Steve Jones

Principal Systems Engineer @Kadsci Llc

I lead multidisciplinary teams to solve complex problems.* Asked to develop the best placement of emergency beacons along the southwest border, I led a team of geospatial technicians, optimization experts, and data engineers to identify and solve the problem. The emergency beacons offered a life-saving emergency call to migrants who had been exploited and abandoned by brutal human smugglers. In the course of the process, I identified an additional challenge; many migrants have cell phones, and are able to contact emergency services but were not able to self locate. Linking a database of geographically tagged objects through an ESRI dashboard, we were able to dramatically reduce location and response time. Using the added understanding of emergency calls allowed for a more robust placement of emergency beacons.* Analyzing the test data of a linear detection system, I identified biases that undermined findings, potentially leading to a misunderstanding of a system capabilities. I worked with a field test team, data modelers, software engineers, and experts in data science to design and execute more robust and realistic testing. The resulting test reports allowed for the transition of the system into full operational use.*A multi-agency task force required a quantitative analysis to determine a course of action. I led a team that included experts in analytics, process modeling, software development and visualization, and coordinating with subject matter experts throughout government. Using modeling and simulation we were able to show that the rate-limiting steps in the process were not the ones currently being addressed; this understanding was used in a decision that resulted in over $1 Billion in cost avoidance.