JOSHUA LUNN
Principal Embedded Engineer  |  Embedded Engineering Manager
Billings, MT  |  478.787.7875  |  joshua.d.lunn@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/joshua-lunn
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Embedded software engineer and technical leader with 19+ years of experience delivering production firmware and embedded Linux platforms across defense, IoT, and consumer electronics. Proven track record building and scaling cross-functional engineering teams (up to 10 engineers, $3M+ revenue) while staying hands-on with board bring-up, sensor integration, and edge AI. Adept at driving products from prototype through volume manufacturing with ODM partners.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Languages: C, C++, Python, Java, Objective-C, Shell/Bash
Embedded Platforms: Embedded Linux, Buildroot, Yocto, U-Boot, Linux Kernel, Device Tree, BSP Development, FreeRTOS, Nucleus RTOS, STM32, i.MX6, ESP32, ARM, RISC-V
Protocols & Interfaces: I2C, SPI, UART, USB, JTAG, BLE, LoRa, LoRaWAN, WiFi, Cellular, Sub-GHz, Mesh Networking, MQTT
AI/ML & Vision: Edge AI, Object Detection, YOLOv8, OpenCV, PyTorch, LangChain, ChromaDB, XGBoost, ISP Tuning, GStreamer, Video Encoding
Cloud & IoT: AWS IoT Core, MQTT, eSIM/LPA, OTA Updates, Device Provisioning
Tools & Practices: Git, CI/CD, Code Review, Agile/Scrum, Schematic Review, Board Bring-Up, JTAG/SWD Debugging, ODM Coordination
Leadership: Engineering Team Management (10+), Cross-Functional Leadership, SBIR/DoD Contract Execution, Hiring & Mentoring, Process Design
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Tactacam  |  Billings, MT February 2024 – Present
Camera company building battery-operated cellular and WiFi cameras for hunting, surveillance, and wildlife monitoring.
Engineering Manager, Embedded Software April 2026 – Present
* Managing a team of embedded software engineers delivering firmware across multiple simultaneous new product introductions (NPIs), coordinating priorities, technical direction, and cross-functional alignment
* Pioneered a fully agentic development process with hardware-in-the-loop, building a custom agent harness with dedicated AI agents for embedded software development, automated testing, and code review—significantly accelerating iteration speed and engineering throughput
Principal Embedded Engineer February 2024 – March 2026
* Architected a portable embedded Linux platform enabling rapid SoC migration across product lines, reducing bring-up time for new hardware (Buildroot, U-Boot, kernel, device tree, C)
* Introduced edge AI object-detection models that reduced false cellular triggers and lowered per-device network costs while improving customer experience (TensorFlow Lite, neural network optimization, ARM NPU)
* Led ISP tuning and video-encoder pipeline investigations to improve image/video quality and reduce bandwidth (3A, hardware-accelerated compression)
* Provided firmware oversight for ODM partners, including code review, defect triage, and acceptance testing for volume manufacturing (Git, JIRA, schematic review)
* Implemented IoT connectivity stack: AWS IoT Core (MQTT), eSIM LPA provisioning, and automatic carrier selection for multi-carrier deployments
* Created a custom fast boot process achieving sub-300ms cold boot to full-resolution image capture, dramatically improving trigger-to-shot performance (U-Boot, kernel optimization, init tuning)
* Developed a custom low-light auto-exposure algorithm leveraging frame sync and IR PWM control to achieve proper exposure of night-time images (ISP, AE tuning, GPIO/PWM, image signal processing)
CSLabs  |  Alexandria, VA July 2022 – February 2024
Lead Software Engineer
Modeling and simulation company specializing in ML, sensors, and physics-based analysis.
* Built an automated video-analysis pipeline using OpenCV and YOLOv8 to replace a manual workflow, correlating multi-stream events and feeding contour data into an XGBoost regression model for spatial measurement prediction
* Developed an LLM-powered multimodality classification and similarity search application (PyTorch, LangChain, ChromaDB)
* Managed multiple SBIR contracts totaling $2M+ as project manager and lead software engineer
* Recruited to establish product-development best practices, grow the software team, and introduce OPSEC processes
Kopis Mobile  |  Flowood, MS January 2013 – June 2022


Defense-focused start-up providing software and rugged electronics to support national security.
Director of Engineering October 2017 – June 2022
* Grew and led a cross-functional team of 10 software, electrical, computer, and mechanical engineers executing on $3M+ annual contract revenue
* Unified the team around a Scrum-based process aligned to simultaneous multi-project delivery (JIRA, sprint planning, backlog grooming, retrospectives)
* Built a culture of high trust and psychological safety through regular 1-on-1s and retrospectives
* Established a UI/UX function to build simple, intuitive interfaces for complex defense solutions
Engineering Manager – Software January 2017 – October 2017
* Scaled team from 2 to 5 engineers executing on $2M+ in contracts plus internal R&D
* Implemented unified branching model, unit testing, code reviews, and CI/CD to increase velocity (Git, Jenkins, automated testing)
* Created a co-op program that became a reliable pipeline for recruiting top engineering talent
Software Engineer (Co-Founder) January 2013 – December 2016
* Developed a man-wearable embedded Linux device that captured and streamed first-person video over a WiFi mesh network (i.MX6, Buildroot, U-Boot, GStreamer, C++, Python)
* Created a rugged wireless dongle for real-time CBRNE sensor readings (STM32F, FreeRTOS, LoRa/LoRaWAN, UART, USB, I2C, SPI)
* Designed a custom sub-GHz mesh protocol for synchronized helmet-mounted multi-spectrum light emitters (CC1101, STM32F, FreeRTOS)
* Shipped multiple Android and iOS applications for military users, including a sniper ballistic calculator and BLE control apps
Mav6  |  Vicksburg, MS May 2012 – December 2012
Software Developer
Department of Defense contractor developing software and hardware solutions.
* Delivered Java geospatial application for RF propagation modeling on NASA WorldWind platform
* Transitioned to firmware development for a prototype metal detector, demonstrating rapid cross-domain adaptability
Heartland Micropayments  |  Chattanooga, TN May 2011 – May 2012
Intermediate Firmware Engineer
* Developed firmware for AT89C51 and STM32F processors; performed on-site upgrades, installs, and troubleshooting
* Redesigned a legacy system to improve supportability and customer satisfaction
SmartSynch Inc  |  Jackson, MS January 2008 – February 2010
Senior Firmware Engineer
Cellular-enabled smart electric meters for utility smart grid deployments.
* Developed firmware (C, Nucleus RTOS) for 250K+ fielded devices designed for 20+ year operational life
* Reduced BoM cost by ~$50 per GSM unit by porting firmware to support a lower-cost cellular modem
* Cut auto-provisioning timeline from months to weeks by unifying the firmware code base across all products
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering
Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS
* Senior design: Developed a prototype of one of the first cellular-enabled security cameras
CERTIFICATIONS & PUBLICATIONS
* Remote Pilot Certificate – FAA-Certified Drone Pilot
* Tan, J., Cao, Z., Carlson, L., Barbieri, L., & Lunn, J. (2015). Modeling and Analysis of RF Propagation in Complex Environments.
COMMUNITY & MENTORSHIP
Mentor – Jackson State University UNITE Summer Camp & FIRST Tech Challenge
* Teach robotics fundamentals (motion, sensors, SLAM, ROS) and IoT/ML concepts to high school students
* Coached a FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team of high school students, mentoring on software best practices, autonomous code generation, and hardware interface and control—culminating in a World Championship appearance