Christina Smith

Christina Smith serves as a Contract Negotiator within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. She specializes in negotiating complex research and development contracts for next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate the transition of cutting-edge engineering solutions from laboratory innovation to operational capability, managing acquisitions that span fundamental research, prototype development, and systems integration. Smith maintains consistent, high-impact 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 reflect a focus on Tier 1 industry leaders with deep technical expertise in propulsion systems, adaptive flight controls, and advanced composite manufacturing. Her negotiation approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and long-term collaboration, fostering stable vendor relationships built on mutual accountability and innovation-driven deliverables. Her contracting portfolio reflects a strict preference for unrestricted, open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This underscores a strategic emphasis on accessing the broadest possible pool of technical capability rather than socioeconomic preferences, prioritizing mission-critical performance over socioeconomic targeting. Smith’s acquisitions are overwhelmingly concentrated in NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting her domain expertise in aerospace propulsion, materials science, and computational fluid dynamics. A smaller but significant portion falls under NAICS 541714, indicating engagement in biotechnology applications relevant to thermal protection systems and bio-inspired materials. Her work demands deep familiarity with technical specifications, test protocols, and defense acquisition regulations, ensuring that funded R&D delivers measurable advances in operational readiness.