The people at JPL are as diverse as the skills required to run the Laboratory. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), which manages the Laboratory for NASA. Whereas most NASA centers are run by a core staff of government employees with support from on-site contractors, JPL's management and staff are employees of Caltech.

JPL is fortunate to be associated with two of the most prestigious institutions in the areas of science and technology in the world. Caltech has prided itself on its stewardship of JPL over the decades, believing that the intellectual cross-fertilization with the campus has made both communities stronger.