Rick Osborne, Software Engineering Force Multiplier

Employment

  1. Staff Software Engineer, 2022-2025, identifeye HEALTH (cloud software for retinal imaging), SF Bay Area, CA, US

    Senior IC making cloud-based retinal imaging and data pipeline APIs for a 0→1 small-team startup.

    • Leadership: Self-directed goals of making development and release safer, more automated, more stable, and more reliable while also keeping the code maintainable by all of us.
    • Education: Regularly created and held onsite deep-dives into upcoming tech concepts, such as mTLS and stateless session management.
    • Architecture: Primary architect and developer for the cloud build system, authentication, and data pipeline tooling.
    • Development: One of three ICs responsible for all cloud and pipelines.

  2. Senior Principal Software Architect II, 2015-2022, Roche Sequencing Solutions (cloud software for medical devices), SF Bay Area, CA, US

    Multi-product and multi-program architecture, team leadership, and prototype development for cloud software medical devices and related clinical biomarker applications.

    • Leadership: Senior-most SWE & Tech Lead on several projects & teams.
    • Education: Evangelist for engineering iteration, including slide decks, reference docs, deep dive videos, etc.
    • Architecture: Primary source of software engineering vision, and collaborative source for execution, across several cloud software products, projects, and programs.
    • Development: Pre-alpha prototyping of emerging technologies, primarily Java- and AWS-based; proof-of-concept implementations of disruptive singularities; heavy-lift spikes.

  3. Rocket Scientist (Front-End Engineering Manager), 2013-2015, Rocket Fuel, Inc. (ad tech), SF Bay Area, CA, US

    Co-manager over a team of ~40 front-end software engineers working on internal tools for ad tech management.

  4. Program Manager, 2009-2013, Full Sail University, Orlando, FL, US

    Designed and ran the Web Design & Development B.S. programs, and co-designed and co-ran the Mobile Development degree programs.

  5. Web Development Lead, 2005-2009, Dixon Ticonderoga, Orlando, FL, US

  6. Lead Web Programmer, 2003-2005, Creative Data Concepts, Pensacola, FL, US

  7. Lead Web Programmer, 2000-2002, Mojo Interactive, Orlando, FL, US

  8. Senior Web Developer, 1998-2000, Phoenix International, Orlando, FL, US

  9. Web Developer, 1996-1998, Northrop-Grumman Corp., Melbourne, FL, US

Education

M.S., Education Media Design & Technology, 2011, Full Sail University, 4.0 GPA, Valedictorian

B.S., Information Systems Technology, 2007-2009, University of Central Florida

Projects

  1. @rickosborne on npm (npmjs.com/~rickosborne)

    TypeScript libraries I've built up and open-sourced for use in my personal projects.

  2. Should I Create A Ticket? (should-i-create-a-ticket.team)

    Snarky one-page site you can link to in group chat whenever someone asks the inevitable question.

  3. words.supply (words.supply)

    Geek-oriented wordlist, dictionary, and identifier generator web app, intended for projects which need URL- and human-safe random word generators.

Skills

  1. Team Leadership: advanced

    vision, communication, mentorship, guidance

  2. Back-End & Front-End Web: principal+

    rest, api, rdf, html, css, javascript, typescript, java, ux

  3. Cloud Engineering: advanced

    aws, java, typescript, data modeling, terraform, EC2, Lambda, SQS, DynamoDB, RDS, Step Functions

  4. Mobile Engineering: intermediate

    android, java

Interests

  1. tabletop RPGs: advanced

    gaming, social, creativity, collaboration, empathy

  2. board games: advanced

    gaming, strategy, tactics, social, instruction, cooperation

  3. console gaming, open-world RPGs: story mode

    gaming, strategy, tactics, problem solving

  4. programming: since I was 5

    logic, gaming, automation, utility

  5. writing: total amateur

    fiction, creativity, research, perspective

Rick Osborne, Software Engineering Force Multiplier

What I’m Looking For

I am interested in growing, leading, and integrating software-adjacent teams of all skill levels. I’ve done this with job titles like Principal Software Architect, Staff Engineer, Team Lead, and Program Manager. My focus is on strengthening team experience: clear vision, transparent communication, confident automation, observable experimentation, and continuous personal growth.

