BAA Coordinator

The BAA Coordinator at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plays a pivotal role in advancing the agency’s mission of enabling transformative military technologies through high-risk, high-reward research. Responsible for managing the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) process, this individual facilitates the solicitation, evaluation, and award of competitively selected research and development contracts across physical, engineering, and life sciences. They serve as a key liaison between DARPA program managers and external research entities, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities such as autonomous systems, next-generation computing, and bio-integrated technologies. Their acquisitions are primarily non-commercial, performance-based R&D efforts designed to accelerate breakthrough innovations with direct national security applications. The BAA Coordinator maintains strategic relationships with a select group of high-caliber research and technology firms, including AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH LLC, and ABBOTT LABORATORIES INC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, often involving multi-year, milestone-driven contracts that require rigorous technical oversight and adaptive management. The coordinator favors established research organizations with proven capabilities in advanced science and engineering, prioritizing innovation capacity over volume or scale. There is no set-aside preference in this role; all acquisitions are conducted as full and open competitions, reflecting DARPA’s emphasis on identifying the most technically capable performers regardless of size or socioeconomic status. This approach ensures access to the broadest possible talent pool in pursuit of mission-critical breakthroughs. The coordinator’s procurement activity is exclusively focused on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—supporting projects in advanced materials, neurotechnologies, quantum systems, and high-performance computing architectures. Their expertise lies in structuring complex R&D contracts that incentivize innovation while maintaining strict technical accountability and programmatic agility.