Dr. Rob Soofer is the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Deterrence, Chemical, and Biological Defense Policy and Programs (PDASD (ND-CBD)). In this capacity, Dr. Soofer supports the Assistant Secretary of Defense in the role of principal advisor to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy and Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment on nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, chemical and biological defense programs, chemical demilitarization, and treaty management. He holds leadership, management, and advisory responsibility for the following offices: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense; Nuclear Matters; Defense Threat Reduction Agency; and Nuclear Deterrence and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy.

From May to July 2025, Dr. Soofer performed the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, a portfolio that includes Space, Missile Defense, Nuclear Deterrence, and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction policy. From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Soofer served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy. In this role, he was a principal architect of the 2018 Trump Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review.

Previously, Dr. Soofer was a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Security Studies Program of the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. Also, he was a member of the Mission Committee for the Los Alamos National Security Laboratory, and a consultant to Lawrence Livermore National Security Laboratory and the Institute for Defense Analyses.

Prior to that role, Dr. Soofer a Professional Staff Member and Republican staff lead for the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Senate Armed Services Committee, with oversight responsibility for missile defense, nuclear forces, arms control, nonproliferation policy, U.S. Strategic Command, and Department of Energy nuclear weapons and non-proliferation activities.

Dr. Soofer served as strategic forces policy advisor to Senator Jon Kyl, the Republican Whip, as a Military Legislative Assistant to Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA), and as Professional Staff Member on the Senate Republican Policy Committee.

Dr. Soofer received his Doctorate in International Relations from the University of Southern California (1987) and is a graduate of the National War College (1994). He received the Department of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Medal and the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. He is the author of Missile Defenses and Western European Security (Greenwood Press, 1988).