Mr. Herath currently serves as the Space Technology and Exploration Directorate’s (STED’s) Deputy Director. Mr. Herath has 33 years of experience and has served NASA for 23 years in various leadership roles. He was previously STED’s Deputy Director for Flight Projects, managing overall development efforts for a significant and complex set of NASA projects for flight programs. Prior to that, he was the Associate Director for Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) in the Engineering Directorate. In that role Jeff served NASA Langley Research Center by representing the whole Center, from Concept to Flight, for EDL and overseeing and coordinating a broad program of research, technology, and flight systems development and demonstrations for EDL systems in support of the Agency’s missions. Mr. Herath previously served in the Engineering Directorate as Head of the Atmospheric Flight and Entry Systems Branch. He led and learned from the Branch while influencing Agency missions by conceiving, advocating, planning, implementing, and assuring the quality of Branch technical products and capabilities. Jeff led the definition, advocacy, investigation, and implementation of long-term technological solutions for aerospace flight systems, flight vehicles, and planetary exploration programs.

Prior to joining NASA, Jeff served as the Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Research and Development for several start-up companies. Three of these companies were based on technologies he developed, and he was granted several U.S. Patents. Prior to that he served as a senior electronics and systems engineer for a DoD contractor.