Douglas E Harris

Douglas A. Harris serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where he manages complex research and development acquisitions critical to advancing U.S. air and space dominance. His portfolio centers on next-generation aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonic technologies, and high-performance functional materials, ensuring timely delivery of cutting-edge solutions through full and open competition. Harris plays a pivotal role in translating technical requirements from AFRL’s propulsion scientists into enforceable contractual vehicles that support both fundamental research and rapid prototyping initiatives, aligning procurement strategy with national defense innovation priorities. He maintains longstanding 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 are characterized by deep technical collaboration, often involving cost-reimbursement contracts, Other Transaction Authorities, and cooperative research agreements. Harris consistently engages vendors with proven expertise in propulsion system integration, computational fluid dynamics, and advanced material synthesis, fostering a contractor ecosystem capable of meeting the rigorous performance and security standards of classified aerospace programs. Harris’s procurement activity is exclusively conducted under full and open competition, with no set-asides designated for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic categories. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in his contracting strategy, his emphasis on technical capability ensures that qualified small firms with specialized expertise may still compete successfully on merit. His primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)—reflecting his specialization in engineering R&D services for propulsion systems, adaptive flight control algorithms, and high-temperature composite materials. He routinely procures advanced simulation tools, wind tunnel testing services, and prototype manufacturing capabilities essential to sustaining the Air Force’s technological edge in hypersonics and next-generation air mobility.