Brad Kneisly

Brad Kneisly serves as a Contract Negotiator within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where he plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. He specializes in negotiating complex research and development contracts for next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. His work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate innovation in adaptive flight control and mission-critical components by ensuring technically sound, risk-managed agreements with industry partners. Kneisly handles primarily cost-reimbursement and firm-fixed-price R&D acquisitions under FAR Part 35 and DFARS Part 235, often involving multi-year, high-technical-risk programs requiring close collaboration with engineering and technical oversight teams. Kneisly maintains sustained working relationships with leading aerospace and defense contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by long-term, technically intensive collaborations centered on prototype development, materials characterization, and systems integration. His negotiation approach emphasizes technical feasibility, performance metrics, and intellectual property alignment, fostering trust-based relationships with vendors capable of delivering cutting-edge solutions under stringent government security and compliance standards. Kneisly’s contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of his awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This indicates a focus on selecting the most technically qualified offerors regardless of business size or socioeconomic status, prioritizing mission capability over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is not a primary driver of his award strategy, he remains compliant with all federal procurement regulations and may engage small businesses as subcontractors within larger prime contracts. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712, covering physical and engineering research and development, with secondary emphasis on nanotechnology and advanced materials R&D. He routinely procures services related to computational fluid dynamics, high-temperature composite fabrication, propulsion system testing, and hypersonic aerothermodynamics, demonstrating deep expertise in aerospace engineering domains requiring specialized technical capability and rigorous validation protocols.