Jay Dryer is the Director of the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. He is a notable provider of unparalleled service in the U.S. defense branches.
Read on and get to know him more.
Meet Jay Dryer as he speaks at the 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit hosted by the Potomac Officers Club on January 31, 2024. Click here to reserve your seats.
Who is Jay Dryer?
Mr. Jay Dryer holds the position of Director at the Strategic Capabilities Office (S.C.O.). His purview of responsibilities is to develop new approaches to counter potential threats.
Appointed as S.C.O. director in January 2020, Mr. Dryer oversees the Pentagon organization designated to develop revolutionary solutions.
Jay Dryer’s educational background includes:
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- Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering at U.S. Naval Academy
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- Master’s of Science in Ocean Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Jay Dryer: Assignments and Contributions
Jay Dryer has an extensive background in serving in the defense department. Here are some of his notable assignments throughout the years:
Jay Dryer as Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs at NASA Aeronautics Mission Directorate (ARMD)
Before S.C.O., Jay Dryer served at NASA ARMD. At ARMD, he aimed to develop clear, doable plans for the ARMD’s research portfolio requirements and program.
He was also responsible for integrating the programs with risk management support and implementing best practices. Jay was also in charge of monitoring changes in needs between programs and how they affected the budget.
Jay Dryer as Director of the Advanced Air Vehicles Program
Mr. Dryer planned, managed, and evaluated the directorate’s activities to develop equipment, technologies, and concepts. It brought safer, more energy-efficient, and greener civil aircraft.
Supported ARMD Associate Administrator
In his time before joining the Advanced Air Vehicles Program, Jay provided extensive assistance to the ARMD associate administrator across many mission directorate functions. It includes strategic and program planning, budgeting, program assessment, review, and external coordination.
Jay Dryer as Director of the former Fundamental Aeronautics Program Office and Sr. Technical Advisor for ARMD
As the head of ARMD, Jay Dryer oversees all projects and programs, including architecture, requirements, budgets, expert reviews, and research. In addition, he managed the directorate’s process for making NASA Research Announcements.
Providing Technical Support for DARPA at Arion Systems and S.R.A. International
Before joining NASA, Mr. Dryer provided technical support to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) with Arion Systems and S.R.A. International. He also worked on rotorcraft for the DARPA Helicopter Quieting Program, including planning for the 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge.
As Part of the Nuclear Submarine Force, the Deep Submergence Unit, and Development Squadron Five Support at the U.S. Navy
In 1990, Mr. Dryer became a part of the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Force, Development Squadron Five, and the Deep Submergence Unit. He led the unmanned submersible that found the WWII U.S.S. Yorktown disaster.
Also, Jay led the last reconnaissance expeditions to the missing Thresher and Scorpio submarines in 1998.