NASA Office of JPL Management and Oversight (NOJMO) Divisions

The NASA Office of JPL Management and Oversight (NOJMO) is responsible for overseeing the operations of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is managed by Caltech under a contract with NASA. Within NOJMO, there are several divisions that handle various aspects of oversight and management.

The Contract Management Division (CMD) is responsible for the legal and business agreements that allow JPL to operate. This includes managing the prime contract with Caltech, which is worth roughly $30 billion, as well as contracts with the governments of Spain and Australia for the Deep Space Network communication facilities. CMD also oversees day-to-day contract work, including task order execution, procurement reviews, and negotiation documentation.

The Institutional Management Division (IMD) focuses on the non-contract side of oversight at JPL. This includes ensuring that the lab's missions, facilities, and day-to-day operations meet NASA's technical, safety, and regulatory requirements. IMD is responsible for technical compliance oversight of JPL's spaceflight programs and projects, safety, health, and environmental management, facilities and property oversight, records and public access management, technology and business oversight, and aircraft management.

The General Counsel is NASA's on-site legal team at JPL, responsible for protecting the government's interests in the relationship with Caltech. They advise leadership on institutional governance, contracts, compliance, risk management, and coordination across NASA and with outside stakeholders. The office also handles standard NASA legal services, patents and agreements, and is part of NASA's Office of General Counsel in Washington, DC.

The Business Operations Office manages the organizational budget and coordinates all financial activities within NOJMO. They manage the NOJMO's budget, plan and track the funds needed for oversight, coordinate financial activities to ensure spending follows NASA policies and federal requirements, and support the day-to-day administrative needs of NOJMO staff.

The Protective Services Office serves as the director's principal authority and advisor on security matters. They plan, organize, and direct the overall JPL Protective Services program, oversee Caltech's security team, connect with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and oversee personnel, physical, information, and industrial security, as well as foreign national access management.

In practice, NOJMO's security staff represent NASA and oversee Caltech's security operation rather than guarding the lab directly.