Christen M. Gonzales

Christen Gonzales serves as a NAIP Intern at the Naval Air Warfare Center, supporting the procurement of mission-critical technologies that advance naval aviation systems. In this role, she assists in the planning, solicitation, and administration of contracts for engineering, environmental, and testing services aligned with the agency’s focus on next-generation avionics, command and control systems, and sensor integration. Her responsibilities include supporting contract documentation, vendor coordination, and compliance with FAR and Navy acquisition regulations, providing critical administrative and analytical support to senior contracting professionals. While in an intern capacity, she gains hands-on exposure to the full lifecycle of defense acquisitions, contributing to the agency’s mission of ensuring operational readiness through innovative technical solutions. Gonzales works closely with a core group of prime contractors including Lockheed Martin Corporation, Jacobs Technology Inc., and Science Applications International Corporation, all of which provide advanced engineering, systems integration, and technical testing services. She also supports engagements with specialized firms such as Teya Support Services LLC and Kranze Technology Solutions Inc., which deliver niche capabilities in environmental compliance and mission-critical support. Her interactions reflect a pattern of sustained collaboration with established defense contractors capable of meeting stringent Navy technical and security requirements, often under time-sensitive developmental timelines. Her procurement activities predominantly fall under open competitions, with 80% of acquisitions conducted without set-aside restrictions, reflecting the complexity and scale of requirements typically beyond small business capacity. However, she actively supports a 20% allocation to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating alignment with Navy goals to foster innovation through small business participation, particularly in technical services and environmental remediation. Her primary NAICS focus includes engineering services (541330), environmental consulting (541620), and testing laboratory services (541380), indicating expertise in procuring technical support for avionics development, environmental compliance, and system validation. She also engages with remediation and specialized support services, underscoring a broad technical domain spanning defense systems engineering, environmental stewardship, and operational testing.