Harry Rippenbaum

Harry E. Rippenbaum serves as a Contract Specialist within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), supporting the agency’s mission to advance scientific understanding of oceanic, atmospheric, and coastal systems through strategic procurement of professional and technical services. In this role, he manages the full lifecycle of federal acquisitions, from requirements definition and market research to contract award and administration, ensuring compliance with FAR and agency-specific regulations. His portfolio primarily encompasses high-precision scientific services critical to environmental monitoring, data collection, and predictive modeling, aligning procurement outcomes with NOAA’s priorities in marine research, climate resilience, and coastal infrastructure integrity. Rippenbaum maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of specialized contractors, including the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, Tronconi Segarra & Associates LLP, JNB Services LLC, Pure Enviro-Management, LLC, and The Regents of the University of Colorado. These partnerships reflect a focus on technical excellence in surveying, engineering, and professional scientific services, with vendors often providing mission-critical support for environmental data systems, geospatial analysis, and research instrumentation. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and long-term collaboration with firms possessing domain-specific expertise in Earth system science. Notably, Rippenbaum’s procurement activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic emphasis on technical capability over socioeconomic preferences, prioritizing the highest quality deliverables to meet NOAA’s rigorous scientific standards. While small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides, his awards remain accessible to all qualified vendors, ensuring competitive rigor. His primary NAICS focus areas—541370 (Surveying and Mapping), 541330 (Engineering Services), 541990 (Other Professional Services), and 336414 (Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing)—reveal a technical specialization in geospatial systems, environmental instrumentation, and advanced sensor platforms. He routinely procures services supporting remote sensing, hydrographic surveying, atmospheric modeling, and space-based observational systems critical to NOAA’s operational missions.