The Release Train Engineer (RTE) is a management role for an Agile Release Train (ART) in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). Unlike traditional management roles, the RTE is the Chief Scrum Master accountable for the agility and the effectiveness of SAFe across the whole ART.
The RTE is accountable for the ART’s effectiveness.
The RTE helps the ART to be more effective by enabling Agile Teams to improve its practices, within the SAFe framework. Through working together using SAFe, inspecting progress and adapting their plans, the whole ART assurse delivery is low risk.
As the RTE isn’t accountable for the work itself, they’re not responsible for delivery in the same way a Delivery Manager or Project Manager is responsible for delivery.
The RTE isn’t:
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Scaled Agile, Inc.
Trompenaars, Fons, and Ed Voerman (2009). Servant-Leadership Across Cultures: Harnessing the Strengths of the World’s Most Powerful Management Philosophy. McGraw-Hill.