Caroline A Pultz

Caroline A. Pultz serves as a Contracting Officer for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s RDK division (FA9451), where she leads the acquisition of advanced research and engineering services critical to national aerospace superiority. Her portfolio centers on securing cutting-edge capabilities in directed energy, electro-optics, laser systems, and advanced instrumentation to support air dominance initiatives. Pultz manages complex, mission-critical contracts under full and open competition, ensuring technical rigor, compliance with federal acquisition regulations, and alignment with the laboratory’s strategic R&D objectives. She works closely with government scientists and engineers to translate technical requirements into enforceable contract deliverables, bridging the gap between innovation and operational readiness. Pultz maintains a procurement pattern focused on full and open competition, with no set-asides currently in use across her portfolio. She engages with a broad spectrum of prime contractors—including large defense technology firms, specialized engineering consultancies, and academic research partners—through competitive solicitations that emphasize technical merit, past performance, and innovation capacity. Her contracting approach prioritizes performance-based outcomes and risk-managed acquisition strategies, fostering long-term partnerships with vendors capable of delivering high-fidelity prototypes and validated experimental systems under tight developmental timelines. Her procurement activity is heavily concentrated in NAICS 541712 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), reflecting her focus on foundational R&D efforts in laser vulnerability, photonics, and sensor systems. Secondary activity falls under NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), where she procures specialized design, modeling, and test services for aerospace hardware integration. Pultz’s expertise lies in acquiring technically complex, non-recurring engineering solutions that advance next-generation air systems, requiring deep domain knowledge in optical physics, materials science, and systems engineering. Her contracts routinely support classified and unclassified projects aimed at sustaining U.S. technological advantage in contested environments.