Release Engineer

Breakwater Technology is a technology solutions company passionate about Customer tailored product development. From requirements definition and specification, software coding and development, to application support and maintenance; we can understand and assist with the entire product lifecycle. With a drive fuelled by curiosity, engagement, and an agile mindset, we strive to deliver the highest possible business output of every task and project.

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Release Engineer to support and enhance our release management function. This role will not only focus on CI/CD automation and tooling but also play a key part in facilitating our Release Guild, coordinating cross-team release activities, and ensuring a predictable, high-quality release process. The ideal candidate brings strong technical expertise, structured communication skills, and a mindset for continuous improvement.

NB! Please note that this role is on-site in Tallinn, Estonia. No relocation support or visa sponsorship is provided.

As a Release Engineer in BWT you'll be responsible for:

Release Management & Governance:
• Assist the Release Manager in overseeing the full release lifecycle, from planning to deployment and post-release validation.
• Coordinate and enforce release schedules, release windows, blackout periods, and dependency alignment.
• Own the operational execution of release readiness checks and approvals.

Automation & CI/CD Ownership:
• Enhance and maintain release automation, deployment tooling, and CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, Azure DevOps).
• Improve integrations with issue tracking systems (e.g., JIRA automation) to streamline release workflows.
• Continuously monitor build and release pipelines to proactively identify bottlenecks and implement targeted improvements that enhance reliability, speed, and overall efficiency.

Documentation & Reporting:
• Maintain high-quality and up-to-date release documentation (deployment guides, runbooks, rollback plans, release notes, and deploy-automation documentation) to ensure clarity and consistency across the release process.
• Produce and maintain release dashboards and metrics, providing visibility into release performance, quality, and trends.

Cross-Team Collaboration & Communication:
• Work closely with Engineering, QA, Operations, and Product to synchronize dependencies and ensure release readiness.
• Communicate release timelines, change impacts, risks, and blockers to stakeholders clearly and calmly.
• Promote best practices in release discipline across teams via the Release Guild.

Change, Incident, & Risk Management:
• Support adherence to change management procedures, ensuring all release-related changes are logged, reviewed, and approved.
• Participate in incident reviews and ensure relevant corrective actions are incorporated into future releases.
• Escalate critical risks early and ensure mitigation plans are in place.

Continuous Improvement:
• Support continuous improvement across all release processes, tools, and workflows.
• Evaluate emerging industry practices, tools, and frameworks, and recommend adoption where relevant.
• Contribute to maturing the Release Guild as a cross-functional platform for consistency and best-practice sharing.

Dependency & Configuration Management:
• Track, document, and maintain build dependencies, configuration updates, and artifact versioning.
• Ensure release artefacts are properly maintained, traceable, and aligned with configuration management standards.

You will be successful in this role when you have::
• Proven experience in Release Engineering, DevOps, Build Engineering, or Configuration Management.
• Strong hands-on experience with CI/CD tools (GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, etc.).
• Good proficiency in scripting/automation (Bash, Python, Groovy, YAML-based pipelines, etc.).
• Familiarity with Agile delivery processes and SDLC workflows.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills, especially in cross-team settings.
• Experience running or contributing to guilds, ceremonies, or cross-functional working groups is a plus.
• Ability to stay calm under pressure and drive structured problem resolution.
• A continuous improvement mindset with strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.

Why us?:
• At Breakwater Technology you are not recruited to work for us, you are hired to work 'with' us this means we are fully invested in your professional growth and development and ensuring your work is engaging, fulfilling and fun
• In this dynamic and collaborative work environment, we foster a culture built on the pillars of honesty, where transparent communication is valued; growth, as we invest in the continuous development of our team members; respect, ensuring an inclusive and supportive atmosphere; and freedom, empowering individuals to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas
• Our working language is English and we work hard to create an inclusive environment, at BWT you never lunch alone (unless you really want to)
• We are a social bunch, whatever your sport or whatever your game, you will be sure to find someone to join you. We even compete as a team in different sporting events (and we like to win)
• Our benefits are industry leading and we value our employees offering competitive salaries and incentives
• Our modern office has a stunning view of Ülemiste lake and Tallinn Airport; and as if that was not enough, we have breakfast together once a week and you can always find fresh fruit and snacks in our kitchen

Candidate experience is one of the core values in our recruitment process. To make it as transparent and smooth as possible, we have prepared this video to give you an idea what are the stages if you qualify for the role.

At Breakwater, we’re passionate about creating an inclusive workplace for everyone, no matter their age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, or ethnicity. Join us in creating a workplace where your contributions are recognized, and you can thrive as your true self.