Dawn M. Dalhamer

Dawn M. Dalhamer serves as a Contract Negotiator for 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 leads the negotiation and award of complex research and development contracts focused on 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 foundational science into operational capabilities, ensuring the Department of the Air Force maintains technological superiority through strategic procurement of cutting-edge engineering solutions. Dalhamer maintains enduring partnerships with industry leaders such as UES Inc., General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These relationships are built on deep technical collaboration, often involving proprietary materials development, computational modeling, and flight-test-ready system integration. She routinely engages with prime contractors possessing specialized expertise in aerospace propulsion, adaptive control architectures, and advanced composites, fostering long-term vendor alignment with AFRL’s R&D priorities and technical requirements. Her procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, reflecting the highly specialized, mission-critical nature of the work she oversees. There is no reliance on 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, as the technical scope demands domain-specific capabilities typically held by established aerospace primes and niche technology firms with proven track records in classified and high-consequence environments. Dalhamer’s acquisitions are exclusively governed by NAICS 541712, focusing on research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences. She procures advanced materials, propulsion subsystems, hypersonic test hardware, and mission-critical simulation tools, requiring deep technical fluency in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, and materials science. Her expertise ensures that contract language aligns with rigorous scientific deliverables and defense-specific compliance standards.