JPL Deputy Director Search

To: Caltech Employees
From: Ray Jayawardhana, President and the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and Professor of Astronomy; Dave Gallagher, Vice President and JPL Director

Dear Colleagues at campus and JPL,

We write to share that Caltech has launched a search for the deputy director of JPL. 

The deputy director will take on one of the most consequential leadership positions at JPL, playing an integral role in the management of the Lab and its work on behalf of NASA. They will work in close partnership with Caltech's leadership on campus and at the Lab to translate institutional priorities into operational excellence across a remarkably complex enterprise and will help to advance and deepen the Caltech JPL partnership.

To guide the search and identify a broad, outstanding group of candidates with the demonstrated track record of achievement and success that this role requires, we have established an Institute-wide search committee of JPL leadership, staff, faculty, and trustees who bring a valuable breadth of experience and perspectives from across Caltech and JPL. Together, they will identify candidates with the strategic vision to shape both JPL's long-term direction and its daily operations, ensuring the Lab's people, systems, facilities, and investments are aligned to deliver on that direction for NASA and the nation.

We are deeply grateful to General Counsel Jennifer Lum for chairing the committee and to each of its members, who are listed below, for taking on this important effort. We look forward to receiving their recommendations for exceptional candidates for further consideration. The final decision will made by our mutual concurrence and in consultation with the NASA Administrator.

We have every confidence this search will bring forward an accomplished leader ready to help JPL continue to dare mighty things. 

Sincerely,

Ray Jayawardhana
President
Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and Professor of Astronomy

Dave Gallagher
Vice President and JPL Director 

Search committee members: 

Jennifer Lum
General Counsel (chair)

Mark Simons
John W. and Herberta M. Miles Professor of Geophysics and Director of the Brinson Exploration Hub

Christian Frankenberg
The Chandler Family Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and JPL Senior Research Scientist

David Dreier
Trustee

Debby McWhinney
Trustee

Shawn Goodman
JPL Director for Engineering & Science

Heidi Herman
JPL Deputy Director for Laboratory Administration

Jennifer Ibrahim
JPL Deputy Director for Financial and Business Operations

Julia McCallin
Associate VP for Human Resources, Chief Human Resources Officer (staff to the committee)

Emily Eirich
Senior Recruiter (staff to the committee)