and challenging opportunities for you.

Role Overview

The Application Change and Release Specialist oversees INDOT’s enterprise release calendar and ensures software updates move through controlled environments in a structured, traceable, and low‑risk manner. In this role, you will coordinate release scope, milestones, dependencies, risks, and readiness across multiple teams delivering applications in parallel. You will lead release planning and go/no‑go reviews to confirm test completion, defect status, deployment sequencing, and rollback preparedness. The position governs code promotion across SIT, UAT, staging, and production, ensuring all changes are properly authorized and deployment‑ready. You will manage release communications, deployment schedules, business notifications, and post‑release validation. Additionally, this role includes supervising the application change and release management team to ensure consistent governance and successful delivery.

This role requires 5+ years of experience in release or environment management, including work with .NET or Salesforce releases. Candidates should bring strong knowledge of deployment processes, promotion controls, metadata movement, and the overall release lifecycle. They must be able to manage integrated release calendars, cross‑team dependencies, cutover plans, and readiness activities while maintaining solid change control, governance, risk awareness, and rollback planning. Proficiency with Azure DevOps, ServiceNow, and standard Microsoft tools is important, along with strong communication and stakeholder‑management capabilities. Experience working in Agile environments and leading teams responsible for release or change management is also essential.

Location:

This position is with INDOT’s Central Office in Indianapolis.

Salary

The salary for this position traditionally starts at $79,118.00 but may be commensurate with education and work experience. Use our Compensation Calculator to view the total compensation package.

A Day In The Life

The essential functions of this role are as follows: 

• Provide technical leadership on complex projects and act as a SME in business or functional areas.
• Project software and hardware requirements for application software.
• Devise or modify procedures to solve highly complex problems considering computer equipment capacity and limitations, operating time, and form of desired results to obtain maximum computer utilization.
• Confer with department management to assist in planning, organizing, and controlling activities for highly specialized technical areas.
• Confer with the user community to conduct, through research, fact-finding, and analysis to formulate and define system requirements, scope, and objectives, establish priorities, and monitor the progress of complex information systems for highly specialized technical areas.
• Prepare detailed project feasibility studies, formulates complete system scope, project cost, time estimates, and human resource and IT infrastructure requirements for new and existing computer information systems.
• Prepare detailed specifications from which application software will be written.
• Prepare and conduct system test planning for complex systems.
• Design, code, test, debug, and documents new application software programs and/or makes enhancements to existing application software programs of all levels.
• Execute and monitor that task conforms to shop techniques, standards, policies, and procedures.
• May use case tools and/or application development software tools.
• Provide complete documentation for new or modified information systems and/or application software programs, including operational procedures and manuals.
• Assist, direct, train, monitor and coordinate the work of less experienced application software developers and/or application systems analyst staff and assists with the development of difficult and highly complex programs.
• May function as Team and/or Project lead responsible for completion of project phase.

The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

This position is exempt from overtime compensation for additional work hours which may be required to complete essential functions or other assigned work. Exempt employees may work more than 75 hours in a pay period without additional compensation and must report a minimum of 75 hours per pay period of work hours and/or paid leave taken to receive their base biweekly salary.

What You'll Need For Success

Individuals in this role should minimally be able to articulate or demonstrate the following:

• Thorough knowledge of information systems design principles and new systems design techniques.
• Thorough knowledge of policies, standards, procedures, and techniques used for application development.
• Thorough knowledge of application development software tools and application development software languages.
• Thorough knowledge of the most recent advancement of information technology equipment, operation, and capabilities.
• Ability to perform problem solving and analytical analysis.
• Ability to work independently under general direction.
• Ability to manage multiple application development software projects or existing systems and related priorities.
• Ability to read and understand complicated technical manuals.
• Ability to establish and maintain a cooperative working relationship with others.
• Able to perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Effectively communicate both orally and in writing.

A degree is not required. However, at least 3 years of experience applying the outlined knowledge, skills, and abilities in a similar role may be considered.

Individuals should have the ability to perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports

This role may be utilized in a supervisory capacity based on agency needs.

Benefits Of Employment With The State Of Indiana

The State of Indiana offers a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees which includes:

• Three (3) medical plan options (including RX coverage) as well as vision and dental plans
• Wellness Rewards Program: Complete wellness activities to earn gift card rewards
• Health savings account, which includes bi-weekly state contribution
• Deferred compensation 457(b) account (similar to 401(k) plan) with employer match
• Two (2) fully-funded pension plan options
• A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:
• 150 hours of paid New Parent Leave and up to eight weeks of paid Childbirth Recovery Leave for eligible mothers
• Up to 15 hours of paid community service leave
• Combined 180 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave time off
• 12 paid holidays, 14 on election years
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Group life insurance
• Referral Bonus program
• Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavioral health visits
• Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Free Parking for most positions
• Free LinkedIn Learning access
  

Equal Employment Opportunity

The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, selecting, developing, and promoting employees based on individual ability and job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process as well as perform the essential functions of a role. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at [email protected] .