Douglas Harrington

Douglas Harrington serves as Director of the Office of Ship Operations within the U.S. Maritime Administration, where he oversees the acquisition, maintenance, and operational readiness of the National Defense Reserve Fleet and associated maritime assets. In this role, he directs the procurement of critical shipbuilding, repair, and modernization services essential to sustaining the nation’s strategic sealift capability and supporting the U.S. Merchant Marine. His portfolio encompasses complex, long-cycle acquisitions involving vessel systems integration, dry-docking, propulsion upgrades, and regulatory compliance for federal fleet vessels, ensuring alignment with national defense and maritime infrastructure priorities. Harrington maintains a consistent working relationship with CONNECTA SATELLITE SOLUTIONS LLC, a primary contractor providing specialized maritime communications and navigation systems. His procurement approach emphasizes technical reliability, lifecycle support, and mission-critical performance, fostering long-term vendor partnerships rooted in compliance with federal maritime standards. While he engages with a limited number of qualified contractors, his relationships are characterized by deep technical collaboration and performance-based contract management. Harrington’s contracting activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic emphasis on technical capability and operational readiness over socioeconomic preferences, prioritizing proven expertise in heavy maritime systems over small business set-asides. His approach aligns with the Maritime Administration’s mission to ensure fleet readiness through the most capable and qualified industry partners. His primary procurement focus is on NAICS 336611—Ship Building and Repairing—encompassing the construction, overhaul, and maintenance of deep-sea vessels, including roll-on/roll-off ships, cargo carriers, and training vessels for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. He specializes in acquisitions requiring advanced naval architecture, marine engineering, and compliance with U.S. Coast Guard and MARAD technical specifications, demonstrating deep domain expertise in federal maritime asset lifecycle management.