Jason Schaefer

• Serving as technical resource and authority for Propulsion Module Block 3 (PM4.3) iteration including significant architectural changes to Drag Brakes, Landing Gear System, Hydraulic Power Module (HPM), Dual-Servo & Single-Servo Common Actuators, and various control valves, check valves, manifolds, transport elements, reservoirs, and accumulators.
• Managing team scope and coordinating resources for development, sustainment, operation, and production efforts.
• Led New Shepard’s Actuated team through delta Human Flight Certification (dHFC), ticket closure, anomaly disposition, and Post Flight Data Review (PFDR) for successful WDR3, A3, and H6 missions.

• Earned role as Fluid Systems Functional Manager during company reorganization, and assumed management of additional teams including Mechanical Systems, Materials & Processes (M&P), Technical Design, and contractors culminating in a peak headcount of nearly 50 people across 9 subsystems.
• Hiring manager for over 20 direct hires, and served as panelist for adjacent teams, New Graduate Rotations (NGR), and internships for over 100 interviews.
• Performing functional management responsibilities including skills development, mentoring, subsystem allocation, performance improvement, tool and resource development, and Human Resource collaboration.
• Prepared rationale for and delivered promotions for over 20 team members.
• Participated in varying aspects of 15 New Shepard missions, including 13 vehicle flights, and sending 38 humans above the Kármán Line.
• Serving on Wiki Council as New Shepard’s representative for “The Great Wiki Cleanup.”

Notable projects and accomplishments during this period include:

• Responsible Engineer (RE) for cryogenic propellant umbilical system.
• Developed Liquid Oxygen (LO2) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) Fill & Drain Umbilical Quick Disconnect (QD) mechanism.
• Designed, released, and procured Umbilical Test Stand featuring high-flow solenoid valve, accumulators, and dual pneumatic actuators for high-speed actuation to mimic vehicle lift-off velocity.
• Performed fatigue analysis of Primary Isolation Valve (PIV) in Ansys for newly established vibration profiles.
• Assisted in Fluid Systems requirements verification and Human Flight Certification (HFC) prior to New Shepard’s First Human Flight (FHF).
• Designed, released, and tested LO2 Vent Plug with locking feature and new vehicle side interface.
• Responsible engineer for safety-critical helium bottles, prepared and released qualification and acceptance test plans and procedures, managed inspection & testing, completed test report, and documented lessons learned.
• Along with team members from NDT, M&P, and Analysis, identified significant hardware anomaly, wrote memo to alert chief engineers and senior leadership of issue, and participated in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to resolution.
• Developed conceptual 8-in, 50-lbm, Quadruple Offset Butterfly Valve solution for New Glenn’s first stage (GS1) featuring high-reliability sealing in cryogenic service and dual pneumatic rotary actuators.
• Accepted leadership role in new hire onboarding activities including resource development and companywide standardization.
• Participated in varying aspects of 10 New Shepard missions, including 6 vehicle flights

Notable projects and accomplishments during this period include:

• Overhauled longstanding design standards in successful effort to reduce manufacturing costs of $3,200,000 valve package consisting of two 78-in diameter, 75,000-lbm Jet Flow Valves with 18-in diameter hydraulic actuators and Linear Variable Displacement Transducers (LVDT). (Tsengwen Dam, Taiwan)
• Voted top student by peers after completion of Dale Carnegie's "Leadership Training for Managers" course.
• Standardized design and fabrication details of 2-inch through 96-inch diameter Knife Gate Valve product line using DFMA principles and FEA to increase competitiveness in market.
• Designed and oversaw production of custom 200-ton hydraulic press for use in production facility.
• Implemented transition to SolidWorks CAD and FEA for entire engineering group.
• Led engineering team through company transition to fulfill new requirements and expectations of productivity.
• Developed and published cut sheets for standard valve product groups including Knife Gate Valves, Slide Gate Valves, Check Valves, Butterfly Valves, Jet Flow Valves, Thru-Port Valves, and Diverter Valves.

Responsible for varying aspects of sales, cost estimates, bids and proposals, project management, design, production, assembly, test, documentation, and customer support for over 200 unique valve projects, most notably:

• 12-in diameter, 90-lbm, flight qualified, vacuum service Optical Isolation Valve featuring custom rapid acting pneumatic helium actuators, piloted 3-way/2-position solenoid valves, and chemical resistant materials and coatings. (Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser Test Bed)
• 138-in diameter, 120,000-lbm, liquid cooled, Thru-Port Valve featuring unique cooling circuit contained in actuation rods of hydraulic actuators. (NASA SLS Engine Test Stand, A-3)
• 24-in diameter, 9,900-lbm, tapered inlet, Jet Flow Valve featuring floating aluminum-bronze seat ring and stiff guided gate for drip tight service, and Electric Motor Actuator (EMA) with bevel gear reduction. (Big Tujunga Dam, CA)
• 42-in diameter, 300-psig rated, bonneted Knife Gate Valve featuring expanded port for high flow, Stellite hardfacing of wear surfaces, hydraulic actuator, and proximity switches for open & closed indication. (Kirie Pumping Station, Chicago, IL)

Used AutoCAD to produce cross-sectional layouts and submittal drawings for new valve designs. Introduced and implemented 3D modeling techniques to design and production groups. Developed Mathcad hand calculation library for use in engineering design and submission. Worked with production to simplify material procurement by standardizing components and material drawing sets.

Integrated field survey data with construction details to develop overall terrain models and site plans. Performed downstream walks to determine overland flow and watershed characteristics. Designed land plats to maximize use and minimize environmental impact.

Worked in aerospace manufacturing to develop Interchangeability & Replaceability (I&R) manuals for Boeing 747 and 767 air-frames. Researched and observed assembly practices for I&R components of 747, 767 & 777 air-frames. Documented aerospace tooling, assembly, and handling Ground Support Equipment (GSE).