Jack Gillespie

SOFTWARE

DEVELOPER

Software developer with production experience at CERN and a strong academic background, delivering backend systems, data-intensive platforms, and full-stack web applications.

Get in touch

Services

Available for freelance and collaborative work on a wide range of digital projects — from building new websites or apps to improving, fixing, or extending existing systems. Based in the UK and open to short-term projects, longer engagements, and ongoing support.

How Can I Help?

Select skills to see related projects and specific examples of work, below.

Website

Web App

Desktop App

Mobile App

Databases

DevOps

Integration

Automation

Open Source

TypeScript

React

Python

Rust

Java

Need something else? (25 more tools)

Android

C++

Chrome Plugin

Discord

Docker

Electron

Firefox Plugin

Game

Kotlin

Linux

Minecraft

MSSQL

MySQL

Open Banking

OpenShift

Oracle

PyTorch

Raspberry Pi

Redis

Spotify

SQL

Steam API

Tauri

Windows

WPF

Have something in mind? Let’s discuss it.

Experience

Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire

Software Developer · Jul 2023 – Jul 2024 · Contract extended beyond initial term based on performance.

Worked in an international, multidisciplinary team delivering CERN’s next-generation web-based PLM platform: the core system underpinning accelerator operations and future engineering projects.

Additional Details

Led development of a Java (Spring Boot) service synchronising the PLM with CERN’s central identity system; delivered from architecture through to containerised production deployment (Docker, GitLab CI, OpenShift) and operational ownership.
Maintained and refined high-risk legacy data migration pipeline responsible for decades of engineering data; resolved complex transformation and data-integrity issues during initial production user switchover.
Improved MSSQL Server and Oracle database performance through query optimisation, indexing strategies, and backend informed by end-to-end profiling.
Built Aras PLM frontend and backend features (C#, JavaScript), and supporting C# libraries, within a large multidisciplinary team.

The University of Manchester

BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Industrial Experience · Sep 2021 – Jun 2025

Achieved First Class Honours (76.6%).

Portfolio

James Gillespie — Author

Website

Commission

A polished author website presenting James, his books, and work in schools all in the strongest possible light; with clarity and confidence.

Additional Details

Clear narrative landing page with product emphasis and strong calls to action.
Mobile-first layout with simple navigation and accessible typography.
Structured sections for visits, book links, and contact.
Designed for simplicity and non-technical users.

Blood on the Taj Mahal

Web App

Collaboration

A structured digital companion designed to help the Storyteller smoothly and confidently run custom games of the "Blood on the Clocktower" social deduction game.

Additional Details

Organised game information into a clear, searchable and guided reference during play.
Optimised for quick scanning under live conditions.
Lightweight static build for frictionless hosting and sharing.

Some Projects

A Virtual Turntable

• BSc Third Year Project

Python

React

Spotify

Engineered a full-stack “virtual turntable” system bridging physical media with digital streaming, with machine learning powered image recognition.

Awarded First Class (86.4%).

Additional Details

Trained and benchmarked album classification models achieving 91.18% top-1 accuracy.
Built production-style Python backend for inference and orchestration, paired with a responsive React frontend.

Master Bagel

• Personal Finance App

React

TypeScript

Rust

MySQL

Open Banking

A cross-platform personal finance tool focused on tracking, categorising, and planning around real-world banking rules.

Additional Details

Integrated Open Banking account aggregation (TrueLayer).
Supported multi-format transaction import and categorisation.
Modelled UK bank offer eligibility as structured rules with per-user tracking.

Keymeleon

• Context-aware RGB controller

C++

WPF

Desktop RGB controller that dynamically adapts keyboard lighting using custom templates based on the active application, global screen colour, or per-key screen-region colour sampling.

Additional Details

Built a C# WPF app with C++ device library.
Reverse-engineered hardware protocol integration.
Real-time lighting adaptation based on average colour of screen: either global or application-aware templated selections.

Beats Per Mile

• Spotify Speedometer

Android

Java

Spotify

Music that matches your pace. An Android app that links Spotify playback to your current velocity, automatically adjusting track tempo/selection to keep journeys feeling consistent.

Additional Details

Uses device sensors (GPS) to estimate real-time speed and convert it into a target BPM range.
Integrates with Spotify SDK to control playback to select tracks suited to the current pace.

JerryBot

• Beloved Discord Bot

Python

Discord

MySQL

Redis

A community-focused Discord bot; less like a tool and more like a participant. Jerry reacts to in-jokes and commonly used phrases with emotes and GIFs, offers playful commands and wise words, and can host social games directly in chat.

Additional Details

Built in Python using a fully modular Cog-based architecture for clean feature isolation and extensibility.
Persistent per-server configuration and state stored in a database layer, enabling custom behaviour and long-term game tracking.
Designed for low-resource, always-on Raspberry Pi hosting with continuous deployment.

Stagehand

• Custom Cartoon Puppet Engine

Rust

React

TypeScript

A 2D desktop tool that wraps an input video inside a customisable animated scene — for example, placing the footage on a TV while characters “watch” it and react in sync. It is designed to turn static screen recordings into more engaging, character-driven content, especially where the original audio is the main highlight.

Additional Details

2D scene system with layered composition and prop management.
Performs ML-based audio diarisation to detect speaker segments and drive character head movement in sync with timing and volume.
Supports dynamic props (clothing, held items, set dressing) configurable per scene.
Simulates contextual elements such as real-time clocks, calendar dates derived from the source video, weather effects, and accurate day/night lighting cycles through windows.

View all open source projects