Dianne Grimes

Dianne K. Grimes serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock (N00167), supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to advance maritime warfare capabilities through research, development, and testing of naval systems. She manages complex acquisitions for advanced engineering, testing, and specialized equipment critical to signature management, hydrodynamic performance, and sensor integration on naval platforms. Her portfolio focuses on high-precision technical contracts that support the lifecycle of surface and underwater vessels, ensuring alignment with Navy innovation priorities and operational readiness goals. Grimes maintains consistent working relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors, including BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Goodrich Corp, and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established industry leaders with proven expertise in propulsion systems, mechanical testing, and advanced manufacturing. She also collaborates with specialized joint ventures such as CB Design & Huitt Zollars, indicating a strategic reliance on niche technical capabilities in systems integration and structural analysis. Her contracting approach prioritizes open competition, with approximately 70% of acquisitions issued without set-aside restrictions. However, she maintains a robust commitment to small business participation, consistently allocating 30% of awards under Total Small Business Set-Asides (FAR 19.5), fostering innovation through agile, specialized vendors. While no specific socioeconomic categories dominate, her pattern reflects a deliberate effort to integrate capable small businesses into the broader acquisition ecosystem. Grimes’ primary NAICS focus lies in 333618 (Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing) and 334519 (Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing), reflecting deep procurement expertise in turbine systems, propulsion components, and precision instrumentation. She regularly procures custom-engineered test equipment, hydrodynamic measurement systems, and specialized machine tools essential for validating naval platform performance under operational conditions.