Full Stack Engineer, Data Science Focus with React

Sperry Rail, Inc.; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Sperry Rail, Inc. is seeking a Full Stack Engineer with a data science focus, combining backend data services with React-based dashboards.

You will connect rail inspection data across the Zula 2.0 platform, building pipelines, APIs, and visualizations for stakeholders. The role emphasizes collaboration with data engineers, software engineers, and domain experts, leveraging Python, AWS, and modern frontend tooling to deliver scalable, production-grade solutions in a fast-paced, mission-critical

Qualifications

• Proficiency in Python with data-science libraries is essential.
• Solid React experience including hooks and state management.
• Experience building data pipelines and handling structured/unstructured data.
• Strong SQL knowledge across relational and non-relational stores.
• Hands-on with AWS cloud services for data workloads.
• Familiarity with modern frontend tooling and CI/CD processes.
• Ability to explain complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience with data visualization libraries and dashboards.
• Exposure to time-series, geospatial, or IoT data streams.
• Prior work in rail testing, NDT, or sensor data is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop data pipelines, ETL processes, and backend services using Python.
• Build interactive dashboards and web applications using React.
• Develop RESTful APIs connecting data services to frontend apps.
• Work with large-scale rail inspection datasets including various data types.
• Implement and deploy machine learning models and analyses in production.
• Architect and manage AWS cloud infrastructure for data workloads.
• Collaborate with domain experts to translate requirements into technical solutions.
• Write clean, tested, well-documented code and participate in code reviews.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver end-to-end solutions.

Skills

Python

React

SQL

AWS

CI/CD

Git

Data Visualization

Time-series data

Geospatial data

Docker

CI/CD pipelines

IaC (Terraform/CDK)

Tools

Docker

CloudFormation

Terraform

CDK

Webpack/Vite

Git

Job description

Full Stack Engineer, Data Science Focus with React

About Sperry

Sperry Rail is on a mission-critical journey to revolutionize the Rail Flaw Detection industry. Through the continuous development of cutting-edge diagnostic technologies and AI-assisted analysis, we are transforming railway safety worldwide. Our global engineering teams work collaboratively to develop step-change technologies that define Sperry as the unparalleled market leader.

For nearly a century, we have repeatedly modernized and improved rail diagnostics through our relentless pursuit of improvement. Determined is an understatement. We are obsessed with advancing science and raising the bar on what’s possible with our ever-improving suite of products and service offerings.

Emboldened through the shared values of honesty, accountability, passion, integrity, and teamwork, we are driven by the challenge and bridging concepts with fruition. Each technologist entering Sperry imprints themselves into our brand and further galvanizes a culture of innovation and advancement. Allow us to be clear, Thought Leaders are welcome!

We are agile and hungry and invite those with similar passions to join us in challenging the status quo and bringing new ideas to the market. Fast-paced, high-touch with a distinct sense of purpose. We offer more than a job; we offer an opportunity to be part of something different.

Role Summary

We are looking for a Full Stack Engineer with a data science focus who also brings frontend experience with React. You will bridge the gap between data engineering and user-facing applications on Zula 2.0, the platform that ranks and fuses the output of our rail inspection systems – building both the backend data services and the interactive dashboards and tools that make inspection data accessible to stakeholders across the rail business. This is the seat that decides what our analysts and customers actually see. Zula 2.0 is the critical path for the team through the end of the year.

What We Expect From You

We expect an exceptional level of drive and ambition. You think beyond today's work to what the team and organization need next, champion bold ideas, and see them through. Your hunger is infectious – it inspires those around you to aim higher. You should be someone who puts the team first. You share credit openly, admit when you are wrong, and welcome feedback as an opportunity to grow. You are comfortable saying "I don't know" and asking for help when needed. Strong interpersonal skills are important for this role. You should have good instincts for working with different people, listen actively, navigate disagreements constructively, and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences. You should be able to quickly grasp complex problems that span multiple systems or domains. We expect you to design effective solutions for non-trivial requirements, identify root causes efficiently, and consider performance, scalability, and maintainability in your approach.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop data pipelines, ETL processes, and backend services using Python
• Build interactive dashboards, data visualization tools, and web applications using React
• Develop RESTful APIs that connect data services to frontend applications
• Work with large-scale rail inspection datasets including ultrasonic, electromagnetic, and operational data
• Implement and deploy machine learning models and statistical analyses in production environments
• Architect and manage AWS cloud infrastructure for data workloads (S3, Lambda, Glue, Athena, SageMaker, Step Functions)
• Collaborate with domain experts to translate rail inspection requirements into technical solutions
• Write clean, tested, well-documented code following engineering best practices
• Participate in code reviews, sprint planning, and technical design discussions
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including inspection engineers, data scientists, and product managers
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and technical excellence

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in Python (NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, or similar)
• Experience with React (hooks, state management, component architecture)
• Experience building data pipelines and working with structured and unstructured data
• Solid understanding of SQL and relational and non-relational databases
• Experience with AWS cloud services (S3, Lambda, EC2, RDS, Glue, or similar)
• Familiarity with modern frontend tooling (TypeScript, Webpack/Vite, CSS frameworks)
• Understanding of software engineering principles (testing, code quality, design patterns)
• Familiarity with version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and agile development practices
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to learn new technologies quickly
• Good communication skills – able to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• A collaborative, team-first mindset aligned with our values of being Humble, Hungry, and Smart
• Experience with data visualization libraries (D3.js, Recharts, Plotly)
• Exposure to time-series data, geospatial data, or IoT data streams
• Experience presenting complex or uncertain data to non-specialist users
• Experience in rail testing, NDT, or sensor-based inspection industries (ultrasound, eddy current, electromagnetic, etc.)
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code (CloudFormation, CDK, Terraform)
• Knowledge of containerization (Docker, ECS/Fargate)