Stephen (Steve) Arnette will serve as the chief operating officer (COO) for the new Amentum after the Amentum-Jacobs Critical Missions Solutions business merger is finalized. In this role he will lead business operations and support strategic growth initiatives, ensuring sustained superior performance across Amentum, a global leader in providing advanced engineering and technology solutions for the U.S. Government, allied nations, and market-leading commercial clients.
Prior to the merger completion, Steve serves as Jacobs Executive Vice President and President of the Critical Mission Solutions line of business, providing solutions for national security priorities for the United States and its coalition allies. Steve also serves on the Board of Directors for the Professional Services Council industry organization.
Steve’s career at Jacobs spans more than 28 years in several senior leadership positions, crossing multiple sectors and operations. Most recently, he led CMS’s largest business unit as Senior Vice President of AERO which supports public and private sector clients across the aerospace, automotive, defense and telecommunications sectors. Prior to this position, he served as General Manager of Jacobs’ Technology Group (TG) which provides engineering, construction, design-build, operations, maintenance, and research for diverse clients throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Joining Jacobs in 1995, Steve served in multiple roles in TG including Director of Business Development, Director of Professional Services, Director of Advanced Technology, and Manager of Aerodynamic Engineering and Research. He also served as project executive for major programs executed in support of diverse customers including: BMW, General Motors and other major automotive companies, various Formula One teams; and NASA and other aerospace customers.
Steve is the former Condra Chair of Excellence Professor in Automotive Systems at the University of Tennessee and the former Director of the National Transportation Research Center at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He received his Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University where he was a Tau Beta Pi, National Science Foundation, and OSU Presidential Fellow. His graduate research focused on supersonic shear flows and non-intrusive laser diagnostics. He received his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University, where he was recognized as the NCAA Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and named an Academic All-American (baseball). He is a member of AIAA and ASME.