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Russell Corbett

Project Management • Engineering • Software

Automation • Robotics • Software

Computer Engineering graduate and MBA candidate (expected 2027), open to project management roles where I can lead the team and understand the build.

Computer Engineering graduate building software, robotics, and automation systems, open to engineering roles.

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1st Place

Engineering Presentation, MATE EXPLORER World Championship 2022 & 2023

Team result with Eastern Edge Robotics

1st Overall

2026 MATE EXPLORER World Championship

Team result, as COO of a 35-member team

10 Companies

Coordinated green and ocean technology deployments and demonstrations

Angler Solutions, econext program

$435K

Raised by the Relay for Life committee for the Canadian Cancer Society

As Relay for Life Tech Lead

99.7%

A 120-hour bi-weekly task cut to 20 minutes

Bell Canada Enterprises

100x

Throughput increase from a new communications and networking system

Avalon Controls

ROS2

Architected an underwater ROV control system in Python

Eastern Edge Robotics, as Software Lead (2022-2023)

521 Devices

And 4000+ entities integrated across Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, MQTT, and Bluetooth

Corbett Homelab, self-hosted on Proxmox and Docker

Russell Corbett in graduation attire

Hello, World! My name is Russell Corbett

I'm a Computer Engineering graduate from Memorial University of Newfoundland, now completing my MBA (expected 2027). I passed all four required co-op work terms with distinction. I like working where technical and business decisions meet: deciding what to build, getting people aligned, and staying close enough to the work to know what's feasible.

As COO of Eastern Edge Robotics, I helped lead a 35-member team of software, electrical, and mechanical students to a 1st-place finish at the 2026 MATE EXPLORER World Championship. I've also built software at Nasdaq Verafin and automation at Bell, and at home I run a self-hosted smart home with 521 devices and 4000+ entities.

I'm looking for project management or engineering roles where I can do both: lead the team and understand the build.

Memorial University Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

2021 – 2026

Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University Faculty of Business Administration

2026 – 2027 (expected)

My Leadership and Engineering Teams

Eastern Edge Robotics

Chief Operating Officer (2023-2026) • Software Lead (2022-2023)

Oct 2021 – Jul 2026

An undergraduate team that designs and operates a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) for the international MATE ROV Competition.

  • Co-led a 35-member cross-functional team (software, electrical, mechanical) as COO, with the CEO and CMO, to a team 1st-place finish at the 2026 MATE EXPLORER World Championship, owning prioritization and trade-off decisions under a fixed budget and deadline
  • Turned the team around from 9th (2024) to 3rd (2025) to 1st Overall (2026) by shifting focus from what could be built to what was worth building
  • Restructured competition roles into dedicated deck teams for three pools, giving 21 members named roles instead of the usual 12; grew the team to 35 members, the largest in its history
  • Part of the team that placed 1st in Engineering Presentation at the 2022 and 2023 MATE EXPLORER World Championship
  • Decided each season which capabilities to build, defer, or cut by weighing technical effort, risk, and competition value
  • Served as the link between technical builders and non-technical stakeholders, including sponsors, judges, and university administration
  • As Software Lead, architected an ROV control system in Python and ROS2, including a diagnostics GUI and integrated thrusters, servos, lighting, and network communications
Visit Eastern Edge Robotics (opens in a new tab)

Paradigm Engineering

Path Planning Lead

Oct 2022 – Apr 2024

An undergraduate autonomous vehicle team developing a self-driving vehicle.

  • Developed a path-planning algorithm for a high-speed vehicle navigating a dynamic environment
  • Designed a vehicle and pit crew communication system for real-time updates using Python and UDP
  • Tested the algorithm and system in a ROS2 simulation environment
  • My path-planning algorithm ran on FMUNTENTH's autonomous RC car before the team merged into Paradigm
Visit Paradigm Engineering (opens in a new tab)

Engineering Student Society

Director of Communications

2023 – 2025

A student-run organization that represents engineering students at Memorial University and organizes events and initiatives to enhance the student experience.

  • Led communications for the society as a director on its student executive
  • Contributed to the society's website, a hub for engineering at Memorial
  • Attended two conferences: CELC 2023 and CSE 2024
Visit Engineering Student Society (opens in a new tab)

My Experience

Maverick Sports and Collectables (opens in a new tab)

IT Specialist

Present

  • Run the store's point-of-sale, security, and climate control systems, keeping day-to-day operations running smoothly
  • Produce and broadcast live streams for the company's online audience
  • Organize and upgrade the company's online profiles to strengthen its web presence
  • Track e-commerce trends to keep the business current online

Nasdaq Verafin (opens in a new tab)

Software Developer Intern

May 2024 – Aug 2024, Jan 2025 – Apr 2025

Second placement: full-stack development (Winter 2025)

  • On the Copilot (LLM automation) team, built the Intelligent Task Population feature end to end (database schema, Add/Edit/Delete/Get API, frontend) that auto-populates due-diligence cases with preset tasks per risk factor, estimated to save analysts about 6 minutes per case
  • Wrote a backend validation test suite and demoed the workflow to the team and application pillar

