BSc Computer Science Student

Ruben Ward

I am an experienced programmer and team leader focused on distributed systems, systems programming, and automation. I have a strong background in Rust and Nix, with a proven track record of managing both technical projects and operational teams. I have built efficient, scalable systems while fostering independent, high-quality engineering within my teams.

ruben.john.ward@gmail.com

+44 07759 132467

LinkedIn

Sheffield, South YorkshireUK

Work

Swift News

Co-Founder

08/2018 – 06/2022

Co-founder, operated and built software to manage a paper delivery company.

Highlights
  • FastAPI (Python) CMS for 70 customers, automating invoicing via SMTP email or post and centralizing customer data.
  • Automated scheduling for 5 employees, eliminating manual daily planning and improving operational reliability.
  • Maintained production systems, ensuring daily schedule delivery, monthly invoicing, and regular customer data backups.

Sheffield Students' Union

Senior Stage Manager

01/2025 – Present

Am responsible for a team of people running live events for gigs and night club events.

Highlights
  • Manage a team of up to 7 staff during live events, ensuring tasks are completed on time.
  • Coordinate sound, video, and lighting teams.
  • High-pressure operational decision-making ensuring issues are resolved without attendees noticing.

Projects

Prime Number Miner

02/2024 – Present

Wrote a distributed system written in Rust to calculate and verify large quantities of prime numbers across multiple (web) clients.

Highlights
  • Implemented work validation system to prevent duplicate or malicious submissions.
  • Container-based deployment using Podman/Docker.
  • CI/CD verification pipelines to avoid system outages.

NixOS Infrastructure

2023 – Present

Wrote a declarative system configuration managing multiple machines. Managing 3 devices including one cloud server, which hosts all of my personal projects.

Highlights
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Nix Flakes and Home Manager.
  • Automated deployment of development environments.
  • Centralized and synchronized configuration and secrets across local and cloud systems to reliably deploy personal projects.

Awards

Distinction – Global Engineering Challenge

School of Computer Science, The University of Sheffield

01/2025

Awarded a Distinction for cross-disciplinary teamwork on public transportation improvement.