Richard Schmitz

Richard Schmitz is a Staff Software Engineer at Circle, a position he has held since joining the company at the end of 2022.12 With a background in software engineering, Richard brings extensive experience to his role at Circle.

Professional Experience

Prior to joining Circle, Richard spent 8 years at Amazon and AWS from 2014 to 2022, where he worked as a Senior Software Engineer.2 During his time at Amazon, he:

• Led the migration of over 60 on-premises applications to AWS
• Designed and implemented marketplace facilitator tax collection
• Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders
• Served as an Amazon Bar-Raiser, interviewing over 170 applicants across 20 teams
• Mentored 8 engineers on technical and communication skills

Education

Richard holds a Bachelor's degree in Combined Physics and Biochemistry from the University of Victoria, which he completed in 2012.2

Current Role at Circle

As a Staff Software Engineer at Circle, Richard is responsible for:

• Owning trading and pricing software
• Recognizing and addressing issues within the company's technical infrastructure
• Advocating for change when the status quo isn't working
• Contributing to the broader organizational context and technical architecture

In his blog, Richard shares insights about joining a new company as a senior individual contributor, emphasizing the importance of ramping up, understanding the company's context, and making impactful contributions.1

Personal Interests

Outside of his professional life, Richard enjoys:

• Playing with his children
• Strumming his guitar
• Reading
• Hiking with his dog, Ella

Richard maintains a personal blog where he shares his thoughts on software engineering, career development, and his experiences in the tech industry.2