Jake currently is Performing The Duties of (PTDO) the Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology (ASW S&T).  In this role Jake serves as the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (USW(R&E)) on matters related to S&T, developmental prototyping, and experimentation, acting as a crucial link between fundamental scientific discovery and its strategic application in defense.  Jake served as the Senior Technical Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RD&A).  In this role Jake was responsible for implementation of Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as rapid acquisition in the Department of Navy and the Marine Corps.  Jake previously served as Director of Advanced Capabilities for the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) Program.  He was responsible for developing and integrating critical new technologies in conjunction with the US Army and DARPA into the CPS platform with an annual budget of over $60M.  Jake served as a Program Manager at the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Unmanned Systems transitioning critical technology to the warfighter and Program Lead for Team Submarine Project Turing rapidly introducing AI into the undersea domain with a total budget of $140M.  Jake served as the Assistant Program Manager (APM) for Submarine Combat Future Development and the Payload Control System (PCS) in NAVSEA PEO Submarine with an annual budget of over $30M.  His portfolio as APM included all Payload control and integration including unmanned vehicles, missiles and torpedoes for the BYG-1 Combat Control System and the Common Weapon Launchers (CWL).  In his future development portfolio Jake was the Program Manager for the Submarine Launched Unmanned Aerial System (SLUAS) providing command and control as well as a Virtual Twin Combat System for the US and Australian Submarine Force.

Jake served as the SEA05 System Design Manager (SDM), Technical Warrant Holder and Chief Engineer for a SCO program in the Unmanned Maritime Systems Program, PMS 406 Program Office.  Jake has extensive Naval Engineering experience from with the Remote Minehunting System (RMS) as the lead software engineer and extensive submarine development and engineering experience with the BYG-1 Submarine Combat Control System.

Jake’s first job with the Department of the Navy was a CO-OP at Lockheed Martin Moorestown during his undergraduate study at Drexel University in Philadelphia spending three years working Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense in charge of test development and simulations of the combat system capability.  Upon graduating Jake joined the Federal Service at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division Hydrodynamics group spending 4 years as the In Service Engineering Agent (ISEA) for the Seawolf Class Submarine Ship Control System and Data Distribution System.  

Jake first came to the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in 2011 serving as the lead software engineer for the RMS and AN/AQS-20A sonar system.  From 2012 to 2014 he served as lead engineer of the Submarine Weapon Control System and head of the Open Architecture initiative for the BYG-1 Submarine Combat Control System.  

Jake has received several NAVSEA awards including a NAVSEA Innovation Award over his career for innovation and excellence in engineering. Jake was recognized as Engineer of the Year (2020) by ASNE and has been published by the Naval Submarine League on Combat Systems of the Future.  He has a Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in Computer Engineering from Drexel University, a Master’s of Science (MS) in Systems Engineering from The George Washington University, a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Maryland and is completing a Masters of Arts (MA) in Strategic Studies at the Naval War College.

Experience
2025 – Present: Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) Research and Engineering (R&E) - Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology (ASW S&T) PTDO
2024 - 2025: Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research Development and Acquisition (ASN RD&A) - Senior Technical Advisor
2022-2024: Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) – Director of Advanced Capabilities Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS)
2020-2022: Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) – Program Manager Artificial Intelligence and Unmanned Applications
2017-2020:  NAVSEA PMS 425 BYG-1 Submarine Combat Control System – Assistant Program Manager (APM) for Payload Control System (PCS) and Submarine Combat Future Development
2014-2017:  NAVSEA 05D – Chief Engineer (CHENG) - Ghost Fleet Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) PMS 406
2012-2014:  NAVSEA PMS 425 BYG-1 Submarine Combat Control System – Weapon Control System Lead Engineer 
2011-2012:  NAVSEA PMS 403 Remote Minehunting System (RMS) Lead Software Engineer
2007-2011:  Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock Division – ISEA for Seawolf Class Ship Control and Data Distribution System.  Lead software engineer for Hydrodynamic Full Scale Trials Division
2004-2007: Lockheed Martin Moorestown Division – Test Engineer for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program

Education
Naval War College, Newport, RI, Masters of Arts (MA) Strategic Studies, May 2026
The University of Maryland, College Park, MD, Masters of Business Administration (MBA), June 2016
The George Washington University, Washington, DC, Masters of Science (MS) in Systems Engineering, May 2010
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA , Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Engineering, June 2007

Publications
Submarine Warfare 3.0: A Combat Systems Evolution – Naval Submarine League Quarterly
Open Development Standards Are Key to keeping the US Military on Top - Defense News

Awards
A.J. Drexel Scholarship
Drexel Alumni Scholarship
Harvard S.A.S. Program
NAVSEA Excellence Award
NAVSEA Innovation Award
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Open Architecture Award
Association of Enterprise Information Excellence Award
Meritorious Unit Citation
Submarine League Honorable Mention for Technical Paper – Submarine Warfare 3.0
ASNE 2020 Engineer of the Year (DC Chapter)