Circle (circle.so) Leadership & Management

What’s it like to work on the program or project management team at your company?

The branded apps project team at Circle manages the white-labeled app implementation process for customers on our highest-tier plan. What’s that like? Honestly, it’s a lot of plates spinning at once and I mean that in the best way. On any given day my team has hundreds of customer projects at different stages. No two are identical, so you can’t run this job on autopilot. You have to move fast, make calls without waiting for permission and trust the people around you to do the same.

That last part is honestly my favorite thing about this team: You’re working with driven, compassionate teammates invested in our customers’ success. Being able to dream up ways to continuously improve our workflows, knowing that there’s room for creativity to try things without certainty that they’ll work, all while supporting each other is a really special combination. We’ve built a culture of trust reinforced by people consistently showing good judgment under pressure.

How does your team create clarity across complex projects, priorities or stakeholders?

Transparency and context are top priorities. As we’ve grown, we’ve worked through several iterations of scrappy systems and maturing our tools to give all stakeholders visibility into customer progress. Yes, there’s still a level of grit needed to get things done, but wherever possible we’re reducing single points of failure. We put an emphasis on building systems that get everyone on the same page and help us prevent potential issues before they materialize. I appreciate that our team balances solving for the immediate needs with creating structure that supports where we’re headed.

What should candidates know about the communication, leadership or organization skills needed on your team?

In my experience, a lot of care goes into how we communicate here. There’s a level of candor and respect that echoes through teams and across all levels of the organization. Understanding your audience and ensuring the right amount of context goes into your delivery helps your message land well across teams. I think that’s a huge part of what helps us form strong relationships in a fully remote environment.

That said, we hold the bar high and every time we hire, the bar goes up. This is a team where we take ownership, show up for each other and give praise where it’s due. It’s motivating to be on a team where everyone is invested in delivering high quality work to customers and continuously improving their craft.