Carles Carr

Carles Carr serves as a Program Engineer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where he plays a pivotal role in technical oversight and acquisition strategy for advanced aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonic technologies, and high-performance functional materials. His responsibilities include defining technical requirements, evaluating contractor proposals, and ensuring alignment between R&D objectives and contract deliverables. Carr’s work directly supports the agency’s mission to sustain U.S. air and space dominance through the accelerated development of next-generation propulsion architectures and adaptive flight control systems. He primarily manages research and development contracts under the 541715 NAICS code, focusing on fundamental and applied engineering research rather than production or commercial off-the-shelf acquisitions. Carr maintains consistent 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 complex engagements centered on propulsion system prototyping, materials characterization, and computational fluid dynamics modeling. His procurement approach emphasizes deep technical collaboration, with contractors often engaged early in the concept phase to ensure feasibility and innovation alignment. Carr’s contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for unrestricted competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This indicates a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic categorization, prioritizing mission-critical performance and proprietary expertise over small business set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs. His primary industry focus lies in research and development within physical and engineering sciences, specifically in propulsion system design, hypersonic aerodynamics, and advanced composite materials. He procures services involving experimental testing, materials synthesis, thermal protection system development, and flight-relevant validation, requiring contractors with specialized facilities and subject matter expertise in high-temperature environments and aerospace-grade material systems.