What I’ve Done

At identifeye HEALTH (2022-2025), we built cloud and iPad software for a custom retinal imaging camera. As Staff Engineer, I regularly handled end-to-end architecture and implementation for large chunks of our apps, build and deployment systems, security and observability controls, and data pipelines. I wrote polymorphic TypeScript for the API and UI, and Terraform for deployment. One of my favorite accomplishments was building out an automation system for risk analysis of our AWS deployments, allowing devs to make changes faster with more confidence and less noise.

At Roche Sequencing Solutions (2015-2022), we built cloud apps for clinical genomic analysis. I started as Lead, building out a Java Spring API for the apps. I built RDF abstractions over a Postgres relational DB, via a GraphQL-like query and update language. As the team grew to 50+, my architecture allowed data schema iteration without needing DB or API changes. Our front-end teams could build features faster, without having to worry about back-end details. As Principal Software Architect II, I grew the system into a scalable event-driven platform for multiple analysis apps. I also grew to become the primary interface to our Regulatory Compliance, Legal, and Security teams, ensuring we could move fast without breaking things.

At RocketFuel (2013-2015), I was co-manager for 40 devs, including 3 offshore Senior teams and mentorship for 2 feature teams of fresh-grads. I also did feature dev in Rails and JS for our in-house campaign management system. My systemic contributions included: architecting and implementing our feature flag system, our blue/green build and test system, and reworking our Agile ceremonies and artifacts to scale from the 8 devs we had to the 40 we ended up with, and to the 8 Product Mgmt customers we had to service.

In 2009-2013, I’d switched paths to become a teacher at Full Sail University. Hired to design and teach courses in back-end dev, I grew to become the Program Manager for the entire Web Development BS degree, leading 30 educators. I built a new Mobile Development BS program, followed by restructuring and redesigning of the Web degree to teach more modern technologies.

My early years of Web jobs (1995-2009) were very typical Web app development. I worked in everything from Visual Basic for ASP (Classic), Perl, PHP, Java, ColdFusion, mySQL, Apache, IIS, MS SQL Server, IBM DB/2, mongodb, CouchDB, etc. I worked at everything from US government defense contractors, to pencil and paint manufacturers, to a firm which did bespoke sites for elective surgeons. I got my start building small-business eCommerce and payment solutions in Perl and C++.

Who I Am

I have always been The Explainer, whether that means teaching the rules for board games, mentoring junior devs, or pitching to non-technical executives. In 2012, I formalized this by doing a one-year compressed program to get my MS in Education Media Design. Crunch time notwithstanding, I loved this program and continue to find daily use for what I learned. Before that, I got my (normal speed) BS in Information Systems Technology.

Half my jobs have been “the Web person” for non-tech companies. I had to learn early how to speak to the listener’s understanding, not just my own. I’ve also had to be continuously up to date on every part of the Web world, from security and cryptography, to cross-browser support, to systems integration, and more.

I build teams through integration, cooperation, and learning. I help my Senior Engineers become better communicators with broader systems context, encouraging them to challenge me and whiteboard out solutions together. I help my Mids gain the critical thinking and insight they’ll need to spot all the tiny speed bumps and traps of long-term software development and maintenance. I help my Juniors feel comfortable making mistakes and asking questions, because I love seeing new devs gain confidence and independence. I prefer to integrate Product and Quality team members directly when possible, not just service vendors.

I’m also the oldest child of 7, plus a handful of cousins. I can deescalate, arbitrate, compromise, and lead by example. I know how to bring together and align teams of people who have cross purposes and individual baggage. I grow teams into cohesive units which move as one, with confidence and consideration.