Liz Fink

Liz Fink serves as a Contract Negotiator within 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 manages complex acquisition processes for research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work ensures timely execution of mission-critical R&D initiatives by aligning contractor capabilities with the Air Force’s strategic objectives in propulsion innovation and adaptive flight control systems. Fink specializes in negotiating technical, cost, and performance terms for both fundamental and applied research contracts under FAR and DFARS guidelines. Fink maintains longstanding partnerships with industry leaders including UES Inc., General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These relationships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, particularly in the development of advanced materials, propulsion components, and integrated flight systems. She frequently engages with prime contractors possessing specialized expertise in aerospace engineering, composite manufacturing, and systems integration, fostering long-term vendor alignment with AFRL’s technical roadmap and rapid prototyping goals. Her contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for unrestricted competition, with 83.3% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on technical superiority and industrial capacity over socioeconomic preferences. Nevertheless, she consistently supports small business participation, with 16.7% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a balanced approach that prioritizes mission readiness while sustaining a competitive small business ecosystem. Fink’s procurement focus is heavily concentrated in NAICS 541712 (Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), accounting for 75% of her activity, with the remainder in NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing). She routinely procures advanced propulsion subsystems, hypersonic test hardware, thermoplastic composite structures, and flight control algorithms, requiring deep domain knowledge in aerodynamics, materials science, and systems engineering to ensure contract outcomes meet rigorous performance and reliability standards.