Christen Finley

Christen Finley serves as a Contract Specialist within the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex acquisition strategies for advanced missile defense systems. Responsible for managing the full lifecycle of procurement actions, she ensures compliance with federal regulations while aligning contract awards with MDA’s mission to develop layered, multi-phase interception capabilities. Her portfolio primarily encompasses high-technology contracts for guided missile components, sensor integration, and space-based defense systems, requiring deep technical understanding of aerospace engineering and defense system architecture. Finley works closely with program managers and technical experts to translate operational requirements into enforceable contractual terms that support rapid prototyping, testing, and fielding of next-generation missile defense assets. Finley maintains consistent procurement relationships with leading defense prime contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corporation and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, which serve as primary integrators of missile defense hardware and software systems. She also collaborates regularly with Jacobs Technology Inc., a key provider of engineering, testing, and logistics support services. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term strategic partnerships with industry leaders capable of delivering mission-critical systems under stringent performance, security, and schedule constraints. These relationships are characterized by structured contract modifications, performance-based incentives, and rigorous oversight to ensure technical fidelity and programmatic accountability. Finley’s contracting activity reflects a 100% preference for unrestricted, open competition, with no set-asides designated for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic categories. This reflects the highly specialized nature of missile defense acquisitions, where technical maturity, scale of industrial capacity, and national security clearance requirements typically necessitate engagement with large, cleared defense contractors. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in her portfolio, she ensures full compliance with all applicable small business subcontracting goals as mandated by FAR and MDA policy. Her procurement focus is exclusively centered on NAICS 336419—Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing—encompassing the acquisition of interceptors, kinetic kill vehicles, fire control systems, and associated guidance, navigation, and propulsion subsystems. Finley’s expertise lies in procuring high-reliability, mission-essential components for ballistic missile defense architectures, requiring rigorous testing protocols and defense-specific standards such as MIL-STD and DoD 5000.