Dr. Tommy Willis

Dr. Tommy Willis serves in a Program Office role, providing strategic oversight for research and development acquisitions within a federal technical enterprise. Responsible for defining requirements, evaluating technical proposals, and ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations, Dr. Willis plays a critical role in aligning procurement activities with mission-critical scientific objectives. He typically manages complex, high-technical-risk contracts for advanced R&D services, including experimental design, prototype development, and analytical modeling across physical, engineering, and life sciences domains. His work bridges programmatic needs with contracting execution, ensuring that acquisition strategies support innovation while maintaining fiscal and regulatory integrity. Dr. Willis engages with a diverse array of contractors, primarily academic research institutions, independent R&D firms, and specialized technical service providers with deep domain expertise in experimental sciences. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, his procurement patterns reflect a preference for vendors with proven capabilities in laboratory-scale innovation, data-driven analysis, and engineering prototyping. He fosters collaborative relationships with firms capable of delivering agile, science-driven solutions under time-sensitive and technically demanding conditions, often requiring close coordination between program staff and contractor technical teams. Dr. Willis has a consistent preference for non-set-aside contracts, with 100% of his acquisitions classified as unrestricted. This reflects a mission-driven focus on technical merit and capability over socioeconomic categorization, prioritizing the most qualified performers regardless of business size or certification status. While he does not routinely target 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, his approach ensures full and open competition, aligning with agency priorities for technical excellence and operational readiness. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712 and 541715, encompassing applied research in physics, materials science, mechanical engineering, and non-biotech life sciences. He regularly solicits services such as computational modeling, sensor development, laboratory testing, and systems integration for scientific instrumentation, demonstrating deep expertise in engineering R&D procurement and technical evaluation methodologies.