Eric M. Rode

Eric M. Rode serves as a Contract Specialist at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (HDTRA1), where he plays a critical role in executing complex acquisitions that support the agency’s mission to counter weapons of mass destruction and emerging national security threats. He manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on technical services, cybersecurity, and advanced scientific research, ensuring compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) standards while aligning procurements with strategic defense priorities. His work directly enables the development and deployment of capabilities to detect, deter, and neutralize chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive threats through timely and compliant contracting actions. Rode maintains consistent working relationships with leading technical and scientific contractors, including TECHTRANS INTERNATIONAL INC, BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, AERIS LLC, APPLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC., and AMAZON WEB SERVICES, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established firms with deep expertise in defense-oriented R&D, systems integration, cloud-based analytical platforms, and threat mitigation technologies. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical rigor, and long-term vendor collaboration to meet mission-critical requirements under tight operational timelines. While the majority of his acquisitions are conducted as open competitions without set-asides, Rode demonstrates a meaningful commitment to small business participation, with approximately one-third of his awards structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. He also regularly utilizes 8(a) competed contracts, reflecting a deliberate effort to expand opportunities for disadvantaged small businesses within the national security technology ecosystem. His procurement focus is concentrated in computer systems design services (NAICS 541512) and other computer-related services (NAICS 541519), underscoring his specialization in cybersecurity infrastructure, data analytics, modeling and simulation, and software development for defense applications. He also procures specialized computer hardware and software through merchant wholesalers (NAICS 423430), aligning acquisitions with the agency’s need for cutting-edge, field-deployable technological solutions.