Audrey Hughes

Audrey Hughes is a procurement professional responsible for managing complex acquisitions within the aerospace and defense technology sector, ensuring alignment with federal contracting regulations and mission-critical operational needs. She oversees the full lifecycle of contracts for advanced aeronautical systems, navigation instrumentation, and engineering support services, playing a pivotal role in sustaining national security capabilities. Her work involves evaluating technical proposals, ensuring compliance with FAR provisions, and coordinating with program managers to align procurement strategy with operational requirements. Hughes specializes in high-precision technical acquisitions where reliability, performance, and supply chain integrity are paramount. Her contractor relationships are primarily with manufacturers and engineering firms specializing in aircraft subsystems, avionics, and mission-critical instrumentation. She engages with a mix of large primes and qualified small businesses, fostering partnerships grounded in technical excellence and regulatory compliance. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, her consistent engagement with firms holding relevant AS9100 and ITAR certifications reflects a preference for vendors with proven aerospace quality systems and export control readiness. Hughes demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 25% of her awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a deliberate effort to expand opportunities for small businesses in high-technology domains. She does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead prioritizing broad small business participation across the manufacturing and engineering sectors. Her approach balances competitive fairness with meaningful access for capable small firms without compromising technical requirements. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336413 for other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment, and 334511 for aeronautical navigation and guidance systems, complemented by 541330 engineering services. She routinely procures flight control components, sensor integration modules, and systems engineering support for defense and aerospace platforms, demonstrating deep technical fluency in avionics architecture, systems integration, and manufacturing standards for aerospace applications.