Cynthia A. Carlson

Cynthia A. Carlson serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (N00253), where she plays a critical role in executing complex acquisitions for advanced undersea warfare systems. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle of contract management—from requirements validation and source selection to award and administration—for mission-critical technologies supporting submarine and unmanned undersea vehicle operations. She specializes in procuring ruggedized electronic systems, signal processing hardware, and specialized computing platforms essential to naval undersea dominance, ensuring compliance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) and Navy-specific acquisition policies. Carlson maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of contractors including ORDNANCE TECHNOLOGY SERVICE, INC., Boh Environmental, L.L.C., and AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, among others. These partnerships reflect a focus on niche technical providers with proven expertise in undersea sensor integration, environmental compliance for naval facilities, and high-reliability electronics manufacturing. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical capability over volume, favoring vendors with deep domain knowledge in undersea systems and a track record of delivering mission-essential hardware under stringent operational constraints. Her contracting patterns show a strong preference for unrestricted competitions, with 91.7% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on technical merit and availability of qualified sources. The remaining 8.3% are awarded under Total Small Business Set-Asides, reflecting a measured but deliberate commitment to small business participation without compromising mission readiness or technical performance. Carlson’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334511, encompassing search, detection, navigation, and guidance systems for naval applications. She also regularly acquires bare printed circuit boards, computer storage devices, and specialized audio/video equipment integral to sonar and communications arrays. Her expertise centers on the development and sustainment of hardened, high-performance electronic systems designed for extreme underwater environments, aligning closely with the Navy’s strategic priorities in undersea electronic warfare and autonomous platform integration.