First placement: debugging and user support (Summer 2024)

  • On the Canadian Interfaces Team, connected banks' and financial institutions' proprietary systems and data exports to the Verafin platform; debugged and resolved user-reported production issues

Angler Solutions (opens in a new tab)

Project Engineering Student

Sep 2023 – Dec 2023

  • As scrum master, led a team of three through an Agile transition to deliver a Python wind-farm analytics app
  • Managed the econext Community Workforce Development program, coordinating the deployment and demonstration of 10 companies' green and ocean technologies at the Marine Institute's The Launch facility in Holyrood, NL
  • Aligned each company's scope, budget, and schedule with facility capabilities, and led stakeholder engagement across the program
  • Configured network systems across the ten partner companies, including secure video transmission, peer-to-peer device communications, and live streams to an online audience

Bell Canada Enterprises (opens in a new tab)

System Analyst

Jan 2023 – Apr 2023

  • Wrote Python automations for a 15,000+ site SharePoint Online migration, saving about 150 hours of manual work per week
  • Automated analysis of migration-error reports up to 500,000 lines, cutting a 120-hour bi-weekly task to 20 minutes (99.7%)
  • Wrote and presented a guide teaching employees to automate their own tasks and maintain existing automations

Avalon Controls (opens in a new tab)

Engineering Co-op Intern

May 2022 – Aug 2022

  • Led a network modernization that increased throughput 100x (3 Mbps to 300 Mbps), after evaluating an outside IT vendor's proposals
  • Produced a deployment plan defining how the system would scale beyond the initial build
  • Worked with procurement on purchase orders for IT upgrades, and with shop and field service teams on hardware installation
  • Assisted the engineering group with the production of design deliverables

Celtx (opens in a new tab)

High School Summer Intern

Summer 2021

  • Collaborated in the development of a webpage for an upcoming company event
  • Supplied education market insights to potential clients for follow-up by the company
  • Developed Python programming skills with Keyin College in collaboration with TechNL
  • Worked with the sales department on a research initiative within the Salesforce platform

My Projects

Smart Home & Homelab

I designed and built a smart home system covering connectivity, data management, climate control, lighting, voice assistance, and motion control. Everything is integrated into a single app so that it stays easy to use and under local control.

521 devices, 4000+ entities, 149 integrations, 42 automations

  • Used daily by a four-person household, so every automation has to work for people who never open the app
  • Cut home electricity consumption 30% by automating lighting and heating control, with circuit-level energy monitoring through Emporia Vue and Powercalc
  • Integrated 521 smart home devices and 4000+ entities across Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, MQTT, ESPHome, and Bluetooth
  • Local voice control over the Wyoming protocol, with an OpenAI conversation agent and an MCP server for AI assistants
  • Scoped and self-hosted photos, media, recipes, and a Minecraft server on Proxmox and Docker, with uptime monitoring, UPS-aware shutdown, and automated backups
  • Prioritized which services to run by weighing maintenance cost against value
  • Built my own components when off-the-shelf options fell short, including RoomRelay, mysa2ha, and Russtum Cards
  • Home Assistant
  • Proxmox VE
  • Docker
  • Zigbee
  • Z-Wave
  • Matter
  • MQTT
  • ESPHome
  • Wyoming
  • Bluetooth

AI Job-Search Agent & MCP Server

A self-hosted MCP server (Python, FastMCP, Docker) that gives Claude my own tools. It monitors employer careers sites and job boards, drafts a nightly job report, and builds tailored resumes and cover letters through a fact-checked LaTeX pipeline where every bullet must cite a verified, sourced fact.

CI on GitHub Actions builds multi-arch (amd64/arm64) images; LaTeX builds run in a locked-down sandbox. I wrote the original job watcher; the rest was built with Claude Code as an AI pair programmer.

  • Python
  • FastMCP
  • Docker
  • GitHub Actions
  • LaTeX

RoomRelay

RoomRelay handles wake word detection, voice commands, inter-room communication, environmental sensing, and Home Assistant integration without sending any data to the cloud.

  • Wrote all the software: ten supervised services (one thread each), offline voice pipeline (OpenWakeWord, Whisper, Piper), FastAPI backend, Home Assistant + MQTT integration, LAN-to-Bluetooth device fallback, web dashboard, and a Flutter companion app
  • Sensors for temperature, humidity, air quality, light, and presence
  • Python 3.11
  • FastAPI
  • SQLite
  • Docker
  • Flutter
View on GitHub (opens in a new tab)Read the Final Report (opens in a new tab)

Epson ESC/VP21 for Home Assistant

A HACS-installable Home Assistant integration that controls my Epson projector over RS-232 through a serial-to-Ethernet bridge, fixing reply mismatches and command bugs in the core integration. Built with Claude Code; tested with pytest against a simulated projector.

  • Python
  • Home Assistant
  • HACS
  • pytest
View on GitHub (opens in a new tab)

mysa2ha

mysa2ha connects Mysa thermostats to Home Assistant by authenticating with the Mysa cloud, sending commands through the AWS IoT data plane, and polling device state over REST.

  • Supports baseboard heaters and mini-split ACs
  • Exposes climate controls plus temperature, humidity, power, and energy sensors
  • Discovers devices automatically and installs through HACS
  • Python
  • Home Assistant
  • AWS IoT
  • HACS
View on GitHub (opens in a new tab)

Russtum Cards

A set of custom Home Assistant cards, installable through HACS. The NAS card shows drive bays with live status, a drive health bar, temperature, uptime, and network link status.

  • JavaScript
  • Home Assistant
  • HACS
View on GitHub (opens in a new tab)

Off the Clock

172 plays

of 34 board games so far in 2026

See the standings (opens in a new tab)

Checking...

The Minecraft server I run for my friends

My Skills

Product & Leadership
Cross-functional team leadership • Stakeholder communication • Roadmap prioritization
Process & Analysis
Requirements gathering • Trade-off analysis • Success-criteria definition • Agile
Technical Depth
Python • JavaScript / TypeScript • C/C++ • React • Node.js • ROS2
Platforms & Tools
Docker • AWS • Git • GitHub Actions • Grafana • Proxmox VE
Embedded & Hardware
Raspberry Pi • ESP32 • Arduino • Integrated hardware/software systems
  • Python
  • C++
  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript
  • Astro
  • Tailwind
  • React
365Microsoft WordMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Power BIGoogle DriveGoogle DocsGoogle SheetsGoogle SlidesGitGitHubVisual Studio CodeProxmoxDockerUbiquitiNextcloudOnshapeOctoprintHome AssistantQNAPJiraSalesforceWebex

My Awards and Recognitions

Individual Awards

Verafin Computer Engineering Scholarship

$3000 • Fall 2022

MUN Alumni Entrance Scholarship

$5000 Yearly (Renewable) • 2021-2023

Loran Semi-Finalist and Provincial Award

$2500 • January 2021

Team Awards

Eastern Edge Robotics

MATE EXPLORER World Championship

2026
  • 1st Place Overall
  • Oceaneering Health and Safety Award
2025
  • 3rd Place Overall
2023
  • 1st Place Engineering Presentation
  • 1st Place Marketing Display
2022
  • 3rd Place Overall
  • 1st Place Engineering Presentation

My Badges and Certifications

Fundamentals of Predictive Project Management

Project Management Institute

November 2026

Verify on Credly (opens in a new tab)

Fundamentals of Agile Project Management

Project Management Institute

November 2026

Verify on Credly (opens in a new tab)

GMAT Data Insights: Scored Top 20%

Graduate Management Admission Council

November 2026

Verify on GMAC (opens in a new tab)

Tech Stewardship Practice Program

Tech Stewardship

Fall 2022

Verify on Sertifier (opens in a new tab)

My Volunteering

Memorial University Relay for Life

Tech Committee Lead • Oct 2022 – Present

At Relay For Life events, participants of all ages gather and take turns walking a track to symbolize the perseverance and action needed to change the future of cancer. Committee events raised $435,014.76 for the Canadian Cancer Society during my time as Tech Lead.

Why I relay

I relay for my Pop. Gerry Robert Russell was a fighter all his life. He lost both his parents by the time he was 5, then was constantly moving houses until he was 10. Later in life, he was in and out of hospital every couple of months. From four hip replacements to winning many fights against cancer, he was always optimistic and kept a smile on his face. In August 2022, Gerry passed away, but he will always be in our memories.

Many other members of my family have had run-ins with cancer. Some were able to fight it off, some were not. I hope that someday, we can put an end to this disease.

Relay for Life is our opportunity to give back to the doctors and researchers who put in their time to fight cancer.

The Memorial University Relay for Life team holding a cheque to the Canadian Cancer Society

MATE ROV Regional Newfoundland

Event Volunteer • 2022-Present

A regional underwater robotics competition hosted by the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University.

Russell operating a camera on a platform over the competition pool

FIRST LEGO League

Event Volunteer • 2019-Present

FIRST LEGO League introduces science, technology, engineering, and math to children ages 4-16 through hands-on learning. Participants gain real-world problem-solving experience through a guided, global robotics program.

Volunteers at a FIRST LEGO League event, with Russell in an Eastern Edge sweater

O'Donel Senior High School OD-4D Robotics

Volunteer • 2021-2024

OD-4D is the robotics team of O'Donel High School in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, undertaking technological development and fabrication for underwater exploration.

An OD-4D remotely operated vehicle working underwater in a test tank

Contact Me

Russell Corbett

Russell Corbett

[email protected]

St. John's, Newfoundland

My Resume

Project Management

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Computer Engineering

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I'll use this e-mail address to reply

[email protected]